Wasan East Village
“We also got the famous uni lover and foie gras sushi, omg they were both like an explosion in my mouth.”
“I would highly recommend uni lover and foie gras sushi for appetizer.”
“The foie gras rice bowl was also fantastic, as was the salmon tartar and Hamachi jaws (yellowtail collar meat portion).”
Wasan East Village
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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I'm always on the hunt for a good Japanese spot, so I was excited to try Wasan and the (too-good-to-be-true) $55 tasting menu. The restaurant is tucked away on a quiet, residential street, and it was a good sign that on a Friday night the majority of the diners seemed to be Japanese.
The prices here are very reasonable as mentioned by others, with a 4-course menu for $45, 5-course for $55 and 3 glass sake flights for $18 or carafes in the high teens and bottles around $30. They also offer a full a la carte menu.
I wasn't very impressed by the food itself, though portions are generous. I would say quality and flavor is a slight step up from your typical Seamless spot, but not by much. And given the competition of other great Japanese restaurants in the neighborhood I'd say Wasan needs to step up their game more.
Came here for dinner last night, loved the food. The fresh pieces of sashimi salmon and tuna were legit. I heart uni and the uni lover with that delicious peanut sauce … on point! The almond chicken with blue cheese sauce was good, could have used a bit more sauce. The yellowtail was great and the sushi rolls I tried were super fresh too. I'd definitely come back. We split the sake flight which I wasn't that into, probably should have tried a cocktail?! Didn't have room for dessert but I'd love to try more dishes next time.
Wasan is quite the hidden gem, an often-overlooked restaurant in the midst of other excellent Japanese restaurants in East Village. It's not purely Japanese, to be fair; there's an interesting blend of Eastern and Western ingredients and preparations available across their extensive menu, and they've also jumped onto the tasting menu and late night ramen trend. They typically have a handful of reservations available throughout the week, making it a perfect last-minute location should the need arise.
The venue is fairly low-key, consisting of a bar area and a handful of rather tightly-squeezed in tables. It's an ideal place for an intimate dinner, perfect for a lengthy conversation with friends or a meal to impress. I was able to visit in February to try their five-course Chef's Tasting menu, a regularly rotating selection of bites that gives diners few options per course, and includes dishes both on and off their a la carte menu.
First, a starting amuse featuring skewer with two cuts of a potato cake with a dab of jalapeno jelly and a side of a creamy truffle aoili. It's a decadent first bite, with a merging of spicy and sweet, surprisingly well complemented by the aromatic aoili. It was a sharp contrast to the first actual course, a light arugula and baby spinach salad tossed in a balamic vinaigrette and topped with a few slices of roast duck. It was a balanced and fresh dish, with a hint of peppery-ness that paired well with the protein.
For fans of raw fish, the Sashimi plate here was an excellent one, featuring clean cuts of salmon, tuna, and yellowtail that were smooth and supple and texture, each bite clean and with minimal aftertaste. The full spectrum of Japanese cuisine is highlighted here however; my next course was an impressive dish of sliced Rib Eye Beef in a Casserole. The casserole consists of sliced bamboo, shiitake mushrooms, a poached egg, and the beef in a steaming hot dashi broth; it was a delicious first spoonful, but I had to sheepishly ask for a side of white rice to pair as I thought that a carbohydrate of some sort was needed.
For the final savory course, I opted for Wasan's most interactive experience which allows guests to grill their own Sirloin Steak on a hot Stone Grill in front of them. It's a fun, if challenging option, that lets you choose what temperature you want your protein to be at, although I should note that it's potentially dangerous as the stone is extremely hot; this is not the dish to order for those that are less-than-coordinated or have more than one or two drinks. In addition to the sliced beef, there's a few sliced mushrooms and onions to place on the grill as well, and a soy-based marinade on the side to season the meat. It's an excellent course, with simple, but refined flavors, and quite memorable given the hands on component as well.
To finish, a chilled "Zenzai", a red bean soup, was served with a small chestnut. Wasan's version was denser than the versions I've become used to, but I couldn't complain about the addition of two mochi balls, which gave it some much-needed texture and chew. I also got to try the Tofu Flan, a dairy-free dessert that uses silken tofu to form the base. The texture was not as supple as I had hoped for, but the flavor was perfectly light and complemented by a mint leaf and a few dashes of a citrus-based syrup.
A part of me wonders why Wasan isn't more highly regarded; this five-course menu clocked in at a mere $55, and was more than worth its price. On the other… I'm more than happy to keep this in my back pocket, for the next time I need the perfect location.
Had a gather-together with my college friends and we picked this place. As one of the Michelin recommended restaurants in East village, I must admit I had lots of expectations out of it.
We went with the tasting menu as decided earlier. Priced at 60 dollars pp, this is absolutely the best deal in town. While each dish was prepared hearty and with great care, my favorite has to be the rock stone cooked sirloin, as well as the uni lover. The chip beneath the uni was extremely crispy and I could literally feel it cracking in my mouth, together with the creaminess of uni. Definitely leave some space for dessert – the mochi with warm red bean, with a sight touch of sweetness. Red bean can almost make a good combo with everything else.
I was actually surprised to find out the space being relatively empty during my full course of meal, however it did not preclude me from rating it a full five-star. One thing, our waiters were constantly chatting with each other and I found it difficult to call on them (to refill teas or other things) when needed. Food was impeccable, however some improvement on the service end still needed.
To be honest, i just wanted some sushi rolls but this place is NOT for that. It was delicious anyway and exactly what i didn't know i wanted.
Ordered the wagyu tartare, the roasted duck & 3 sauces, and the japanese yellow sweet potato tempura to share among 3 ppl. Perfect amount of food – the rice crackers w the tartare had the best crunch to it.
As our own mains, we got the small sashimi bowl. Great size
The staff was infallibly polite, even though the health inspector came by on a surprise visit. Who does that on a Saturday?!
Place was reasonably crowded but not to the point where you couldn't have a conversation
Good but not great. Came in on july 4th for a light bite, between two we had wagyu&uni sushi and uni lover, yellowtail jalapeño yuzu and ribeye steak over rice large. The wagyu& uni sushi and uni lover was the highlight. Yellowtail jalapeño was fresh but no taste of jalapeño. They claim it was in the ponzu..? Ribeye steak over rice was smothered in sauce.. Not exactly what I was looking for.? 4 items and our bill was about 85$ and nothing was really special or worth coming back for.
Had a few dishes off their late night menu and was quite pleased. The uni soba was basiaclly as good as you'd expect zaru soba with some uni. I thought the tsuru was a little too diluted but still quite good. The miso pork terrine and burdock appetizers were particularly solid.
I'm a fan! Great Japanese food. This place does not seem to get very crowded which is good. Everything we had was great! Seriously can't go wrong with any of the dishes.
– Uni lover
– Foie gras sushi
– Wagyu beef and uni sushi special
– Octopus carpaccio special
– Soba shrimp tempura
– Stone sirloin steak