SUSHI YOSHIZAWA (Former Zawa Japanese)

My husband and I had a lovely evening in a cool, comfortable atmosphere. The chef prepared the omakase with precision and expertise. The fish was delicious. The staff were kind and attentive. We will certainly be headed back!

Nicely prepared sushi from Zawa Japanese restaurant in UES. It is a true hidden gem in NYC. I enjoyed it a lot and there was nothing I could fault which means they've done it all very well. My first impression especially, was great! They wrote the name of each fish on the lid. It is a small detail, but very hospitality minded. I can identify most of the fish, but I can't tell which is salmon and which is trout! Now I know where to go in UES for a nice sushi Omakase!

Extremely well priced Omakase, in fact one of the best for the prices. The fish is all quality. Uni was amazing. Ivory salmon was unique. The ambiance and atmosphere make this restaurant both warm and cozy. Small place. Hands down, would highly recommend to anyone and absolutely will be coming back.

Fantastic Omakase. Fresh, Simple, and Perfectly Prepared. No mayos, truffles, or heavy sauces. Just a great array of fish, nicely sized pieces. Pricing was more than fair. Our favorite UES Omakase so far.

Zawa is a hidden gem and I highly recommend checking them out! Not only do they have amazing service but their food is always incredibly fresh. Tonight we had their sushi for two - it’s not on the menu so ask next time you are there. It’s only on Saturdays and only $89!

A pleasure to be reminded of the variety of flavors and possibilities beyond sushi. Only 4 stars because my friend found the sushi rice a bit too tangy, but my udon was perfect.

We walked in for dinner one night since we were in the neighborhood. The restaurant was cozy and intimate. For appetizer, we got edamame, which you could tell it was of great quality and freshness, but they were too salty. For entree, my husband got the shashimi platter and I got a salmon bowl. I am a big fan of uni. So I also requested a uni sushi. Both entrees were good. The uni sushi, I am not too sure as the color didn’t look fresh and there was an after taste to the uni, which for me, that is definitely another indication. The service was good and price was on the moderate expensive side. Overall, we enjoyed the dinner minus the salty edamame and uni sushi. 3.5 stars ✨

The quality and freshness of the sushi blew me away! Came for lunch (they have several lunch specials). Pictured is the sushi lunch special - $25. Worth it. Service and ambiance is lovely as well.

Just so there is no confusion, zawa has turned into yoshizawa, an omakase restaurant. Same chef, same great quality sushi, in case anyone thought zawa closed for good at this address.

We had a wonderful time at Zawa, a hidden gem on the Upper East Side. There are two Omakase options, 10 or 15 pieces and a hand roll, also includes soup or salad. We opted for the miso soup which was light and comforting, and ordered a bottle of the kansansui sake... which was really amazing - balanced, delicious and refreshing. A perfect pairing for the sushi that was about to come. We were blown away by the Omakase that Sushi Chef/Owner Yoshizawa prepared for us. What we really loved about this experience is that the sushi is prepared simply and elegantly - allowing the quality and technique to really shine. The textures, temperature and subtle flavors were just delightful and each piece of sushi that came out really hit the spot! The finale was the hand roll which was simply tuna: Chu toro and Otoro and scallions with sushi rice in nori. Delicious! Highly recommended, 5 stars, A+++++++

Zawa Japanese is a great neighborhood sushi place in the E 60s. The fish is fresh and the rice comes out nicely warmed. The Sushi for Two is a great deal - 9 or so nigiri each (18 total) and three maki rolls to share. There's a regular and kosher version. I didn't see Sushi for Two listed on the menu but I saw it is a popular dish with Yelpers. I asked the waitress about it and they were able to serve it to us. Insider's Tip: Sushi for Two is available on Saturdays

I don't remember how we found this sushi place but it was for my birthday dinner. We booked the sit down for omakase course at the counter. Watching the master making sushi while eating them was very enjoyable and fun. This wasn't my first experience but it was for my kids and they surely were having a great time. So we've been going there since. After the pandemic, we started going back again and this time we found out they also have lunch takeouts and the price is very decent. Sushi lunch is $25 comes with 7pieces sushi which are tuna, yellow tail, fluke, 2kinds of salmon, boiled shrimp, eel and one roll of your choice. I love that they specify the sushi names for you on the plastic cover. The fish is fresh and you can feel the high quality. They accept credit card and can make online order so you don't have to wait.

If you want an omakase that is as good as any in NYC, at a price that is affordable, look no further than Zawa. People in the city often are fooled into thinking that price of omakase indicates quality. The $350 omakase must be better than the $100-$150 omakase, right? Zawa proves this is wrong. This restaurant is small and cozy. A handful of tables and a small sushi bar, looked after by Yoshi Zawa, owner and sushi chef. We did the 10 piece omakase and there was not a single piece that wasn't melt in your mouth heaven. Unlike other new age omakase spots that focus on a funkier combination of ingredients, Zawa lets the fish be the star of the show. He garnishes each piece modestly, often with homemade soy sauce and other simple ingredients. The quality and freshness of the fish speaks for itself. Each piece is better than the next. And Zawa is a wonderful human. Highly recommend stopping by for an omakase that is as good as any in this city.

Have gone twice to Zawa and they never disappoint. Ultra zen chill minimalist vibes- immediately transports you to Japan. Have ordered the sushi for 2 ($85) and the SUSHI TOKU-JYO (A) for $49. Sushi for 2 includes 18pieces of sushi and 3 rolls(shrimp tempura with avocado roll, spicy tuna , california roll) SUSHI TOKU-JYO (A) includes 9pieces of high grade sushi and one roll - fatty tuna -bluefin tuna - ocean trout - king salmon - red snapper - yellow tail - botan shrimp - salmon roe - eel Choice of one roll (tuna roll, salmon roll, yellowtail scallion roll, spicy tuna roll ,spicy salmon roll) Highly recommend Zawa for a more traditional sushi dining experience.

如果您想以实惠的价格买到与纽约市任何一家店一样好的 omakase，Zawa 就是您的最佳选择。 城里人常常被愚弄，认为 omakase 的价格代表着质量。350 美元的 omakase 肯定比 100-150 美元的 omakase 更好，对吧？扎瓦证明这是错误的。 这家餐厅小而舒适。几张桌子和一个小寿司吧，由店主兼寿司厨师 Yoshi Zawa 打理。我们做了 10 块 omakase，没有一块不是在你嘴里融化的天堂。与其他专注于更时髦的食材组合的新时代主厨搭配不同，Zawa 让鱼成为主角。他对每件作品进行了朴素的装饰，通常用自制的酱油和其他简单的配料。 鱼的质量和新鲜度不言而喻。每一件都比下一件更好。扎瓦是一个很棒的人。 强烈建议您停下来品尝一下与这座城市中任何一家一样好的 omakase。

For sushi purists, Zawa delivers possibly the best omakase in the area, and without a crazy price tag! Consistent high quality, fresh and delicious sushi that isn't pretentious or 'trying too hard'. Zawa is a clean and inviting space, that offers counter or table seating. The Omakase hits the perfect balance between quality, experience, and value. Highly recommend - 10/10 will do it again.

This is my East Side version of Yasaka in the best sense. It's cozy with the best service and very solid sushi. Their Saturday special for 2 is always a good place to start along with any of the omakase options. Be sure to grab the salmon don with Scottish, seared, and king salmon over perfectly seasoned rice accented with avocado slices. Prices are very reasonable.

Easy to find. Super clean. Solo dining friendly. Came in for a quick bite and was greeted immediately. If I could give 6 stars, I would, because the customer service was amazing. I ordered an iced green tea, and I could hear the waiter stirring the hot tea and making sure it was cooled and iced. Also got the agadashi tofu (so full, I should have skipped it), but was delish--lightly fried with an equally light dashi sauce. Lunch special sushi was so fresh, and oh my, the rice was perfect. It was all the attention to detail that made my experience a great one.

If you're up for being humiliated come here. It's difficult to win worst waitress in nyc but having been an nyc waitress for seven years I feel qualified to make a nomination here. I'm a cancer patient so I shouldn't really be in a sushi restaurant but it was the only thing that sounded good and I knew I could at least have a shrimp tempura roll ( you can't eat raw fish on chemo). I was surprised when shrimp tempura - which is cooked by definition- came out raw. It's easy to tell with shrimp; it's either pink or gray. It was gray. The waitress insisted it was cooked and took it away highly offended. I'd been sick the night before so I asked if I could have the seared tuna salad but cooked through explaining that I was on chemo. The waitress exhaled loudly, shook her head and said no and abruptly walked away from the table. I'm 54 years old- that was a first. Then about a table of two away --essentially in the middle of the restaurant where other diners could hear- she muttered that it was a sushi restaurant in a tone that let me know I was a complete idiot. I was so embarrassed. It was really humiliating. After a day filled with radiation and multiple doctors visits I was amazed that this was the worst part of the day. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is a couple blocks away- a cancer patient has never walked in here? Really? The word hospital is the root of hospitality. Another waitress was sent over and I ordered something else. I got through the meal but the first waitress was so awful to me, I could hardly wait to leave. I left a 15% tip on principle but I kind of wish I hadn't.

One of my favorite sushi restaurants in all of NYC! The restaurant is cozy and the sushi is the freshest! Highly recommend eating here!

Zawa is hands down the best sushi restaurant in NYC and has the freshest, highest quality fish I've had (outside of Japan). The service is impecable - they're so incredibly attentive, thoughtful and focused on every detail. The restaurant is spotlessly clean and cozy. Everyone who works there goes so far above and beyond to make every part of the dining experience exceptional, and the fish is higher quality than restaurants more than twice as expensive. A wonderful experience and out of this world sushi every time!

Tried their dinner menu finally. Got their omakase for 1 person for $75 and then got their sushi special for 2 for $85. The omakase sushi is noticeable better in quality with softer/smoother fish and with fancier items like sweet shrimp and uni, which is why it's basically 2x the cost of the sushi for 2. Both however are reasonable for their price points. Also got their tempura which was just OK (at least for takeout) for $17 - this was less worth it to me. However, this remains one of my favorite sushi places on the UES, in part because the staff are so sweet and friendly.

Zawa offers a traditional sampling of appetizers, soups, rolls & sashimi and is,for the most part ", fresh. The space which includes a Sushi Bar, is clean & minimalist in décor, but unfortunately any positive comments about the cuisine, are overshadowed by the unfriendly staff who excel at making patrons feel unwelcome! Any questions or requests to wait staff are then referred to the hierarchy on duty any accommodations are hard to come by. If you don't have other options, best to order in and avoid interfacing with any of the servers! Kekkou Desu! (No Thank You!)

Fresh fish. The chef slices sashimi deftly - you can tell from the smooth edges of their sashimi. Authentic stuff. Recommend the $18 uni for sashimi (again price and quality for raw food might fluctuate slightly) and blue fin tuna. Rice is great too - not too greasy. Check out my menu-hack in the captions for the pictures! You might wanna ask for low sodium soy sauce. Their default one is a bit too intense.

Excellent neighborhood Japanese restaurant. Food was authentic fresh and delicious. Nice selection of sake. Great rolls and graceful service.

I've walk pass this place numerous times but never thought to try it. My friend wanted to meet for lunch and suggested this place. WOW! The fish is so fresh. We each ordered the sushi lunch $25. Came with about 8 nigiri rolls and a sushi roll of your choice. All delicious and very fresh. If you want, you can switch out the shrimp or eel nigiri for something else. I opted to switch the shrimp nigiri out and they gave me a trout nigiri instead. Worth the switch! In addition to the set, I also ordered a piece of uni sushi! For the appetizer, my friend ordered the shishito tempura. It was amazing. Even though it was deep fried, it was fried perfectly. Light and crispy and just enough sprinkle of salt on top. I highly recommend. Will definitely go back here when I'm in the area.

The yellowtail we ordered smelled so fishy and could not continue eating as it smelled like a rotten fish. It was my second visit as first time was ok, but the food quality varies so much time to time. We carefully told the waitress, but she yelled making us so embarrassed. They refunded after waitress smelling them. Just feel shame and bad.

I was excited to try Zawa as I've heard their sushi is very good. The sushi itself did not disappoint and was very fresh and tasty. However, please note that a specialty roll (at least the Zawa roll I had) is 5 pieces! Typically, one roll is 8 pieces. Their salmon tekka don from the lunch menu was very fresh but the rice to salmon/tuna sashimi ratio was disproportionate. There was far too much rice. Also, their bento box from the lunch menu was served in a plastic tray for indoor dining! For delivery and take out, that is understandable but for indoor dining, I was expecting real silverware. Also, the vegetable tempura that is included in the bento box was not sliced thinly enough. The tempura was thick chunks of vegetables that made it unappealing to eat. However, the Zawa roll and salmon tekka don were presented nicely.

Been coming here for years. Last week the server went to take my plate away and noticed I didn't eat 2 pieces of TORO, my fav!!!! She asked me if everything was ok. I explained it didn't taste good. The chef came over and explained he made the toro and I was wrong. He created such a scene I was getting embarrassed. I explained I've been coming here for years and the food is always great, to which he said, "yes I know you have". So he told me not to come back because you don't like my food. All I have to say "Wow". So many sushi restaurants to chose from......NEXT

TERRIBLE SERVICE STAY FAR AWAY. The waitresses all have attitude and they wanted to charge me extra for "a little more seaweed" in my miso soup. Stingy people with every single item of food. They also wouldn't chop my spicy salmon roll.

ThisOrder Details (4 items) 1 x KINOKO-JIRU $6 1 x KAISOU SALAD $10 1 x ASARI SAKAMUSHI $12 1 x SUSHI TOKU-JYO (B) $50 Though my first order weeks before was worthy of trying it again, this order was of low quality (cuts of fish, and flavor of fish and soup). Unacceptable, especially for the price.

I was really curious and looking forward to try this place for the first time. Just like an oasis situated in the big city, the off white washi (Japanese paper) and cedar tree theme would calm your mind the moment you walk in . It was three of us. We ordered few appetizers and two different sushi set to try and share (Omakase and Tokujyo). The food is absolutely fresh. However, salad (that comes with the sushi omakase) ginger dressing was way too salty. The tempura is one of the best I have. It is crunchy, fresh and sweet. The weakness was the Tempura sauce. It was slightly bland. The Asari Sakemushi (Sake steam clam) is fresh with hint of butter. However, we did not find the sake fragrance. The grilled Cod fish miso was done well. The winners are the SUSHI! Both sets are wonderful with firm rice in perfect size and flavor. It will be personal taste whether you like the Omakase or Tokujyo. The service is great, efficient and prompt. The small plate is changed with every serving dish. Few draw backs from the kitchen sauce but food is really fresh. I had nicely let the server know about the draw backs as well as the wonderful sushi. I am sure they will improve with our feedbacks. I will definitely go back often and hope to up date the star rating. I am excited that there is a 'real' Japanese Sushi place in my neighborhood. It is one nice little gem hidden in the UES indeed.

Without a doubt one of the best places to enjoy the pleasure of enjoying excellent sushi in eastern Manhattan, highly recommended in all aspects Sin Duda alguna uno de los mejores lugares para disfrutar del placer de disfrutar un excelente sushi en el este de Manhattan, altamente recomendable en todos los aspectos

Best sushi I've had! We also got the boiled eel over rice which was incredible. Service was perfection.

The short: contemporary, clean & sleek looking sushi spot with impeccable service and deliciously fresh sushi options. The longer: we happened upon this sushi spot looking for dinner one week night & were able to snag a table for two. The restaurant is small, but I we appreciated that the tables are not on top of one another (perfect for a date or good dinner convo). Our waitress was very kind & attentive. We shared soup, the pork belly appetizer on the specials' list, edamame and lots of sushi and sashimi. We ordered the premium chefs choice for one, and then added in a bunch of other rolls and pieces. Every single piece of fish I ate was super fresh and very tasty. Also- amazing green tea options! Overall, perfect spot for a sushi date night & I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this spot or return!

Fish melts in your mouth, affordable for the excellent food (&attention to service). Had the sashimi and rolls - Even with spicy tuna and salmon roll you could taste the fish melt. I will definitely return again. Thank you for the experience!

This place deserves 5 stars because of the quality of the food and the great calm ambiance. I sat at the chefs table and it was an amazing experience. The food was so fresh and delicious I enjoyed each bite. I don't think I'll ever want to eat sushi at any other place after here !!!! I would love to definitely come back soon. The chef was great very friendly and funny. He served us perfectly. Also, the waitress was extremely professional and very kind. I recommend this place if you want some of the best sushi you've had in your entire life.

Very rude. Tried to do a takeout order. Lied about minimum and wasn't helpful with questions about the menu and then hung up on me after lying again about the taking orders over the phone which she started to do until she determined I wasn't spending enough. Go elsewhere and avoid the headache and rude staff.

First time here. They have great service and chefs are very good. Food was delicious and go back again.

This is my new favorite place!!! I am SUPER picky when it comes to QUALITY and I always want the absolute best. Well, here it is! This is really the best sushi I've had in a WHILE. My husband and I are a huge fan of Uchu (LES) but they've changed their reservation options after COVID which is completely understandable. I'm unvaccinated so my options have been limited but so glad this place has outdoor seating on a pretty quiet block, away from the hustle and bustle. My husband is being treated at Memorial Sloan Kettering so I randomly found this place while staying in the city. I have come here 3 nights this week because it's just so GOOD!!! highly, highly, recommend.

There was a black hair in my sushi roll. I ate here with a friend. I found a black hair in our sushi. I have blond hair and the owner came out and said that he made the sushi himself and it couldn't be his and that it was mine which was not possible. He was really nasty and he wouldn't take my roll off the bill or make me a new one. He told me not to come back ever again. Do your self a favor and go to different sushi restaurant that appreciates your business. If I was able to rate this zero stars I would.

I love Zawa, they are not the most affordable in the neighborhood but once you taste their sushi and experience the freshness, it's hard to go back to some to the less expensive alternatives. I highly recommend the Saturday night special which we typically order weekly and the gyoza are amazing. Lastly, Zawa is very reliable, 8 out of 10 orders arrive on time or early. With that said, when they have had missteps, which are inevitable, they are apologetic and forthcoming with a discount code towards a future order. I just really appreciate the accountability they offer, so many restaurants are unapologetic of late or missed deliveries and they certainly are not one of those.

This is a review for their lunch menu. The interior of the restaurant is very cute and inviting, but prices are a bit high. I had the 3 roll maki combo which comes with either miso soup or salad. Pretty expensive at $22 and the rolls are pretty small (not much rice or eel if you choose an eel roll). The salad comes with a soy sauce type dressing which was too salty. I'm disappointed it wasn't a ginger carrot dressing. I'll get my sushi fix elsewhere.

the omakase with chef yoshizawa is warm, personal, traditional, and reasonably priced; the fish is of course perfect. the space is lovely and tranquil. i left feeling spiritually refreshed. this is a special place.

Best omakase so far in NY. Quality and price can't beat. So happy to celebrate my boyfriend's birthday here. All fish is fresh and firm texture. Service are polite and efficient. Book for sushi bar for omakase. 15 pcs omakase sushi and handroll for $105 is a steal. What a hidden gem. Glad that my acquaintance told me about this place

Really fresh sushi, the place is def intimate and wasn't crowded when we went. They also have refreshing non alcoholic drinks.

Awesome place! Super authentic, one of those places where all the seemingly familiar dishes are prepared just a little differently (in a very good way), like the dark miso soup with mushrooms that was packed with flavor. The sushi a la carte was unique and tasty, my favorite being the ocean trout sashimi.

The food here was amazing. I got the omakase on a whim and was blown away. What a great local spot.

Always a consistent meal! High quality ingredients servicing a classic Japanese meal.

The good: They have private outdoor dining in your own hut with a heater which was nice... The bad: Was kind of disappointment after the great reviews. We got omakase A and B, they were both just ok... What sucks was that my omakase meal is supposed to come with Uni and they said they ran out and gave the choice of cheaper options (which if they had to do that, I think they should have fixed their price as the price of uni is way higher than yellowtail, salmon, eel, etc.). IMO $75 for 9 pieces and a roll wasnt worth it here. Nothing special that I couldn't get a regular sushi spot for much less.

Amazing service and the sushi and rolls are divine! we had the Dragon rolls with the Lenox rolls and it was the perfect match! best green tea ice cream in town!

My first authentic taste of Japanese cuisine and I was not disappointed. The ambience right from the start was very cool. The food was incredible. Watching the chef prepare the food behind me was really fun. Never thought I would try live sea urchin but I figured if I was ever going to try Uni it would be at an upscale place like this. I would highly recommend this place.

I was so excited to try a new suhi place after my neighborhood go-to closed due to the pandemic (RIP Oita!). After reading so many great reviews, I decided to place an order with Zawa and I really wish I didn't. I ordered a salmon roll, a shrimp tempura roll, miso soup, edamame, and a side of chipotle mayo since the delivery minimum was $35. The order came to $47. Disappointing food and awful customer service. I requested delivery at 6.45. When My order hadn't arrived by 7, I called Zawa to ask for an update. I was immediately told that it was ready before giving any order details. I asked when it was being delivered, and the hostess asked if my order was for another name. I told her no, gave her my name, and was told my order was delivered. I told her it hadn't been; the doorman in my building receives delivery orders and calls recipients when they arrive. I told her I had not received the order. She argued with me, telling me that the delivery man had left it with the doorman. So I called my doorman, assuming they'd gotten busy and didn't call me. My doorman informed me that no orders had arrived at all. So, I called zawa back and was told, again, that my order was delivered at 6.30pm and left on a table. I went downstairs to confirm with them that no, the order was not delivered. The hostessed yelled at me that the order had been delivered and the delivery man spoke Japanese with my doorman. I informed her that my doorman doesn't speak Japanese and suggested it may have been delivered to the wrong address. I asked if I could either get a refund or get a new order, and she told me it was already delivered. I repeated, yet again, that the order had not been delivered and asked for a refund. She refused, stating that it had been delivered. After much back and forth, she agreed to send the delivery man over to speak with us, I guess. Not sure what that was going to solve. 15 minutes after that call, a full 30 min after my order was supposed to be delivered (they're around the block from my apartment), the order was delivered. Zawa called me 10 min after that to let me know that the order had been delivered to another building and the delivery man was en route with the order. At this point the order had already arrived. Would've loved to know that it had been sitting in someone else's building for an hour before consuming -- although none of it was open! That brings me to spending almost $50 on MEDIOCRE sushi. The miso soup container (pictured) was barely filled and the sushi was soggy, mostly rice, and simply sad. The edamame was fine. The side of mayo was $2!! Insane. DO NOT order from Zawa despite the good reviews. This sushi is sad and the delivery hassle was not worth it! I wish I could get a refund!!

Excellent sushi in a simple, stark room. Efficient and attentive service. A wonderful neighborhood restaurant.

Really clean, fresh and delicious sushi. The ambiance inside is great too. Some of the freshest fish I've had in the city!

Came here with a girlfriend for the omakase - it was pretty good, and also good value! The uni they have that night was awesome and I had to get another one!

Zawa is a very special place where you can experience a 5-star quality omakase-- some of the freshest fish over beautifully seasoned rice with just the right touch of soy for a fraction of the price of other fine establishments. Is it as good as some of the power sushi houses of NYC (i.e. Nakazawa, Ichimura, 15 East, etc)? No, but I'd say it's 70% as good for half the price. Chef Makoto Yoshizawa-san of Sushi Dojo fame, newly opened Zawa only a few months ago in the UES. The zen atmosphere and lighting highlights the beautiful wood bar that wouldn't be a hair out of place in Tokyo proper. The Chef does the ambience justice with piece by glorious piece of sushi. Sublime pieces of hamachi melt in your mouth, luxurious kinmadai kissed with a touch of yuzu dazzle and amaze, and of course the trio of maguro-- akami, chutoro, otoro-- is out of this world. A tasting of a 10 piece omakase and handroll (with soup or salad) will set you back $65, and a 15 piece for $95 is also offered. My only gripe is that the service is a tad confused at times and the kitchen is easily overwhelmed by hot foods. But for the quality of the sushi at this price point, these small hiccups are just that. Come for a visit. Order the sushi omakase, sit in front of the head chef, and leave the California roll orders at home. Trust me, your taste buds and wallet will thank you.