Azusa of Japan

“I've been a few times before for lunch- they have some great lunch sets that feature sushi, udon, and other Japanese dishes.”

“I particularly like the bar area where you can sit and chat with friends and strangers while slurping noodles or chomping tempura.”

“If you're ever in midtown, and feel like trying it out, I would definitely recommend it!”

Azusa of Japan

Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes

Price range.

$$ Price range $11-30

8 reviews

  1. Had a hankering for sushi rolls while checking out 5th Ave Christmas displays and found this spot on Yelp. Rated 3 stars but started off as a 4 star experience. Greeted very pleasantly and seated. The place looks quaint. Looking at the menu there were not many sushi roll options which was fine. We ordered the salad with sesame seed dressing, the spider roll and shrimp Tempura roll. The presentation on everything was nice. I wish the taste was as good as the presentation. The salad was mostly iceberg lettuce with some seasoned chicken on top and 4 dark green leaves. It was very so-so. The shrimp roll looked good and the Tempura tasted  fine, though it wasn't great. The spider roll was not very good. It came with soft shell crab and tasted very fishy and salty. Neither of us wanted to finish it. What also really bothered me was the service went slower and slower as the meal went on. I began to understand why the man next to us seemed so frustrated about getting the check when we had first arrived. Slow service and mediocre food hurt the experience. Friendly staff and nice atmosphere didn't make up for the first two.

  2. The service here is amazing. They were extremely attentive and quick with bringing out the food. They kept my water glass full.

    The decor is awesome. It is a traditional Japanese place with private rooms in the back and small tables.

    This place might be a little difficult for groups, but is good for smaller parties.

    The food here is very delicious and authentic. They have lunch specials for $14 that are pretty hearty. One is a udon special and the other daily special varies from day to day. Today, (on a Tuesday) the special that I got was a california roll, soup, panko crusted salmon filets (2 pieces) and chicken teriyaki, salad and fruit.

  3. Convenient location but the food is just so so. No better than Japanese food in a food mart.

  4. Mid-town, known for oversaturated deli shops on every street corner also features several Japanese restaurants- Katsu-hama being the most popular with guaranteed 10 – 15 min. wait times during lunch and Azusa of Japan.  My coworkers and I came here to celebrate a birthday.  Upon entrance we walked up a long flight of stairs to the second floor where the seating was located and greeted by the server who explained the lunch special was not served today.  It was New Years Eve Eve (Dec. 30th), I understood.  No biggie.

    We all ordered the Udon with beef and salmon box sushi and waited, waited, and waited.  After 20mins. the food was came out.  Unacceptable especially for lunch when time is crucial.  The worst part was that the wait was not the greatest disappointment, the food was.  The udon was no different from the udon at Sunshine Market or any other food court except it was 2 times more expensive and the sushi was a joke, chunks of rice with a thin transparent layers of salmon so thin it looked as if the rice was color dyed, the salmon taste not recognizable.

    Azusa is over-priced for mediocre food.  The only positive things were the traditional Japanese decor and pleasant service.  I suggest you go to Katsu-hama and patiently wait in line.

  5. Ducked in here for a quick lunch at the sectioned off bar area. I ordered the noodle lunch special and it came with soba, a roll and a few pieces of sashimi. Overall it was around 15 dollars, for the area, it wasn't too expensive and it was really a nice classy place. I would come here to take someone for work. The service was good but a bit slow and it took them forever to get the check. In terms of the food it was a bit bland and was nothing very inspiring but if you need a nice place to sit and talk with someone for lunch this is a nice place!

  6. I really like this place. Decent to good food but full point for the whole dining experience.

    We had couple of friends gathering, so we got the Japanese traditional private room seating with sliding door, which is especially nice in New York where space is a luxury. The staff who ushered us in is a Japanese in traditional dress and the restaurant setup resembles everything you see in Japan. In short, the moment you step in, you won't feel yourself in Manhattan anymore.

    The food is good. I don't feel the sashimi as fresh or the best I have ever eaten but the kushi mono fried stuff and tempura are done right. The breading are perfect! We ordered couple more small plates and everything were decent to good.

    The service is top notch, comparable to Japanese standard courtesy in Japan. We lingered in our private room for hours and not even once we felt like we were rushed, which is exactly how the Japanese treat their customers.

    I would totally recommend this place if you need private space catching up with friends or the loved ones.

  7. Azusa of Japan has been around for as long as I can remember- definitely has an old school feel. I've been a few times before for lunch- they have some great lunch sets that feature sushi, udon, and other Japanese dishes. The food was good and the portion was great! Service has always been top notch as well- the staff is always there to take great care of you.

    Azusa also has special dishes depending on the season- i know they've held some events where you could enjoy some classic Japanese cooking (Featuring hard to find ingredients like blowfish and grouper)
    Last night I had the pleasure of trying Jingisukan (mutton and vegetables grilled on a round grill- its supposed to shaped after a Mongolian helmet). Jingisukan is named after Genghis Khan, the Mongol conqueror- the story goes that his soldiers would grill meat on their steel helmets! (hence the grill)
    This was my first time trying this classic Northern Japanese dish- the staff at Azusa took great care of us and grilled the meat and vegetables (peppers, cabbage, carrots, bean sprouts…) to perfection. The mutton was especially tender and flavorful- it showed the quality of the ingredients they used there.

    In order to enjoy this dish, you must make a reservation first!! fyi!

    I am definitely interested in checking out more of the seasonal specials at Azusa.

  8. Stopped by this restaurant with my parents because my dad was craving some japanese food. It wasn't bad. My dad got the lunch set, my mom got the noodles and I got the breaded beef balls. It was really filling, but I found them to be kind of greasy and the side spaghetti was a little too much. I enjoyed it, but I'm possibly picky because I'm from Japan.

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Monday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Tuesday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Wednesday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Thursday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Friday, 12:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Saturday, 5:00 pm - 10:30 pm