ISE Restaurant

Had a wonderful night spent here! We loved this place so much that we decided to make another reservation after this one to celebrate post-Chinese New Year! 🥳 Very fresh ingredients and really great tasting! It also contained everything my family wanted to eat and all of them gave us such wonderful surprises! Food: The fish liver was quite a unique dish that none of my family have had, and it's distinctive fine and smooth mouthfeel gave us such delighted experiences. Sashimis and sushis are all prepared with fresh fish - they were so fresh that they would almost melt on your tongue. For the maki sushis with the seaweed, the seaweed itself was way bouncier and chewier than any other makis we have ever had in a good way, we were able to tell that they took care and paid more attention with the ingredient selection, kudos! The tempuras are crispy, though might be just a little oily, but it does not affect the delicacy at all. Sobas are with big portions, thus very delicious and fulfilling! Pricing: Not overpriced at all but still satisfied our cravings for Japanese food so well! We ordered more than my photos shown but it only costed us 300+, which is less than half of our guessed price lol. All in all, really good Japanese restaurant, made me feel confident with the Japanese restaurants in NYC again!

So impressed with this place, would strongly recommend! It really reminded me of Japan. The vibes inside are really nice and calm, with jazz in the background. The waiters are polite and nice. The food tasted a lot better than it looks in my opinion. It had a very Japanese and authentic taste - the flavours were not overpowering but had a sophisticated edge. The appetizers were very meticulously prepared and I enjoyed every bite. The cake looked really small and simple but tasted delicious. It really reminded me so much of being in Japan. I was really not expecting to like this place so much and would definitely return.

The food here is thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented. The flavors are also outstanding. I love ordering their combos and tasting a bunch of different dishes. They have outdoor seating available with both heating and barriers to block any wind. Recommend giving it a try if you’re in the area. Takeout/delivery is also available and just as yummy.

This is a nice neighborhood Japanese restaurant that serves a nice variety of Japanese fare. It has a nice sushi and sashimi selection as well as many of the hot food dishes, ie pork katsu, ramen, tempura, etc. The menu offers a good variety and a lunch selection as well. Overall, the quality and taste of the dishes are good and tasty.

I got the ten zaru, tuna sashimi, and cold eggplant appetizer. The sushi wasn’t amazing, which makes sense for a soba restaurant. The soba and tempura were both delicious tho. The soba noodles are a bit on the chewier side, which I didn’t like as much but my boyfriend liked a lot. The matcha milli crepe was decent, but we thought it wasn’t as good as Lady M.

Nice place for having high quality soba (tempura soba is great) maki, and izakaya dishes with good price. Wine selection included sake and wine, but no cocktails. They also have lunch set, very valuable. Been this place a lots of time, but still good option for hang out with friends and having some hot dishes.

One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in NYC. I leave here continuing to dream about the next time I can have their pork katsu or their squid ink soba with uni and salmon roe. The prices are reasonable for a nice meal out (around $30 a dish) but you’ll know once you’ve had the food here that this is a place to save down and try to be a regular at. The waiters are also very nice and attentive and the food comes out relatively quickly so you’re not hungry for too long! Caveat I’ve only been here for Sunday lunch so hopefully these items are also available during the week but the squid ink soba and the pork katsu are my favorite dishes!

It was so good!! Nabeyaki Udon,Tempura, Katsu don. Freshest sushi and sashimi. Zaru Soba. 10/10 cannot wait to come back. Real Japanese chefs.. not a Japanese restaurant with a Chinese chef lol. So clean too. Very nice staff, we are happy customers❤️

Food is good, love the set menus. It was spacious and we didn't have to wait for a table on a Saturday.

Food (4 stars): the soup is really delicious and the noodle texture is perfect! I ordered the tempura soba. Both hot and cold soba were great! If you get the cold one, it has a better texture for the noodle! The tempura was so fluffy. The shrimp inside was a decent size! Definitely would come back!

Their lunch specials a really great. My wife and I got both the sushi combo and the unagi combo and loved the whole thing! The service is outstanding and although lunch specials won't completely fill you up, it's a great meal if you're spending the afternoon outside and don't want to be stuffed. We opted out for their desserts, but I think they would have done the job. Recommended.

Food was FANTASTIC! The sushi was delicious and the table loved the spicy yellowfish roll. The squid wasabi appetizer was also great and well flavored. For the entrees, the squid ink soba with uni and roe was very flavorful and rich. I personally enjoyed the classic ten zaru soba and the tempura was perfectly fried. Service is always impeccable and the ambiance is great. Would come back in a heartbeat.

Had the chance to stop by after walking by the restaurant countless times. We had reservations for 7 on a weekday; it was a little busy but there were always a few tables open while we were there. I ordered the curry nanban soba, which was ok. I thought the broth had a nice, full aroma, although it was a bit too salty to drink. The soba noodles were fine, but tended to be a bit on the softer/soggier side. The chicken was also just fine - tender but not the most flavourful. Overall, nothing particularly bad but nothing particularly great either. My friend ordered the sansai kinoko soba, and had a similar takeaway. The broth was nicer than my curry broth and paired well with the noodles. We also ordered the matcha cake for dessert. The matcha cream layer on top was very tasty (not too sweet), but the cake on the bottom (I think an attempt at a hojicha-esque layer) was really bland. For $10, I don't think this was worth. Price point was also on the higher side as well (esp for the portion sizes). While nothing was especially bad, I think there are better places to get soba for better value (even nearby), so I don't think I'll be back.

Authentic Japanese food. The sushi was delicious and the chicken wings was amazing lol A small quantity but delicious 9 out of 10. The service was kind of slow but not to slow 6 out of 10 and the ambience was fair. We were seated in an enclosed section in the back of the restaurant. They had 3 table seatings in that section.

My friends and I came here for dinner and loved it! The seating is in some sort of private room setting. We got the Sushi Assortment which came with about 18 sushi and shared the TanTan Soba and Curry Soba Noodles. The soba noodles were sooo good. I personally liked the spice of the tantan more but both broths were great. The sushi also tasted super fresh! For dessert, we got the Matcha Cake which had a great layer of cake and some sort of mouse. It was topped with a delicious strawberry cream. Definitely recommend!

I visited here after friend recommended that this place had good soba. It was a weekday, and I got a reservation. The seatings in the back get filled very quickly, so I definitely do recommend making a reservation. Overall, my experience at Ise was mostly unsatisfactory. The tables were immensely closer to one another, which I guess is not an uncommon experience in NYC. The bar was empty in the early evening, so if you want more room, that would be the way to go. I got the hot soba with shrimp tempura. Unfortunately, I thought it was pretty bland and nothing memorable. And I also thought that it was overpriced for no particular reason. Moreover, the service was not satisfactory either. It was hard to get attention of the server, and not even once, they checked up on the table for refilling a glass of water. The sushi/sashimi that the table next to me ordered looked very fresh and appealing. Perhaps, I will come for that next time if I do decide to come back.

This is a nice restaurant, with very cramped space inside. They still managed to put a nice bar inside. Most of the other tables are are in backside of the restaurant. Foodwise they have lots of nice appetizers, udon. Sashimi is really good. But the sushis are disappointing to me. The rice was not fresh, felt stale and cold to me. I enjoyed the skewers, tempura, and beef tongue though.

I've been here a couple times now and it is always great! I get suckered into ordering the hexagon each time since it is a really good value. Opted for hot soba noodles. I'm glad they finally took down the covid barriers because it felt too sterile before. The space is way more welcoming now. Service is always 10/10 with great sake recs!

we were in New York City and ate here twice. Their soba noodle is top-notch. I prefer the cold version the warm version. The cold soba was a bit more bouncy and resilient to the chew. The staff was very attentive. The decor was Japanese modern. both times, I had the beer on tap, which was perfect for a hot summer day. For lunch, we ordered the agedashi tofu and a lunch special. The one special that I picked came with an eel, sashimi, side salad, and cold soba. for dessert I ordered some ice cream and mochi with red beans. For dinner, we ordered a agadashi tofu, a side of Chilean Seabass, a sashimi and sushi plate, and a hot bowl of soba. We finished with a piece of Matcha cake. Everything was fresh, seasoned well in perfect balance, and cooked perfectly. Both times, we made reservations, which I highly recommend.

Exterior is pretty unassuming, but solid soba spot in EV! Can see it being an easy choice during the week for locals. Recommend for a cozy meal now that fall is just around the corner. Sets are available before 7 pm on weekdays! Inside is quiet and some sectioned off tables for more privacy. Great catch-up spot for small groups.

Great quality sushi. I'd come back to try the soba noodles because those sounded good too. The inside was very clean and sleek and seemed better for smaller groups. The service was good and attentive. We had a reservation so were seated immediately

My girlfriend and I ordered appetizers and the early bird dinner set. It was her first time trying out quality sushi before and the dinner set really satisfied us. However, I wish I would have gotten the hot soba instead of the cold. The cold soba is very refreshing but I prefer it warmer due to the weather. The sushi that we got was fresh and definitely made my girlfriend get into sushi. The appetizers were great too. We got the Japanese omelette and chicken skewers. The food was delicious. However, the chicken skewers were a bit cold. Overall, I would come back to try out their prefix dinner special. This is a good place for first-timers. The price is a bit pricy but the dinner sets does make it enjoyable. I just wish the chicken skewers wasn't a bit cold

Had a light dinner with my boss here and I'm so glad we got to try this place! The fish was fresh and absolutely delicious. I'm a huge dumpling lover and the gyoza was perfectly crispy without being overly oily. The ambience is also really elegant with the handmade wood partitions and walls. I noticed there're two different sushi bars you can sit at which is wonderful if you're going for omakase.

Tried some sushi and a hot udon noodle and they were delicious. I also tried the matcha pudding and it was really good too!

We came across this restaurant via Yelp. It wasn't a disappointment. Really good food and cozy ambiance. The staff service was nice and friendly. The only thing I was not so keen about was the dessert; it was a matcha black sesame cake. It was a little bit boring. Price-wise, it was average/decent. Definitely slightly cheaper than Nobu, which is one of our favorites.

Whenever I am in East Village, I always make sure I stop by Ise, by far they have one of the best lunch specials in the city when it comes to nigiri and sashimi combo. Their tori nanban has the best meat to cartilage ratio it is probably one of the best karaage you can find in the city. The cold soba is also a must try. All in all, it has been a great meal every time I visited. The reason I am not giving them five stars is because occasionally the fish and uni were not as fresh, I think it might have been one of those days right before the fresh shipment of fish arrived. Service was nice, staff was courteous and attentive, place is tight so you are sitting pretty close to your neighbors, depending on the day and time, sometimes it can be a little noisy than the other traditional Japanese restaurants in the city.

Before I move over to CA, this used to be my favorite sushi spot in Manhattan! The quality of fish was amazing fresh and the portion sizes were huge! I can't wait to come back and try it again after a year of being away!

Nice Japanese restaurant. Very nice and modern inside. Only a few tables so reservation is highly recommended. I don't eat sashimi so hard for me to judge but according to my friends, they are good and fresh. Love the tempura (appetizer), black cod (appetizer) and black sesame ice cream. Friendly staff and very clean.

Overall a solid experience with some of the best soba I've had in the city. We got a good number of appetizers which some were really impressive like the tempura which was light, super crisp, and fresh, or the agedashi tofu which is a classic, but done really well.: lightly fried, set in a particularly amazing and savory dashi broth, with the standard bonito and green onion on top. The pickles however weren't too impressive, to me they felt only slightly pickled, so kinda just felt like cucumbers. The soba itself was really impressive though, super well made, chewy, and tasty! It's a really clean and traditional space, with great service, and some solid food

More of a 3.5 star for me (4 for soba, 3 for the sushi) ~ Sushi Combination (Lunch special) ~ The sushi are ok, not the most fresh I have had in the city, but it's not bad. The sashimi (especially the tuna) are better, having some nice shine on them. The soy sauce is a bit too salty, and doesn't taste like soy sauce for sushi/sashimi. The cold soba is indeed very good, quite chewy and springy!! Tasted great with the umami dashi. Overall, it's a pretty good deal for $35, very stuffed after this. Will I be back? Yes Next time I'll probably go for the taksu and sashimi set with soba, or just a big bowl of soba (since it's what tastes best) with sides. Also, lovely environment.

se Restaurant took my cold soba noodle virginity and I am very happy about it. I came here and got the Tororo Zaru cold soba dish which was so good. I have no baseline to compare good vs bad soba but honestly it was seriously great. I really enjoyed the salty flavorful broth that you dip your noodles in (highly recommend dumping in lots of wasabi, and scallions). I also really loved the grated yam; it had a sticky/stringy texture that was so much fun. The flavor was very subtle but definitely noticeable. To be honest, my only complaint is that my soba noodles often clumped together because it was drying/out in the air which made it a bit hard to eat. The vibes in here also are really great; lots of Japanese people dining in here (a good sign if you're eating out at a Japanese restaurant right?). Solid find!

This was the most amazing Japanese Restaurant in NYC. Unfortunately, it closed forever in the spring of 2024. Sayonara, Ise.

This ended up being kind of disappointing. There are very few vegetarian options, and that's not immediately clear from the menu. The soba cannot be made vegetarian since they only have a seafood broth, unless you want cold soba with only soy sauce. I ended up having the ume shisho sushi roll, which was mostly just a cucumber roll with not very much of the pickled plum at all. The portion was quite small, but at least the cost was pretty low. If you're vegetarian, skip this place. There's probably not enough on the menu to have a full meal.

I love to see a reasonably priced Japanese restaurant that delivers in both food and ambiance. My family sat in a little booth and ordered a variety of foods to share. Each dish was well prepared and felt cozy and home cooked. They also have an extensive sake menu to go with the dinner. We had no problems getting a reservation last minute and probably could've walked in on a Sunday night, so I highly recommend coming here.

Came here for dinner and got seated quite quickly. We were in the mood for soba and never tried it so picked this spot. Food is relatively inexpensive and service is quick. A great place to get some no frills comforting soba!

Affordable lunch specials and attentive service. Would come back to try dinner! My lunch came with: sushi & sashimi set, soba, so worth! Ordered a chawanmushi on the side and it was bigger than I expected.

I was craving for a yummy lunch bento box and decided to go here after my dental appointment for lunch. Their lunch special is a bit steep for my wallet but considering the freshness and quality of the ingredients, it's understandable. I ordered their eel over rice with soba and sashimi lunch special. Everything was fresh and I only wish the gave me more. Lol...wishful thinking. The eel was plump and delicious. It went perfectly with the rice. As for my soba, it was slurping fun. I love the taste of bonito and the broth was packed with it. as for my sashimi, it was fresh. It's regular tuna, not fatty tuna so heads on that. As for décor, it's a simple design but very clean and comfortable. Service wise, I was please as my waiter was very friendly and the tea he served was super hot. He even warned me so I won't burn myself. Overall, I can see myself coming back here if I'm nearby. I love authentic japanese luncheon and this place hit the spot.

It is a super cozy environment and loved the aesthetic of it all! I really enjoyed the food there! Oh there's free green house which was super good and rich! I had the assorted sashimi - 10/10 very fresh and big cuts! So tender and a good variety ! I had the hot soba with tempura - 9/10 The soba and soho was really good and a hot temperature (I like my soho hot) and the tempura was pretty crispy but was a bit soggy from being in the soup Special dessert- black sesame with matcha and strawberry cream - 9/10 The matcha was very rich and sooo yummy. The black sesame cake was a bit dense (stale?) like it was in the fridge for too long but that was the only thing ! I am definitely coming back! Especially during the fall when the weather gets a bit chilly again!

A taste of Japan in the heart of the East Village. Ise serves extremely fresh food and absolutely recommend if you want an authentic, no-frills experience! For starters, the sashimi is EXCELLENT and they don't skimp out on the cut! It's so fresh and melt-in-your-mouth. Wish i could eat this every day. The soba is also perfection - served cold with a dipping sauce, and some broth to pour over the sauce once you're done if you want to sip on it. The food speaks for itself - make sure to check it out.

I cry. This place is amazing for every single dish they have on their menu. I've been here a few times already and they do not disappoint!! We got a sushi/sashimi combo to share for the table and each got our own soba noodles. Both cold and hot were yummy. If you get the cold soba- they give you some warm broth at the end when you're finished. Please try this place!!! It's so worth. A little bit of Japan in the heart of NYC

The early dinner special (ends at 7pm) is great with a good variety of choices for the entree: tempura, sushi, unagi, katsu. The set is a great value for $38. We enjoyed our time here.

Amazing experience at this low-key Japanese restaurant during my trip to New York. We ordered an assortment of items, all of which were delicious. The soba set with shrimp tempura was refreshing and the texture of the noodles was perfect. The duck breast cooked on the hot plate was nice and having the vegetables cook in the duck grease was a nice touch. The chicken katsu was crispy and dipping in the ton katsu sauce gave a nice flavor. The home made tofu was very warm and fluffy and felt authentic. We ended our meal with a red bean mochi dessert, which wasn't too sweet, but very satisfying. The service was friendly, our waiter explained items on the menu and answered all of our questions and the pricing felt reasonable for the quality and freshness of ingredients. Overall, I would highly recommend as a casual Japanese dining experience.

One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in NYC. I leave here continuing to dream about the next time I can have their pork katsu or their squid ink soba with uni and salmon roe. The prices are reasonable for a nice meal out (around $30 a dish) but you'll know once you've had the food here that this is a place to save down and try to be a regular at. The waiters are also very nice and attentive and the food comes out relatively quickly so you're not hungry for too long! Caveat I've only been here for Sunday lunch so hopefully these items are also available during the week but the squid ink soba and the pork katsu are my favorite dishes!

I came here for brunch and was surprised to find out they offer the lunch special over the weekend. It was a cozy and inviting casual environment. The servers and chefs were nice & the chefs even said bye to us as we left. I came because I really wanted to try their freshly made tofu & it did not disappoint. I love the silky texture of the tofu, which is similar to a thick soy milk rather than solid block of tofu. The tofu was paired with Bonito flakes, a savory sauce, and scallions. This tofu is a must try. My boyfriend and I each ordered a lunch combo which comes with hot/cold soba and sashimi. I picked the sushi option and he had the katsu option. We both had the cold soba; soba was firm and light. Sashimi & sushi was high quality and melts in your mouth. Their Wasabi was definitely not the usual tubed fake Wasabi most restaurants give, it didn't have that strong "sting". The katsu was crispy, with a light batter, and didn't feel oily at all. Overall, this restaurant is worth the money since the quality and attention to details did not miss. I love all the food we had & it felt very healthy. I will come back to try more items.

Grateful to have tried this place before they close down at the end of this month. It was our first time here but I just know that I will be looking back on the meal I ate here for the first and last time fondly. I've had other soba in NYC and keep comparing it to the quality that I had here. I got the Zaru soba. Noodles were so fresh and a bit chewier than I anticipated, which I love. Dipping sauce is best I've had. My bf says that they probably use more bonito flakes. Idk what it is but it's so flavorful. My bf got the ikasumi soba which was beautifully presented. Service was amazing as well.

Stepping into this restaurant felt like we were transported to Japan. The food was amazing and so flavorful, with a variety of unique dishes. We especially liked the tuna with mountain yam dish since it was so unique. We also liked cooking the duck ourselves on a hot plate since it was very interactive.

all in all, really enjoyed the food! i'm vegetarian (but not super super super strict about dashi in soup bases), so i ordered the zaru soba. it was reasonably priced for nyc i think, and honestly the quality was pretty good too! they brought out hot water at the end to create a sipping broth with the dipping sauce. fully enjoyed the main course. we also ordered tempura, agedashi tofu, and the tamago for appetizers. i think i would get the agedashi tofu again for sure -- the other two weren't bad but unsure if it was worth it for the price. we also ordered the pickled cucumber, which i really really think was *not* worth it for the price...as you can see in the picture it came out with like 8 cucumber slices, and it was $8....$1/small cucumber slice is kinda wild imo. would not order again, even though the taste was alright. very very mild pickled taste, as the menu description states just a FYI ambience was cute! cozy little shop with not a bunch of seating, but we were able to get a seat pretty easily at 5:45pm on a wednesday night. unsure if i'll come back because there are other soba places near me that i also enjoy, but was fun to explore while in the area!

Food (3/5) - The soba got soggy / started breaking pretty quickly after being served. Though, the broth was very flavorful and the chicken was melt in your mouth (the right texture! generally hard to find that around here). Would definitely recommend adding a poached egg or something similar. You can add 2 dollars for the soba to be served on the side and the broth to be served in a stone, heated pot. If you're very picky with your noodle texture then I would definitely recommend taking that option since that basically solves the issue of noodle integrity. We also shared a starter of the beef tongue - I thought the tongue could've had more char and it was a little on the tough side, but it is tongue and that was to be expected. Mustard was a nice touch. It was only 4 pieces for $12 (I think?) so not quite sure if worth the price. Price (3/5) The average bowl of noodles was around 20, which is average for nyc but definitely a little high for the location (around St Mark's Pl). Ambiance (4/5) - it is St Mark's so keep your expectations low, all the places around here tend to be pretty cramped and / or loud. It wasn't loud here though definitely on the more cramped side, tables are separated with little plastic partitions. The decor and spot was decently cute though; and clean. Service (5/5) - we were seated very quickly, food came decently quickly and they were not overly intrusive! Good spot for a quick dinner. Was also easy to get a table on Sunday night!

Came here a while back on a Friday night and just WOW. Was craving some excellent quality sushi and got exactly that. I ordered the chirashi bowl and it was HEAVENLY. The sashimi selection as well as its quality made me feel like I was taking a dive into the ocean! The rice with the ikura and uni was flavorful and balanced well together with everything else. We also ordered a bottle of sake, a hot soba and the sushi and sashimi, everything was to die for. They also complimentary serve hot green tea at the end of the meal. The restaurant's ambience definitely seems to be on the fancier end. I felt very zen the moment I walked in through the door and even more so when I left after such a great meal. Be prepared to wait a while if you don't make a reservation, as well as to splurge a bit, but the quality and experience is so well worth it!

Wow!!! Hands down, Ise is one of the best kept secrets in town. The meals were well priced, and we enjoyed how authentic everything was And if you like soba, this is the spot to visit. We got the squid ink soba and the combo special (soba, sushi, and some hot items) - both dishes were delicious. The restaurant had an interesting layout with 2 sections of counter seating, some mini booth, and tables. Either way, plenty of seating for a small storefront. Service was friendly, but the server couldn't really recommend any dishes to us. Complimentary hot tea at the end of the meal was a nice touch. We left with our bellies satisfied!

I wanted to give a higher rating because the server was really nice, but the food left a lot to be desired. The soba (their specialty) is solid, but other items involving raw fish (such as chirashi, sashimi) are not good. The lunch sets, which are $32-34 each, are really small in portion.

I had a wonderful meal here but I waited a little too long to write this review so it will be shorter than I would like (just means I'll have to come back!). They have combo lunch specials that let you get a bit of everything so there are no tough decisions. I ordered the soba noodles in a flavorful broth, eel over rice, and three types of sashimi. Everything was so fresh and flavorful, every dish could have stood on it's own but together it was phenomenal.

This place is remarkable! We were visits NYC for the Thanksgiving weekend I wish I would have been able to have two meals here! The service was excellent. I wish they had some cocktails though. The fish was fresh. My husband got the squid ink Ikura Uni soba. What a great dish. I got the Kake (hot) soba with mini Ikura Uni Don. We shared an ankimo, chauamushi, and ika geso. All so good! Will definitely come back here again. Would like to try the cow tongue appetizer next time!

Ise Sushi is a hidden gem for sushi lovers! The seaweed salad was a delightful start, bursting with flavor and freshness. The sushi was a work of art, each piece meticulously prepared. The otoro nigiri was an absolute standout - a melt-in-your-mouth experience! Can't wait to return for more culinary delights!

Food was very good on a recent visit (sashimi and other dishes). I used to occasionally visit the Fidi area locations back in the day. Always delicious.

TLDR: great lunch specials, cozy bar seating, friendly staff, 10/10 would recommend This is one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in the city. We called in advance for 5 persons for Sunday lunch, and had no issues getting a table. At first we had a mix up with our seating arrangement, but the staff was so nice that they allowed us to sit our whole party at the bar area. I would definitely recommend coming in for their lunch special which comes with hot or cold soba and assorted sashimi. The fish was fresh and the soba was delicious. The broth in the hot soba was very tasty. I was surprised that the octopus in the tako wasabi was cooked (because it usually comes raw) but was still yummy. I loved the decor and aesthetic of bamboo inside! We definitely will come back some day!

Great spot, relaxing and serene. Awesome sushi menu and great service. Their set options are generous portions and let you try a bit of everything