Aoki

Oh no! I can’t believe Aoki has closed. It was really one of my favorite sushi places in New York for a quick lunch.
Service was quick, price not too expensive, place really cool and zen, perfect for a break during lunch time, and located right next to the awesome Firefighters memorial park.
Food was really good. Too bad! :(

I’m writing this review to communicate my displeasure about the rudeness of staff. Normally, I’ve had very little issue with the food, which is okay, but today, I tried placing an order over the phone. An employee picked up after a while, and when I asked if I could place an order for pickup, he shouted, «NO!» He promptly hung up thereafter. Not clear whether I had dialed the wrong number, I called again to place an order for pickup, and the same person answered saying only, «very busy very busy — call back.»
I found myself taken aback by this interaction.
Three stars because the sushi is pretty okay.

The Sushi was delicious and the drinks were good. I loved the décor, fish tanks and bar were beautiful and it was very quiet. I guess we came at a good time, before dinner really started. Our waiter was an older man that was very nice and he let me and my cousin plug in our cell phones because our phones were completely dead. There were 4 of us and we each had 2 rolls, I think the rolls were a little small but that was my only complaint, but besides that, very tasty. I ordered the spider roll and Unagi Roll, oh the eel sauce was a little too thin for me but it was good. I may come back to this place if I’m in Manhattan again.

Enjoyed the sushi. Tasty salmon was my favorite. Big slices of Sashimi was a surprised.

I read the reviews, excited to find a new spot near work. I did «pick-​up» so I arrived 15 minutes after my order was placed as they said 15 minutes. Had to wait a bit, no big deal, but when I got my order. I decided to check it because of the many reviews that said they got stuff wrong. Yup = gave me scallop sashimi instead of sushi. Got it corrected. Went back to the office. Well… that scallop sushi is inedible… $ 8.00 in garbage. The salmon sashimi — edible but nothing great texture or flavor wise. I didn’t realize the roll I ordered was three rolls but it gave me a chance to try 3 of their rolls. The eel avocado –was almost good. The super white tuna was basically edible. the Lobster salad roll — not edible. In garbage. All in all, the sushi here is pretty bad. Back on the hunt for a good Midtown West sushi place!

This is the most disgusting place i have ever encountered in my life!!! I was eating a salad and a grasshopper was in there! I am never ordering in here!!!

Awesome place. I was skeptical at first because of the location but once we got inside it was actually very modern and fancy. The food was amazing at a very good price. I would definitely recommend this place.

When I worked in Times Square, this was my sushi spot. I ALWAYS ordered from here. I occasionally sat and ate here, but it was mostly ordering the lunch specials for pick-​up via seamless.
I never had a bad experience here. Dining in the restaurant during lunch hour was packed and the service was slighly slower than usual, but all in all, that is normal for the lunch rush and the staff is efficient.
My take-​out was always ready within 15 mins no matter what time of the day that I ordered and the staff was friendly. The sushi itself, whether one of the more basic ones to the special rolls, the fish was fresh and they were so delicious.
I was sad to leave this place behind when I moved to the east side!

Came here Sat night after a theatre show for a quick bite — there were a few large groups but otherwise it was pretty quiet. Kitchen closed at 11pm but food came out really quickly. Nice gyoza, light crunch on outside, and a wide selection of sushi and sashimi. Shrimp and avocado sushi rolls were great. Good value as well — place is ideal for casual, quick bite.

Overall very good lunch special. Got the vegetable and tofu teriyaki bento box. Loved the gunpowder green tea which I ordered, and the atmosphere was good. Would go back again for lunch special.

This place wouldn’t still be in business if it wasn’t for the tourists. Dinner prices are extremely expensive. Lunch is more tolerable if you order from the lunch specials menu.
On my last visit, I tried the Aoki ramen. The noodles tasted like they were from the supermarket refrigerator aisle. The bowl also contained a few slices of tasty meat, a dull broth, and tons and tons of sprouts. Sprouts are one of those foods I don’t enjoy, as they seem to be more fitting if we lived in an underground, post-​nuclear apocalyptic society. They aren’t delicious by any means!
I’ve also had their udon noodles, which are served so hot they scald your mouth. I’ve suffered a few injuries from this perilous food because I always forget how hot they serve it. Miso soup is pretty bad, even on the scale of miso soups I’ve had.
Sushi is probably the silver lining here. It’s inexpensive if you order a few rolls, and it’s actually pretty good. I don’t agree with their sushi rice philosophy, but the fish is fresh. Service is very attentive.

Service was good and the food came out quickly and it was really great sushi. Fed 6 people for around 30 bucks each. Best value and food so far into our NYC trip. Highly recommend!

Good Overall Japanese Food
*Note* My review is based on take-​out only.
Food: 3.5 Stars
You cannot go wrong with the sushi/​sashimi. The fish (from what I can tell) is always fresh and the fish, specifically the salmon which melts in your mouth.
The rolls are a bit hit or miss, typically the spicy tuna/​salmon rolls. They are fresh, but they are typically made hastily and the flavors don’t match up that well together.
However one roll is spectacular and I have no idea what is in it (if anyone does please message me). It is similar to a spicy crunchy salmon roll, but the color is closer to a sweet potato. I am unable to place the taste anywhere and it is bugging me. I keep on forgetting to ask the staff as well. It typically comes with the sushi/​sashimi lunch combo.
The chicken/​shrimp tempura is a nice dish to try if you want to go away from the standard sushi lunch.
The inclusion of a little dish for soy sauce for take-​out/​delivery orders is a stroke of genius.
Service/​Speed: 3.5 Stars
A heavy portion of business at Aoki is take-​out and delivery. At all times there are at least 2 – 3 bags of food waiting to be picked up during the lunch rush.
It is rare to wait more than 5 minutes to receive your food if you arrive 10 – 15 minutes after ordering online.
In the close to dozen times I have picked up lunch from this restaurant I have ever had an issue. A website I ordered from didn’t send out the information to the restaurant until after I arrive. The staff very quickly fixed the issue and had the sushi chefs prepare my order quickly (even though I said I’d wait). Within 5 minutes I received my food and happily went on my way.
Overall: 3.5 Stars
The consistency of the rolls are a little too inconsistent lowering the overall rating, but it never falls below an average meal.
The quantity of sushi you receive for the price is a rather good deal.
You cannot go wrong with the sushi/​sashimi.
The inclusion of a soy sauce dish for take-​out is a simple, but magnificent idea.

I was looking for a local sushi place near my hotel for a quick meal after my flight and Aoki was the closest. It was horrendous. As a previous reviewer commented, the sushi was cold and rubbery. The sashimi plate was barely edible. I also choose toro, and this was pale and without taste. If you are in the mood for sushi, go elsewhere.
Cannot comment on the cooked food. On a positive note, the wait staff were very friendly.

This has quickly become the go-​to restaurant for my semi-​regular dinners with a friend. The ambiance is terrific, and the food is always fresh and tasty. The Saketinis are amazing and the staff is fantastic. Sometimes it’s crowded and other times not, so I’d encourage you to make a reservation. The location is a bit annoying – I’d usually avoid Times Square like the plague – but this place is worth dealing with the angry costumed characters and annoying hordes of tourists. Check it out!

I’ve been here two years in a row and loved both visits. All of our sashimi was tasty… Although stick with the regular tuna and not the white. The octopus was fabulous and so were our rolls.

I love ordering from this place for dinner. Their spicy scallop rolls are to die for. I never knew such thing existed and this roll is delicious. The spice they use mixed in with the raw scallops was a perfect mix. Prior to getting this, I never knew there was such thing as a Spicy Scallop roll. Def try this!
Spicy seafood tempura roll — don’t order this. It was a mix of shrimp/​fake crab meat and not worth the premium.
Crunch Spicy Salmon — great as well, but tasted like a usual spicy salmon.
Rock shrimp avocado — this was delish! I’ve never seen this on the menu before either, but the combo of the avocado and shrimp was great. the price isn’t bad either at $ 5.75.
Shrimp temupra — your typical shrimp tempura rolls. Nothing special.
Edamame — skip this.

I really didn’t have high expectations of this place before we came here. I know it sounds horrible but I do tend to judge when a restaurant doesn’t have a website, either it’s a dive or they just don’t care about maximizing their brand. And I’m sorry I wasn’t looking forward to a dive sushi restaurant.
But surprisingly this place wasn’t half bad. The service was good. The sushi tasted good. The prices were on par with Times Square prices, so a little pricey.
The décor was the best part of this place, there was a large fish tank that entertained me for a good bit.
I would return but there’s nothing really special about this place.

Lunch Special: 11.00 for 3 rolls and soup or salad? SOLD! It’s actually exactly 12.00 with tax. Was looking for a midtown lunch place that had cheap, decent sushi that would fill me up. I am not expecting the best sushi in the world here, if they were selling top quality for this cheap, I’d think there was something «fishy» going on here (you see what I did there?)
Anyway, this is a great deal for lunch. I called it in and picked it up — was ready when I got there. Wish it was a bit closer to me but I can do delivery. I was expecting a crappy little place but it’s actually nice inside, sort of a loungy vibe with a bar and mood lighting.

Do you like fake Japanese food and terrible service? Aoki excels in both of the above!
Let’s talk about terrible service. The waiter refused to bring me fake ass tea (who knows where the tea comes from). I asked him at least 4 times and he still didn’t bring it. I was midway through my meal and had to ask another waiter to get me tea because I was dying of thirst. Its hard to eat food that is salty and have nothing to drink at all.
I thought my salmon bento box would come in a bento box but it came on a plate. The sushi was acceptable, it was very good sushi. The salmon was ok. I am relieved the food was edible.
I will only come back here if I want to be treated like crap and be given crappy food.