What's your favorite sushi restaurant?

[scarlet knight]

I've been on a sushi "roll" lately. We like Ariyoshi in South Orange, Sushi Hana in Montclair and Zen in Livingston. We had 1 roll and two pieces of sushi at Daruma. It was good.

Where do you like to go?

[bgut1]

I've been on a sushi "roll" lately.  We like Ariyoshi in South Orange, Sushi Hana in Montclair and Zen in Livingston.  We had 1 roll and two pieces of sushi at Daruma. It was good.

Where do you like to go?

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Sagami, Collingswood

[Peter Conway]

I've been on a sushi "roll" lately.  We like Ariyoshi in South Orange, Sushi Hana in Montclair and Zen in Livingston.  We had 1 roll and two pieces of sushi at Daruma. It was good.

Where do you like to go?

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Sagami, Collingswood

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Dai Kichi in Upper Montclair on Monday or Wednesday.

Maybe I'm crazy but it just tastes better on those nights.

[PicnicChef]

ridgewood, Sakora Bana....check the thread...

[Anonymouze]

Actually there's a great little Sushi Place in Westwood on Washington Ave across from the car dealer diagonally near the Police Dept. about 4 doors down from the Cigar shop, we've had Sushi there and it's been real good! I just can't recall the name at the moment! (I'm having a Senior moment) My favorite type of Sushi is Tamago with Cucumber and Avocado rolled in rice. Also I like Salmon and Cream Cheese with either Avocado or Cucumber or both. YUM !

Also there's always Minado, they have a nice Sushi bar and if you watch carefully you can see folks make it right there in front of you on a busy day.

Edited March 1, 2006 by Anonymouze (log)

[circa]

Shumi in Somerville has to be the best traditional sushi I have had anywhere in the world. Ike is a true Japanese sushi chef and master no crazy mayo rolls it is about the fish and rice.

[Beth E.]

hitmanoo -- sorry you had a bad experience at zen. It's my regular sushi spot. Out of perhaps 40 trips there I had 1 time when I thought something was not right about the fish. I had a couple pieces of tuna or perhaps yellowtail (can't remember which at this time ) that was tough. We told the waitress and she took it away with an apology.

[gossamer]

Nagano-Morrisstown

Fugiyama-Hackettstown

Great sushi and friendly service at both places. They make you feel at home.

[richl2214]

I have been going to Dai Kichi for years and still like it a lot. I think one place that serves great fish is Sukeroku in Little Falls on Pompton Ave. They have been around forever and still serve great stuff. Not the cheapest but I never had a bad or even marginal piece of fish and I've been going there for over 10 years.

[jwjojo]

The Jingle Inn. Little place off of 46 on the other side of China 46. Consistently excellent sushi, as well as other 'cooked' items.

[Tamar]

I haven't sampled many in the area yet (just got here in September). Been to Dai Kichi a few times with friends. I like the food overall but found the sushi just okay. But this past Friday we checked out a place I'd read about in the Maplewood forum. Apparently they just relocated a few months ago from South Orange to Little Falls.

It's called Tomo's Cuisine, it's a tiny place with GREAT sushi. The yellowtail and eel were quite good, as was the chicken yakitori appetizer (luscious sauce), but the real standouts for us were the specials we tried: the best toro I've ever had, bar none. Pale, flecked, and incredibly mouth-tender. So, so good. Also a thin-sliced fluke sashimi served with ponzu. Delicate and delicious. My husband flipped over this and he's not normally a sashimi fan. It was so amazing we got two orders.

I've been missing the hole-in-the-wall fabulous sushi places of Los Angeles. Americanized Japanese restaurants have their place, certainly, and fusion is good, but this was the real deal and it made me so happy.

What didn't make me happy: when we arrived at 6:30 on a Friday, the place was EMPTY. People didn't start coming till we left around 8. The waitress said that people in the area (Little Falls and Wayne, I guess) are kind of suspicious of the Japanese writing on the specials board (they post everything in Japanese and English) and the slightly exotic choices (live shrimp, I think?) and instead choose to go up the block to Sukuroku, a more American-style place. So they're still getting the bulk of their business from Maplewood/South Orange folk who miss the restaurant and make the trek on weekends.

If you like sushi and live in the area, I hope you'll give it a try. It should be obvious from my post that I have no affiliation with the place, I simply want to see a high quality sushi place stick around for a long, long time. I don't think I've ever felt personally concerned about a restaurant's survival before! The service was good and the food was great, and I hope they make it, but boy do they need to expand their customer base!

Tomo's Cuisine

113 Route 23 (Pompton Ave -- I think it's called Newark Pompton Highway right there)

Little Falls, NJ 07424

(973) 837-1117

It's south of the Willowbrook Mall, about a block south of Main Street on the west side of the street. It's a small stand-alone building set back from the street, with a white (I think) sign out front. Parking in back (we didn't discover it till after we'd parked way up the block and walked a long way in the cold). Hours: Lunch: Tu-Fri 12-2:30, Dinner Tu-Th 5-10, Fri & Sat 5-10:30, Sun 5-9.

Looking forward to hearing about other good sushi around here. How are Aozora and Nouveau Sushi? I haven't been yet because we nearly always bring our 7 year old son and I wasn't sure if they'd be too upscale for a kid (he's a good restaurant-goer, but still...).

[richl2214]

Nouveau is decent for appetizers but their obscene pricing is only fit for free-wheeling, yuppie Montclairians who feel the need to be ripped off because "if it's more expensive it must be better." Someone at one time compared it to Nobu in NYC. I hope that person got back on their medication.

I'd pass.

Aozora is good and worth a visit. It is perfect for a well-behaved 7 yr old eGulleter!

Edited March 1, 2006 by richl2214 (log)

[Jason Perlow]

Right now for me its got to be a tie between Daruma in Englewood and Sakura Bana in Ridgewood. I also like Zen in Livingston.

I've heard good things about Samurai in Millburn. Anyone been yet?

[M.X.Hassett]

Right now for me its got to be a tie between Daruma in Englewood........

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I have yet to go to to Daruma. Do you prefer Daruma to Wild Ginger in Englewood

[Curlz]

Is this Daruma the same part of the chain that's in Rutherford and...?? Just curious.

Fwiw, I like Nori in Caldwell.

[Jason Perlow]

Curlz: No I don't think its part of a chain.

Matthew: I liked Wild Ginger the one or two times I've eaten there. But its very expensive (as in New York expensive) and the place is really, really crowded for such a small place. For a big guy like me I found it rather uncomfortable and hot in there.

[jwjojo]

Last time I went to Daruma in Rutherford, it was awful. It was the last time. Shame.

[hitmanoo]

hitmanoo -- sorry you had a bad experience at zen. It's my regular sushi spot. Out of perhaps 40 trips there I had 1 time when I thought something was not right about the fish. I had a couple pieces of tuna or perhaps yellowtail (can't remember which at this time    ) that was tough. We told the waitress and she took it away with an apology.

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I'm 0 for 1. I might be convinced to give Zen a second try, but I don't think my wife would be. She got far more ill than I did.

Oh well, there are plenty of other spots.

[hitmanoo]

Shumi in Somerville has to be the best traditional sushi I have had anywhere in the world.  Ike is a true Japanese sushi chef and master no crazy mayo rolls it is about the fish and rice.

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Anywhere in the world???

I had some fantastic traditional sushi at a restaurant called Ino in San Francisco. Very fresh, very straight-up no-frills sushi that was exceptional. Definitely not Americanized in any way. A little heavy on the wasabi--which I happen to enjoy.

[PicnicChef]

The Jingle Inn.  Little place off of 46 on the other side of China 46.  Consistently excellent sushi, as well as other 'cooked' items.

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Back when I was a reviewer for the Record I loved the place! I forgot all about it. Thanks for reminding me...

[tommy]

The Jingle Inn.  Little place off of 46 on the other side of China 46.  Consistently excellent sushi, as well as other 'cooked' items.

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Back when I was a reviewer for the Record I loved the place! I forgot all about it. Thanks for reminding me...

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is this the place that advertises half price sushi and oysters? it always looks more like a seedy bar/truck stop than a place that i'd eat raw fish. is it really that good???

[M.X.Hassett]

is this the place that advertises half price sushi and oysters?  it always looks more like a seedy bar/truck stop than a place that i'd eat raw fish.  is it really that good???

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Yes it is. I had the same impression of its looks. I will now have to try it

[Cook456]

Daruma is not in the same class as Wild Ginger. Not by a long shot..

[Jason Perlow]

Daruma is not in the same class as Wild Ginger. Not by a long shot..

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No, but at least you can get in!

I thought that Sakura Bana in Ridgewood was better than Wild Ginger, but so far I've only eaten at the sushi bar at Sakura Bana and only had table service at Wild Ginger.

[Jason Perlow]

The Jingle Inn.  Little place off of 46 on the other side of China 46.  Consistently excellent sushi, as well as other 'cooked' items.

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Back when I was a reviewer for the Record I loved the place! I forgot all about it. Thanks for reminding me...

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is this the place that advertises half price sushi and oysters? it always looks more like a seedy bar/truck stop than a place that i'd eat raw fish. is it really that good???

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It was a pleasant place to eat the last time we ate there (2 years ago?) and we liked the sushi. I remember liking their katsu as well. The oysters were actually pretty good.