Ginger

Its quirky and quaint. Owner/​host is a nice quirky man. I needed this place for a quick group dinner at the last minute. They took us right in. The shining star: the crunchy tartar. Its presentation is unlike any tartar i have ever had, but this was the menu standout and I still think about it. I did not share one bite !

Where do you go if you’re in the East Village, have a craving for sushi, and don’t want to deal with all those other sushi places in the area where college students are sake bombing?
GINGER!
Two friends and I came in on a Saturday night at around 7:30. It’s really easy to miss since it’s a little tucked in — so if it helps, it’s closer to the 6^th St. side. The place was empty except for one other table and a few tables here and there while we were dining. But it also might have been because it was FREEZING that day, so I’m not sure how packed it gets on a regular basis.
For drinks, they have saketinis ($ 8), Asahi ($ 5), and Sapporo ($ 5).
The tea isn’t complimentary — it’s $ 1-​$ 2 depending on if you get green or ginger.
I went with a beer since I’m not a big fan of sake or fruity drinks.
To eat, I ordered the Fantastic roll (spicy kani with assorted raw fish and tobiko on top) and the yellowtail scallion roll. The Fantastic roll was interesting (in a good way). I wanted kani salad and sushi, so this was like the best of both worlds. The yellowtail scallion roll was pretty standard. Just slightly bigger than your average $ 3 rolls in Brooklyn — with more rice.
The service was really good. Our waitress checked on us a couple of times, but not in the annoying, leave-​me-​alone kind of way. I should also mention that my friend wanted add on a third roll to her order after she already placed her initial order. The owner (I’m guessing) said they would hold back on the third roll — and when we were almost done eating, he came by and asked if she still wanted it. (she was full already so she opted out it) I thought this was a nice touch — most restaurants are only looking to make money and would have put in that extra order. But at Ginger, it seems like they care more about the customer’s experience rather than making a profit.
I, on the other hand, left feeling a little hungry. So the next time I come, I’ll just be sure to order that extra roll!

I’ve been going to the East Village for sushi for some number of years, but how did I never tried Ginger? I guess I was a sucker for those 50% off sushi places else where. I’m glad there is a place life Ginger. My party of 3 came here on a Saturday night and did not have to wait. We are all working girls who enjoy peace sometimes and just want to catch up on each other’s lives. There were usual no loud groups or beer chugging groups to distract us.
It was my pleasure to pay for sushi at its regular price. I’ll give up my 50% off sushi for now. Since the restaurant is small, the servers attend to your needs. At some point I felt like I was flying first class again because of the wet toilettes that we received before our meal. The sushi bites were also generous. In each sushi roll, the give you a larger slice of fish than avocado. I’m excited over this because other places would usually give me a whimpy cut!

Food was a 4 but service a 2.
The waiter told us AFTER he brought our drinks that they were out of tuna?! Refilled everyone’s water and didn’t even get us water glasses until we asked. Food took over 40 min and wasn’t even busy there.

Try the strange sushi!!! Its so fun and amazing!!! I wish i could make it here more often! There isnt much atmosphere or drink selection but i swear the fun sushi is worth it!!!

I decided to give this place a try after finding out that my beloved Kotobuki closed, boooo.
The restaurant is pretty small and narrow, dimly lit and so quiet. My friend Steven and I had gotten there around 5 and were one of two parties. The lone waiter of the place greeted us warmly and gave us a pick of table.
We were set on just ordering two rolls each since our reunion dinner was just 2.5 hrs away (pre-​dinner ftw) but hunger got the best of us and we thought it would be best to add a special roll on top of that to split. I opted for my go to spicy tuna and this one called s&m (spicy shrimp, mango, cucumber). I can’t recall what Steven had but we split the Christoph’s roll (there were some really bizarre ones involving banana and peanut butter that sounded gross/​amazing). The waiter said it would be a lot of food but we honestly didn’t think so and kept the order as is.
Our plates came out fairly quick and we figured out what he meant. The rolls here are 8 pieces instead of the standard 6, so we each had almost another full roll. No complaints on our end! The rolls were pretty good. Spicy tuna here is a pasty consistency. The shrimp in the s&m had a nice crunch. Christophe’s roll was tasty (king crab and avocado topped with spicy tuna) and glazed with eel sauce, mmm. One thing to note –the rice here is definitely different than I’ve ever had on sushi. Not sure if it’s an ‘off’ batch but it was very mushy and overly sticky. I totally love that, sticky rice in general, but it’s definitely not the standard.
Rolls were kind of pricey but then again there are more pieces. Decent spot but I still miss Kotobuki! Still on the hunt for a new go to sushi joint in the East Village.
Oh, we totally ate a full, carby dinner at Nyonya afterwards and topped off the night at Snowadays Shavery. #fatties

Cute little sushi place with very friendly staff and a really nice owner. The service was a little slow, and the menu wasn’t particularly comprehensive as far as maki and hand rolls go, but their «sushi for 2» deal was about $ 50, tasted fresh and had mild flavor. Oh, and an interesting perk, the unisex bathroom in the back has a little basket of free condoms, which I actually needed hahaha. now that I think of it, more restaurants should do that!

My boyfriend John and I used to come to Ginger about once a week when we lived in NYC. It was always such a treat for us. The owner is always there, and always so friendly. The restaurant is pleasant, has good energy (perfectly feng shui’d) and the sushi is absolutely delicious!
We always get the Wakame seaweed salad. The dressing is creamy and sesame-​ey and I can’t get enough. The miso soup is literally the best I’ve ever had. We then usually would get 4 – 5 rolls to split. The waiters and sushi chefs would try to be honest with us and tell us we had ordered too much food, concerned we wouldn’t be able to finish everything, but we oftentimes would order another roll because we wanted more!
The Butterfly and S&M rolls are my favorite, they are so well prepared with fresh ingredients and good rice. Even though I used to come here so often, I could eat the same rolls again and again because they are all so good.
This is a perfect, no frills, neighborhood sushi spot and I’m sad I don’t live in NYC anymore so I can frequent it every week!

I’m somewhere between a 3.5 and 4, mainly because my dining partners really enjoyed their meals. We started with seaweed salad (delicious, but the portion could have been bigger — was served in a martini glass) and the spring rolls, which were forgettable. For entrees, we had the ginger chicken (well-​received) and a variety of rolls. The sushi rice was a little softer than I prefer, but the flavor was good and the ingredients obviously fresh. Note that the shrimp tempura is more like a shrimp katsu — the texture of the fried bits is a little unexpected.
The host on the floor stood next to our table for quite a bit of the meal, just looking on at us. This was very strange and made me uncomfortable at times. I think this place gets its solid ratings from takeout — I wouldn’t sit in again.

Ginger is my favorite neighborhood sushi joint. The man who answers the phone has the gentlest and kindest phone voice I’ve ever heard in my life. I like going there, but Ginger is particularly good for takeout or delivery. Affordable and just great.

The Bad: thought this was going to be a bad experience. Service was non attentive that night and soup and salad were, sorry to say, just really bad. Soup was very watered down and burning hot, and salad dressing was like a soup and so bland. But this all changed.
The Good: the sushi chef changed my mind. The Sushi Dinner for Two was excellent. Large fresh slices of fish, spicy shrimp mango roll and Kani roll were both great as well. There have quality sushi.

Wow… was surprised that my experience here was so incongruous with the 4 star average Unilocal review.
Service: Three of us came on a slow night (we were the only table in an otherwise empty restaurant) and were seated up front by the window. It was a little awkward because the host was hovering by our table for the entire meal because we were right by the entrance. We asked for the sake menu, because our host didn’t give us one when we were seated. He gave us a drinks menu that said under the sake listing: «ask for sake menu»… Then when we ordered, he asked for ids and made an awkward reference to underage drinking (we are all legally 21+ and provided proper ID)… Even though we were the only table, we received relatively poor service throughout the meal. Water glasses were not filled and we were charged $ 1 for a small dish of ponzu sauce. ???
Food: We ordered some appetizers and two rolls and the sashimi plate. The servings are very small, even considering it’s sushi. Salad was two or three pieces of lettuce and cucumber. Gyoza came soaking in a plate of sauce… (??? so they were wet and not crispy). Sashimi was cut into very large chunks, which I personally find unappetizing. My shrimp tempura roll, again, came soaking in a plate of sauce (??? What is this? Why? I never thought I would say my sushi was bad because it was too WET… rice was completely soaked through and besides the saucy/​wet taste, it looked kind of gross) Total came out to around $ 60 not including tip, which to me seems expensive for poor quality food.
Not a good experience, and never coming back. Would rather have eaten sushi from the grocery store.

Got sushi for two at the window seat, lovely service, owner is very friendly and warm and let’s you really enjoy your stay. Atmosphere makes you feel at home. There is no rush. Loved this place, will be a regular. And they have the best mints at the end! You know the kind.

Exceptional service: cold towels to start service. With only a total of three waiters they managed to provide attentive, seamless service of three courses.
We had:
Tuna tartare
3 Spring rolls
Bbq eel over rice with salad
Teriyaki salmon with miso soup
Mango saketini
Glass of Merlot
Portion sizes of entrees were designed so that you could enjoy appetizers beforehand; the sushi portions seemed very filling. Flavors were spot on, being delicious yet refreshing. The atmosphere was nice and casual. Perfect for catching up with friends even though the place is small but cozy. The one restroom was clean and well maintained.
I’d definitely return.

Walked in on a slow night but the empty room worked in our favor. Very attentive staff with focus on service. We were welcomed with hot towels and our waitress poured our sake for us like bottle service. Well designed and tasty plates.
I really enjoyed the sushi and appetizers (edemame salad and miso soup spot on). The rolls were average price but great quality and size.
I had to dock one star because my teriyaki salmon was a slight strip and overcooked, but still decent.

Hooray! Serious rejoicing taking place… I’ve finally found a fantastic sushi delivery place! After many woeful experiences ordering sushi on the Lower East Side, I am beside myself excited to have found this place. Delicious, fresh, clean, tasty, creative, and –did I say delicious– sushi delivered to my door is pretty much what I asked for on my birthday candles. I ordered a crunchy roll (soft, creamy spicy tuna with cucumber topped with an exquisite crunch) a cucumber avocado roll and an order of fresh, salty and warm edamame.
The prices are pretty standard — all in all my meal was $ 20 with tip. Perhaps it’s maybe a bit pricier than others, but the experience and quality of food is very worth it.
It did take around 45 minutes, but that is pretty standard for delivery. All in all, a really pleasant experience and I’m stoked to order again and again.

Looking for a dinner spot Friday night sans reservation and with sushi in mind, found this. Wasn’t full (never a good sign), but the decent reviews made it worth a shot.
Ambience is ok. Quiet and pleasant, and great spot for pleasant conversation.
Service was slow, but not the kind of slow that annoys you, but rather the one that you respect because they’re not forcing you to leave.
Food (which is the 5 star part) was fantastic. Sashimi for 2, succulent crispy tuna tartare [seriously look at the first page at their appetizers!!!], and then a few fantastic rolls made up dinner.
One thing they could improve on is sake; unless you know what you’re doing, it’s a bit too blind.

I am probably the least exciting person that has ever been to Ginger, but my litmus test for any sushi restaurant is the spicy tuna roll. And Ginger’s spicy tuna is so far one of the better rolls I have enjoyed at an average priced restaurant in NYC. I also ordered the spicy salmon roll which was also pretty tasty.
Service was quick. The man that sat us was very friendly. And our food came promptly. The restaurant is really a no frills spot and lacks any sort of ambience but is good quality sushi. I would definitely come back here or order from here.

Two sushi places in one day… Oh my!
Okay, here goes! First off, 3 stars isn’t a bad thing. I liked this place and would definitely go back. What a great dinner spot for a mid week catch up with an old friend. Its intimate and quiet and the service was really great.
BUT…
the food was ok. It wasn’t bad, but it didn’t wow the foodie in me, which was what I was expecting when reading the amazing reviews. I tried to choose some of the more interesting dishes and probably should have stuck with the tried and true. I had the Sashimi Splash with a jalapeño and citrus dressing which I was excited to try, it was more citrus than anything else. Wasn’t the dish that promised to dance on my taste buds as I’d initially hoped. The rest of the meal was good, but just as lackluster.
If I went back I would stick to the classics and think it would be a better experience.

I came here for dinner and thoroughly enjoyed myself! I mostly picked Ginger because my favorite flavor combination is peanut butter and banana, and they have a roll with peanut butter and banana!
My dinner companion was very weary, but after tasting a piece, he declared it his favorite of the three rolls. The pb/​b is strong enough that you can’t taste the fish really, but when I tried one piece without pb, it was still a delicious roll.
We had 3 rolls, an appetizer, and a carafe of sake and the total was $ 42. That’s a steal for sushi in Manhattan. Plus at 9 on a Saturday night it wasn’t so busy that we couldn’t have a quiet dinner. I’ll definitely be back!