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All Reader Reviews of...

Kuruma Zushi

7 E. 47th St., 2nd fl., New York, NY, 10017
nr. Fifth Ave.
212-317-2802

Avg. Rating

10
Food: 10
Service: 10
Décor: 8
"Highly Recommended"

Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10.

100% would go back.

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Best Restaurant in NYC

By scottpsolomon on 7/19/2010

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 6
  • Yes, I would go back!

If someone is coming to visit you in NYC who has been eating in 20 3* Michelin European restaurants per year every year for the last 20 years, this is the only restaurant you'll be able to take her to that will blow her mind. The bill is usually about $500-$600/person, so you really have to be indifferent about the money. I have a "foodie" friend who lived in Tokyo a lot of his life, and he said Kuruma completely blows away the 2* Michelin Restaurant Sawada in Tokyo, suggesting the comps for Kuruma are the Tokyo restaurants Sushi Jiro and Mizutani.

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34 out of 76 people found this review helpful.

A Consistent Gem.

By djdonovan on 12/18/2008

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 9
  • Yes, I would go back!

I have been coming to Karuma for almost 3 years now and it never ceases to amaze me. This isn't your creative artsy roll/fusion establishment. The service and food are both impeccable. This is by far a favorite place of my wife and I. Toshihiro and Maria are wonderful hosts. We choose to do lunch there almost exclusively which I think is the best way to first experience Karuma. We find the lunch special very reasonable and satisfying. Aside from the first rate fish, the ginger and miso soup are the best I have ever had anywhere. The only complaint you will find about Karuma is the price. Doing omakase and/or ala cart, can easily run up a bill if you get carried away. For many of the business types that frequent Karuma this is no problem, but something to be aware of if you want the best sushi in the city for the budget aware. Do the sushi or sashimi lunch special first, safest way to go and you can take it from there. If you are a true sushiphile purist, then definitely try Karuma. Most likely you will be back again, and again...

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60 out of 122 people found this review helpful.

Delicious, but deceptively expensive.

By gigo08 on 4/16/2008

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 9
  • Yes, I would go back!

I'm comparing this against the best sushi I've had in Sao Paulo (my hometown) which is home to a massive Japanese population. I would consider this place a tiny bit better than Sushi Papaya (excellent place in Sao Paulo) but at more than twice the cost. In terms of style and preparation, the chef's choices of fish were excellent. Every single piece of fish that I had was flavorful and amazingly fresh. There was real wasabi (not horse radish paste dyed green). Basically it was everything you'd ever want in a meal of sushi, except for the price tag. The service was excellent, empty plates and glasses were promptly removed, I knew from several small clues that the bill would be large, I just had no idea how large. When we were presented with the bill, our eyes nearly popped out of our heads. $470 dollars, with no alcohol on the bill, only a few sodas and a green tea. I suppose the normal clientèle knows the prices, but they did not even make an attempt to alert us to the costly nature of the meal, especially when you do "chef's choice".

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56 out of 109 people found this review helpful.

A Master's Domain

By Gustav_Siebenberger on 11/1/2006

  • Overall Rating: 10
  • Food: 10
  • Service: 10
  • Décor: 9
  • Yes, I would go back!

Exceptional, professional, even professorial service by Mr. Uezu. He enjoys his work and is a true master. The fish are so fresh and uniquely, lovingly prepared that you cannot believe that you should be eating this, instead of, maybe framing it! Professional, educated ambience with no undue interference with culinary heaven. With every lovingly prepared piece of sashimi, you keep re-realizing that what you have been eating all your life was not sushi!

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332 out of 600 people found this review helpful.

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