Sasabune Express

The venue has some tall bar tables and 1 2-person dining table. We dined in during lunch and tried their fixed lunch menu for $25. Included in the meal is a miso soup, salad, avocado or cucumber roll, and a tuna or salmon rice bowl. The salmon was fresh and the bowl had a nice sweet warm rice topped with some dried seaweed, which was delicious. Unfortunately, I did not think the price was worth the food since the rolls did not include any fish and did not have anything to it! We were the only patrons so the service was fine. Would not recommend the establishment for any dates since it feels super small space.

Amazing! Lunch menu for 23$ is a great deal. Starts with a salad, soup and then follows a sashimi with rice plate. Also tried sashimi tasting it was delicious. The fish is super fresh and buttery. The rice is served hot, not my personal preference but the cooking point of it is just perfect as everything. Will come aging soon.

Such wonderful Japanese restaurant！ Recommend the miso soup - warm with just the right amount to prepare myself for the yummy sushi！ The salmon，tuna and crab meat - so fresh so tender so soft with lovely grease，brings enjoyment and happiness through the whole night！

Good sushi spot I just discovered in the neighborhood. Options are all fairly traditional but the fish is very fresh and great quality. Perhaps a little too much rice on the rolls but still very good. Definitely check out the specials board - a crab stuffed squid we had was a highlight!

Found! I am always disappointed when I find a great spot that has been open nearby for a while that I didn’t know about...this is one of those! It apparently has been open for lunch for 6 years, sitting across from the entrance to the Queensboro Bridge. They are serving an edited version of the longer Omikase from the other location, as well as other a la carte options. The fish was excellent, the preparation simple, and overall may have been my favorite lunch sushi place midtown if you don’t mind walk East of 2nd Avenue for this no-frills experience. For more great reviews of the New & Authentic visit TheLoupe!

Ordered thru Uber eats. The rolls had way too much rice, the eel roll had bones in it, and the rice was soggy and barely holding together. The blue crab squid roll - blue crab stuffed in raw squid - was incredibly tiny and deceptively photographed to look larger, and had bits of crab shell inside. Tiny portions of fish in the rolls. I expect this kind of shenanigans from all you can eat sushi, not one where I paid a premium on rolls for way less quality (see, e.g., Maguro sushi). The fact that all the good reviews are from years ago tells me that there might have been a change in management for the worse.

Seems like a legit place, with small quantities of fresh sushi. From the small take away order I had, we’d come back for a proper sitting. It’s a small spot that caters to the local neighborhood crowd. Will be back for more!

This place is amazing. One of the best sushi I’ve had. Definitely sit at sushi bar if you can. The food melts in your mouth.

Lovely lunch even though it's on the more pricey side. The service was pleasant and the chef did an amazing job with the plating.

I was recommended this spot by a colleague, but unfortunately I only had an okay meal here. I ordered online and picked up. I ordered the eel roll, tuna roll, salmon roll, scallop roll and blue crab roll. The tuna was very fishy to the point it was inedible. The other rolls were okay, but pricy for a simple roll. I would try a different place next time.

I love this place! Its my go to in the neighborhood for the freshest fish, the best! I choose between choice A,B,C. They are very accomodating with my kosher style order. My favorites are the salmon sashimi, the snapper piece, the toro, and the yellowtail. The chef is the best! They have a sake selection thats good too. I probably eat here once a week.

This isn't sashimi grade fish- it's something you buy off of Costco butchered into pieces by untrained hands. Tuna is pink without any flavor other than fishiness. Ikura is just not edible- mushy, leaky, funky odor. $78 sashimi assortment 'deluxe'. Is this for real or is this one of those scam uber establishments? I called them, noone answered. Their website is offline. I tried a few pieces for the money spent but ended up throwing away everything. Don't be me.

The venue has some tall bar tables and 1 2-person dining table. We dined in during lunch and tried their fixed lunch menu for $25. Included in the meal is a miso soup, salad, avocado or cucumber roll, and a tuna or salmon rice bowl. The salmon was fresh and the bowl had a nice sweet warm rice topped with some dried seaweed, which was delicious. Unfortunately, I did not think the price was worth the food since the rolls did not include any fish and did not have anything to it! We were the only patrons so the service was fine. Would not recommend the establishment for any dates since it feels super small space.T

My favorite hole in the wall sushi spot in Manhattan! The staff are so friendly, and the service is the best! Seriously the freshest fish in the The food is incredible - you can tell the sushi is so fresh. The salmon and toro are incredible.

Such wonderful sushi！ Recommend the miso soup - warm with just the right amount of lovely soup to prepare myself for the sushi！ The salmon，tuna and crab meat - so fresh with so much lovely grease that brings enjoyment Love this place

Ordered delivery of choice C, which basically came with a bowl of sushi rice, 2 kinds of fish (I got tuna and salmon) and a roll (I got the blue crab). Everything was delicious and high quality - there just wasn't very much fish and a lot of rice. For the quality of the food, I can understand the higher price tag, but I was left just slightly unsatisfied and wishing there had been a bit more food to go with all the rice. All in all though, I'm happy to have found a high quality sushi place that is in the $30-50 price range. Next time I'll go for the slightly more expensive but more bountiful choices A or B!

I've tried sushi from a handful of places but the ones we had last night from Sasabune express was out of this world! Especially impressed by their takeout packaging. The sushi along with all the condiments were intact We got the Vegetable Roll with spicy sriracha sauce (which was so good!) and Shrimp and avo roll. Recommend for Sushi cravings!

Amazing sushi and sashimi! I was happy to hear of Sasabune Express, we have eaten at the original a few times and it varies from great to so so but the price is always high. After spending some time in Bloomingdale's we wanted some sushi for lunch. The location of this spot is a bit iffy, between first and second on 59th - loads of bridge traffic. The space is very small, a sushi bar and small tables. It was also extremely cold outside and they couldn't keep the restaurant warm. We had: - Scallop (regular and bay) - delicious​ - Tuna Belly - terrific - Salmon - very good - Sea Urchin - delicious, highlight of the meal - Blue Crab - very good - Spicy Tuna Roll - good and an interesting choice - at the original location, they don't serve spicy tuna rolls - Green Salad - good, it was a plain salad Overall a very good sushi experience.

Hands down the best sushi that you can get and be in and out without feeling rushed. George and Jimmy are the best and are always a great time. Small intimate seating with some of the freshest fish you can get. Yes it is pricey, but wouldn't you rather pay a premium to get top quality for something you are going to eat raw?

Nestled below the Queensboro Bridge, belying its Spartan interior is a true gem for swimmingly fresh fish, with perfectly seasoned rice still warm, and courteous service with a smile.

Sasabune Express is probably one of the better sushi spots but it still isn't up to par. I find it odd that NYC sushi restaurants serve Sashimi Salads with iceberg lettuce and charge $15-25. Anything with iceberg lettuce should be $5-9. Very low class. When it comes to the actual sushi... we ordered over $200 worth of sushi and it was definitely better than any other place we've visited so far. However, it's insanely overpriced. In LA/SF/SD, you could pay $75 and get the same amount of sushi and possibly better quality. Definitely better than what the average local is used to but a hard pass if you're looking for the real stuff.

A wall in the hole with fresh sushi and warm rice. I went there for lunch and really enjoyed the sushi. The price may seem higher than other similar sushi establishments on 51st street, but it includes tip already. That's a relief. The only thing I found disappointing is that their uni is from Maine instead of Japan. Uni from Japan has a better and smooth taste.

Small stop about 7 tables and bar seating. Small menu, but good quality. Around 9$ roles and chefs plate menu. Tip is included since prices are skittle steep. Staff was friend and at tentative. Also they gave us a massive plate of ginger a few times.

I was so excited to try this place but ended up a bit disappointed. I ordered the donburi special with salmon and eel (for takeaway. So, I admit the first star off could be my own fault for not trying it from the kitchen.). The fish was solid, not quite as flavorful as I was hoping though (more or less the same as fish from other places). But the rice was SOO salty. And the salad was VERY salty too (I think they used soy sauce as the dressing). It's possible the fish is actually much better than other places but I couldn't tell because I was so overwhelmed by the saltiness of the rest of the dish.

Been coming to this place since it opened. Was probably their biggest customer for a while. Prices have been steadily increasing since it opened a few years ago to the point where it is comedic -- don't think they will ever stop. Guess it was sort of a bait and switch/promotion they were running in the beginning ; serving Sugarfish/Nozawa style sushi at local shitty sushi spot prices. They have also done away with tipping since the place opened, as places like Yasuda do. Recs include Blue Crab and Eel Donburi, Salmon Roe Cut Roll, Spicy Yellowtail Cut Roll, the Albacore Sashimi Plate, and the Blue Crab Stuffed Squid. If you come here for dinner, you can expect to overhear at least one blazer and jeans douchebag who works at Tao Group to be trying to impress a bumble date with his knowledge of this "hidden gem". Great solo lunch move, where you might be one of the only people in the spot -- so sit at the bar. The sushi has become a bit more complex since it opened, but maintains most of the same minimalism that it started with. One of the most overall enjoyable sushi experiences in the city.

I'm an Omakase snob which can get pricy at certain restaurants but not here. A 10 piece here is 66$ a real bargain considering the high quality food you're getting. After your 10 piece, be sure to get the blue crab stuffed squid, it's better than dessert!

I loved this authentic Japanese sushi spot on a quiet street. The rice to sashimi ratio was a bit off - too much rice - for the price. However the rice was made well and slightly warm as I like it and the sashimi was very high quality. I truly enjoyed the Donburi combo with blue crab and salmon for dinner, but I'm still slightly hungry. You come here for the sushi / sashimi ... don't expect a large repertoire of appetizers. This quality of fish here is equal to what I have had in Japan. In summary, the food is tasty and service was great. I highly recommend this place. 5/5!

Went back in 2020, everything was really fresh. Super satisfying, delicious and authentic. They provide you with little hand towels before your meal to clean off your hands before you eat. Their dining area is small inside, but worth sitting down to eat.

I really eat sushi everywhere all over world. Have had meals from $10 to $1000 per person. From Japan to India to Australia. This place is a gold mind. One day George will create his own practice serving omakases for god knows how much. Take advantage of this incredible place while you can. Also if sasabune reads this, I don't want you to raise your prices. Just take the compliment and leave it at that. Much love to all the staff at this establishment.

Found! I am always disappointed when i find a great spot that has been open nearby for a while that I didn't know about...this is one of those! It apparently has been open for lunch for 6 years, sitting across from the entrance to the Queensboro Bridge. They are serving an edited version of the longer Omikase from the other location, as well as other a la carte options. The fish was excellent, the preparation simple, and overall may have been my favorite lunch sushi place midtown if you don't mind walk East of 2nd Avenue for this no-frills experience. For more great reivew of the New & Authenitc visit TheLoupe!

This is a good, convenient sushi option but keep in mind it is ultra casual and an "express" sushi joint, thus, it's 4 stars at what it does. It'd be lower to a sushi connoisseur judging it against the like of the Yasuda's and Ichimura's of the city, of course. First off, this is very much a hole in the wall type of location. There was some litter on the street nearby, and you're basically next to a major underpass so not exactly scenic. The positives: - Service is friendly and cheerful, in fact, it's quite a bit friendlier than at Sasabune UES - The fish is good, and some pieces even very good (such as their specials of the day) - The rice is tasty, especially if you're into warm sushi rice which is the Sasabune hallmark - Blue crab is admittedly tasty and the same recipe, AFAIK, as the namesake uptown - Same cute little plates as Sasabune - Pacing is surprisingly well thought out; I had the sashimi deluxe, which was served in two courses, followed by a few pieces of special nigiri from the day, including an albacore tuna belly to round out the experience The cons: - Fake wasabi, lower grade ginger, lower grade ikura, no uni, no very fatty tuna (sometimes they have specials but not all the time) - The presentation, already somewhat haphazard at Sasabune, is even lower quality - The servers, while pleasant, are not as prompt to remove dishes - One of the sushi chefs may have been in training, as he struggled with some simple requests, such as hosomaki rolls (nori on the outside, so smaller) - Miso soup was pretty low grade I enjoyed the sashimi special, and the scallop was very special. The other highlight was a fluke fin nigiri, which was warmed up and brought out the fresh flavors. A lot of the fish is local, which is their thing, and the Japan purists may blanche at that thought, however, it does give Sasabune Express's (and its namesake restaurant's) fish a very bright, clean flavor.

I always pass by this place on my way home and it looked like a hole in the wall. I finally stepped in after work since I was craving some fresh sushi. I got the sashimi assortment, blue crab stuffed squid (special), and a bonito nigiri. I really enjoyed the sashimi and it tasted so fresh and had a melt in your mouth texture. The blue crab stuffed squid is a dish I would go back for. I'm a big crab fan and it tasted great with the squid which was cooked perfectly. The last thing I'm going to rave about is the bowl of rice I got with the sashimi. It was soft and not very vinegary like most sushi places. That made it a nice complement to the fresh sushi because too much vinegar really overpower the sushi taste. Now I have a convenient and quiet sushi spot to go!

I've always been interested in trying Sasabune on the upper east side, just haven't gotten around to it. I wouldn't say I'm a purist as the original Sasabune caters to. When the express opened up with a more open menu I was excited to give it a go. The menu is pricey for a small sushi place, but this was to be expected going off the namesake and the area. I figured I'd wait for a special event to go try Sasabune Express. I had one and took my lady and friend out for lunch. The lady ordered a Don Buri with tuna and salmon roe, I ordered the Don Buri with Spicy Salmon and Eel. We both opted for the salad as our side. My friend ordered ala carte rolls Blue crab, shrimp, and ? Lol he didn't remember. He requested Spicy mayo on the side but we had to request it a second time. ( not a big deal but details are where it counts right?) First our salads didn't have the usual ginger dressing, instead what we got was iceberg lettuce with a couple of tomatoes and a soy sauce and vinegar dressing, this is something I find at the knock off Japanese/ Fusion restaurants. Not horrible just not to our expectations. My lady said she enjoyed her Don Buri. As for mine it was tasty and the presentation was fine. My friend didn't seem amazed at all, but didn't give specifics as to why. It is quiet in the small restaurant, and feels a little sad to me. Total cost with tip and beer for $81. Now it's time for comparison, one of my favorite places for sushi is Iroha, which is also a izakaya (side dishes and more). The energy is better, the value is better. Admittedly it is a larger place in a busier area but still the morale at Sasabune Express leaves a lot to be desired. Overall the sushi at Sasabune is good, but the value and energy are not something I would return for.

Went here with my brother by his suggestion. Said it was crazy good sushi. The place itself was very hole in the wall, with soft music playing, and it was a nice refuge from the cold outside. The waiter was very polite, bowing to us and welcoming us, and we took our sushi to go. This sushi is delicious. We got all tuna rolls (my brother loves tuna rolls) from the Party B option. It came with miso soup. Each roll is very high quality fish, and the rice doesn't try to take center stage - this place is all about the fish. I was skeptical of this place based on the reviews, but they were not my experience at all. Also, I find rating a place poorly on its soy sauce (which is fine, by the way) is much like rating a place poorly on its ketchup. Really strange.

Ordered the Donburi bowl with tuna and salmon. It came with warm rice topped with fish, a small amount of sauce drizzled over the top and garnished with nori. I appreciated the simplicity of the dish and the flavors. If you like sushi for what it is without the frills and extravagant toppings, etc, I would try this place out. Go for the Donburi bowl.

Terrible sushi. Tuna roll was fishy and the crab roll, scallop roll and avocado roll and shrimp roll were not good and you can tell weren't freshly made. Never ordering from here ever again.

Limited menu selection, limited seating butttttt the fish is super fresh & delicious!

Hello, hope you are doing well, we have been fond of your restaurant, we are in neighborhood came over few times, recommended your place to number of friends. Today we tried your express outlet under the bridge for lunch and I am sorry to say am extremely disappointed. We got there just 15 minutes before closing for lunch time, and host agreed to take us. However quality of Sushi today was below par, pieces didn't see, fresh they were dull in color and texture. Bites we took were dry. My husband had a weird feeling in throat while having food, and now am feeling same thing. We told host at the end that this one didn't seem to be your quality food and he nodded in agreement but this wasn't a cheap meal that we tried. If am paying $6 for small piece of fish it better be served only if you have full faith in its quality. They could have turned us back and we would have walked back in some other time. Now we are booth feeling that sushi didn't agree with us, a faithful neighborhood spot has been marred and all this came at cost of $60. We don't come to you for quantity or conquer our hunger, we come for quality and if you can't offer that for any reason its best to not serve your customer or ask them to come some other time.

Great casual sushi restaurant. Good quality, good prices. Their meal offers are excellent value.

Great neighborhood sushi option, Choice B is my go to. It comes with a soup or salad, roll, and chefs assorted sushi.

Big fan of this sushi resto. Tiny, total hole in the wall, but the sushi is great, so who cares? Get there early and grab a seat at the sushi bar and enjoy the evening, because they don't rush you out. Fresh, delicious sushi along with their unique warm rice is made even better by the byo policy (for a corkage fee). We usually get the rice bowls, but have enjoyed everything else we've tried. Time for a return visit!

This place is a hidden gem. The sushi is fantastic. Service is great. Perfect for a snack or a full dinner. Love this spot so much I hesitate to write about it for fear of overcrowding

Extremely fresh fish. Limited menu, limited seating, limited staff, big flavor! You come here to get simple and clean raw fish. Very good, the warm rice was a first for me but I would do it again. Enjoyed the miso soup, salad was a sesame oil dressing not ginger. Had tuna and scallop - extremely fresh. Don't be thrown off by the Hispanic sushi chef behind the counter, he has he job down pat. Not only enjoys what he is doing, wants you to enjoy his product as well. Will have to try the non-express original spot.

We've been here twice so far and the food is incredible. We are sushi lovers and have been to many high end sushi places and Sasabune has become one of our favorite places to go. The fish is so fresh and just melts in your mouth. It's unpretentious and clean and simple. Just love the whole experience being in a small quaint place with incredible food. I took off one star because of the staff. It's a small place and we like sitting at the bar and we don't want to hear the waitstaff constantly speaking loudly right near us and cracking jokes in Spanish. It takes away from the intimate atmosphere!

I cannot emphasize enough how this is my favourite sushi place ever, I prefer it to the OG Sasabune on 73rd st. The fish is so fresh and the uni is amazing, but my favorite has to be the blue crab stuffed squid. The staff are amazing, and George will make an omakase out of the sushi you order: serving sushi with a exciting different twist every time. The Hispanic staff are awesome too! I don't live in the city anymore but I have cravings about this place and always make a point to go when I visit.

An interesting place. I hadn't read the other reviews before having lunch there today and didn't know it was associated with a bigger, better-known sibling. For this reason, I was taken aback at first by the prices, expecting more of a hole-in-the-wall experience. I think the word "Express" in the name got me thinking of Panda Express. The decor didn't do much to dispel this expectation. But it was obvious from the first bite that the sushi itself is special -- super fresh and tender and thoughtfully prepared. Taste-wise and presentation-wise (no wasabe or ginger provided), I was reminded of Sushi Yasuda, which I see someone else mentioned here previously. It's not a full dining experience like Yasuda and its peers. Instead it reminds me more of the old Sushi Nozawa in LA. The place looks like a casual neighborhood dive and is indeed too quiet. But the quality of what's on the plate is excellent, and the joint would rate five stars if that were my only consideration. Just remember -- it's not cheap if you're expecting something run-of-the-mill. But it's pretty reasonable for what's on tap. I had fluke, salmon, shrimp, tuna, yellowtail and scallop. All excellent.

I'm Japanese, so you have to trust me on these things: this place is pretty freaking good for the prices. Though it is not as good as one of my favorite sushi places in all the world: Ajishin in Novi, MI (if you're in the area, check it out. It's seriously amazing). Yea, the ambiance is lacking. And yea, the silence is super awkward. But who cares? Good quality sushi for under $30 bucks? I blow that much on mediocre take out sushi from "asian" restaurants (you know, the places that have like 5 kinds of asian cuisines, and mysteriously also have like, chicken fingers or something weird?). Japanese girl says give it a go.

SOOO Good for the price. Almost don't want to write a review so people don't go and take up the small amount of space there. All I can say is ALBACORE!!!

Sasabune Express is a place you come to if you're a fresh fish purist and you are unconcerned about atmosphere, variety, portion sizes, or convenience but a little concerned about prices. The menu is highly compacted, as is the restaurant space itself - the bare bones aesthetic probably means your money goes towards the food more than it does the dining experience. I got myself a salmon and ikura don. Perhaps I'm too used to overly processed ikura, but the ikura here tasted almost bland because of its lack of brine. There was also not enough salmon to really go around the generous quantity of rice - could have used a more generous heaping of fish. But what little of the fish there was was good, and the rice itself was evidently carefully prepared too. The quality doesn't nearly make up for the otherwise mediocre dining experience in so many other aspects.

Totally agree with J.F... Don't listen to these nimrods here complaining about "strong soy sauce" , "potent ginger" or "bland sashimi".... Really? That's laughable, ridiculous really.... These people have no clue what real sushi is all about... The truth is that this is, hands down, the BEST bang for the buck sushi restaurant in New York City at the moment.... I've been a customer of Sasabune for years, which is unquestionably the best all around sushi restaurant in New York City in my opinion (Yasuda is a very close second), but obviously very expensive.... Sasabune Express, with their limited menu, is literally a THIRD of the price of Sasabune and you can now expect 95% same quality sushi as their big brother (again, with a limited menu). They undoubtedly had some issues when they first opened up a few months ago, but I'm happy to say that they now have totally got their act together and the quality / overall experience gets better and better everytime I visit.... The Blue Crab and Unagi handrolls are to die for - just as good as Sasabune's... No ambiance? No doubt... A bit awkward? Yes... They could definitely use a little music in there to liven up the place, but this may be New York's best kept sushi secret right now....and I hope it stays that way :o)

The Sushi is OK. Not as good as Sasabune. The service is rude to the point of being unpleasant. Stay away from the yellow tail. The fluke ia good. They don't have good quality tuna belly.

How often are you the ONLY people in a restaurant during prime dinner time in NYC? Pretty sweet. EXCEPT, it was absurdly quiet in this place, and there was no music playing - at all - so I'm pretty sure that the waitress and cooks heard our entire conversation. You know that feeling you get for being the jerkface who is munching on popcorn really loudly during the sad and quiet part of a movie? I felt like I should have been whispering the entire time we were eating. Aaaawkward. They should really play some music, even if its low volume and soothing tunes. That said, I could see this being a great place if you're just looking to eat a roll or two on your own and read a book or something. Great, friendly, fast service, and delicious sushi! Seriously, best California roll I think I've ever eaten. They do have sake as well ($9 for a large caraffe). Prices were a little more than I was anticipating, and I think that they have gone up since someone posted the menu here on Yelp. Basic rolls were $7 and not $6. Still, not too shabby, but I'd say it's definitely more of a double dollar sign place (unless you really think you're just going to eat one roll - who does that?!).

Very good value for money. Limited selections by design, as it's "express" service, but there were several special appetizers available off-menu that were very delicious and creative.

I had Sashimi and California rolls here... Excellent taste!! Really good! My only comment why I I'm only giving 3 stars it is because my Tuna and Salmon Sashimi looked like Bacon... Very small and thinly sliced for $4 each (2 pcs per serving). The waitress is very knowledgable and nice tho. I agree with the others too that the place is soo quiet and just plain sit and eat.

Wow! Creative sushi with crisp nori at reasonable price. Good ingredients and some unique sauces. Small but charming place. Until now, I'd take out from Katagori only in this neighborhood, but it's really just a grocery. Sesabune is a real find if you like sushi.

I love Sasabune Express! It is a tiny restaurant with few a few tables next to the sushi bar. The staff are down to earth, wonderful, and courteous. The fish is fresh and delicious. I always get the 6 piece sushi and often add more if I want. This is a great place not to be missed.

This is probably my favorite hidden gem in NYC. The food is delicious and so fresh. My sister and I always split Party B - the blue crab and salmon are two of our favorites