My Maki

Overpriced. gimmicky sushi… it’s midtown. find a real sushi place…
THIS PLACE IS NOW CLOSED… gone in a flash…
Lesson learned. don’t offer crushed Doritos on sushi. nice try

The thought of being able to make your own sushi rolls is great … though this joint was definitely overpriced. They even had it so that you even got to choose your own sauces at the end of the line.
The manager was SUPER nice and all the employees were great as well. Not to mention that the place was so modern looking and kept sparking clean.
The only thing that kept me away from here was its location and price. However, if it were closer I’m sure I would’ve splurged every now and then …

Walked by there today and they have gone out of business.
I liked the place but I can see why they went under.

Way too expensive for mediocre Maki. I was not impressed with the «tempura flakes» they used. I ordered a seaweed wrap roll with brown rice inside out, avocado, cucumber, tempura flakes and spicy mayo with a small green salad on the side totaling $ 13. I could’ve gone to Hatsuhana and paid an extra $ 10 for top of the line Maki which includes salad in their lunch special.
The décor is hella cute and the workers are really nice. I was curious to try this place since I work down the block and won’t be coming here again.

My sushi, my way. A good concept but fails in execution.
As I walked in, it was an open space with mirrors, high ceilings, and nice décor. As I approached the assembly line, I lost hope.
The «chef» assumed I’d wanted a regular nori (seaweed) wrap* and proceeded to put it in this machine that automatically spread rice on it. Once I saw him put it in the machine, a look of terror came across my face. He then proceeded to ask me what I wanted. I forgot what fish/​protein I wanted inside because I was still disgusted that he just used a machine to apply rice onto the seaweed.
Next he placed a thin strip of white tuna inside and my fillings such as avocado and cucumber. He rolled it up and at this point I thought I’d have a regular sushi roll instead of a thicker circumference maki roll. I’d barely consider it a maki so I added some toppings such as scallions and tobiko. Instead of putting them on neatly, he just took a spoon and sprinkled them on. Great thanks for the maki mess dude. Then put the whole roll in another machine, cranked the wheel twice and it came out perfectly cut into maki rolls.
I had a coupon they offered on the street, so I got a free miso soup. After all this, my total came up to about $ 11 for about 8 rolls and a miso soup. Sure you’re allowed to take as many soy sauce combo’s you want for dipping, but that doesn’t make up for the quality & quantity of my food. They only give you one choice of protein but pack in the unlimited (cheap) fillings & toppings.
Call me racist or a sushi snob because I like my sushi to be hand made by a Japanese person, but I’m totally against machines.
Sushi/​Maki shouldn’t be made by machines. I won’t be returning for mediocre sushi/​maki rolls. I’d rather buy the pre-​made ones from Duane Reade.
*You get a choice of nori wrap or green tofu wrap. I wanted the obvious but not by choice!

im a newb to sushi but i liked this place, since i can make my own sushi flavor. Prices a re a bit steep for the amount of sushi you get and not being the best but its not a bad place. I did like the bigbird and the portions are ok, was still hungry after the meal.
the décor is like all new asian places, redmango like, so dont expect much, also a bit confusing at first.
its close to the office, so i will go again but not any time soon.

I really like the concept of making your own sushi roll. It’s fun but a little expensive though. Expect to pay close to 10 dollars for a roll.
To get the most for your money fill up on toppings. I skipped the Doritos and opted for the sweeter mango, pineapple, sundried tomatoes, and craisins. It tasted sweet and healthy but I’ll skip the craisins next time.
Also, for happy hour, they serve drinks for $ 2-​$ 3 dollars.
I went on a weekday night with a friend and it was pretty empty. It seems like a trendy but expensive lunch spot.

You can probably get cheaper sushi elsewhere that’s as good or better, but considering the location and the size of the rolls it’s really pretty decent. I don’t trust myself to know what makes a good roll so I did choose something right off the menu: the Philadelphia Freedom.
The roll is your typical Philadelphia roll with avocado, and it was very good. Not revolutionary, but the rolls were bigger than the usual and the ingredients were fresh. The staff was really friendly, too. One of the workers there said he «broke» my rolls (I have to admit I don’t know what that means), so he gave me a whole new set of sushi along with the original one. I ended up with the most massive sushi lunch I’ve ever eaten. It was $ 11 total, but you’re really not going to get a healthy filling lunch in midtown for much less.

Think Red Mango or Pinkberry décor. but sushi instead of froyo.
Prices are a bit steep for such generic tasting sushi. Sure, they have outrageous toppings and make-​your-​own sushi, but why fix what ain’t broken? Sushi is an art and not everybody can be Van Gogh. I’d rather pay substantially less for my lunch sushi from Everyday Gourmet and leave the creative sushi to a traditional session of omakase at a legit Sushi establishment.

Walking by this place I thought, hmm, I could go for some quick sushi.
I got two rolls, no drink and spent $ 19.00! $ 19 bucks for what? I love sushi and don’t mind spending $$ for a good lunch but this made me feel like I was in one of those salad bar places where you walk down the line telling the preparer what you want in your roll and then your roll gets passed to the next person down the line, what would you like? tuna? How do you want that? Any toppings? What? I’m not a sushi chef, you tell me what goes on top! Doritos? (I’m not kidding). And then you get to the register. Do you want a drink with that? How about some ginger? Wait, where am I again? Sushi joint of Burger King? I’m not a fan! The sushi sucked! Worst $ 19 I ever spent.

I’m not a fan of this place. I stopped in here because it’s close to work and they had a big sign on the corner pointing to it, so seemed like a good idea to try. It’s a great idea but the idea didn’t translate into a very good experience. You can design your roll, pick a protein and have as many other things in it.
As an avid sushi-​lover, the whole idea of a sushi roll is to have lots of fresh ingredients molded into a perfect roll so you’re tasting it all together. While the ingredients were fresh, my roll was completely falling apart. Bite by bite I was disappointed by my creation. Also, great idea about the various dipping sauces but the one I chose (edimame wasabi) had a really weird consistency. Again, great idea but weak follow-​through. I also stopped here at a non-​busy time (post-​lunch) and it took forever to get through because they kept having to refill things. I felt like there were 10 people standing behind the counter, and it took multiple people to make 1 roll…

Cute idea, decent follow-​through, pleasant service, price roughly comparable to neighboorhood. Good for a quick lunch.
Popped in here on my lunch break thinking it’d be nicer than anything from a deli. In that I was not disappointed. The sushi tasted fresh and the build-​your-​own-​roll concept was fun. Will it compare favorably to a nice, sit-​down lunch in a proper japanease restaurant? No. But it scratched my sushi itch and was quite a pleasent experience.
$ 12ish dollars got me a fancy izze soda and my sushi, avocado, spicy mayo roll (10 pieces). I would prefer if they added a, say, 5 or 6-​piece option to the menu so I could have mixed it up and gotten my unagi on as well. I should note that they do carry wine and sake, so it’d be a fine place for a quick, casual dinner as well. (Still if you’re looking for romance, atmosphere or mind-​blowing food, search elsewhere.)
My Maki is, well, perfectly everything it claims to be.

This is right by my job, and I was excited when I saw it opened. I thought it was an interesting concept, so I wanted to try it. Last week, I went inside around 2pm, and it was empty inside. Great, no line!
It looked really clean inside, and I followed the signs, in how to make «my maki.» 1. seaweed ($ 5.90), 2. salmon ($ 2.50), 3. avocado & cucumber (first 2 free), 4. masago ($ 0.95) on top. Also got a miso soup. It cost me approx $ 12 – 13.
I honestly thought the roll was just okay; the salmon tasted fresh. The miso soup was big, but it felt very watery, no flavor.
I give it one star for the clean and nice décor. The other star for the people being super nice and for the restaurant concept being pretty cool.
However, I didn’t think the roll was all that great and the miso soup wasn’t good. So with that in mind, it was pricey in my opinion.
I will not be returning.

Overpriced for what you get. Not that tasty. This is like sushi for dummies.
Came here with 6 people and no one enjoyed it. I would only come here if I had a coupon.

I was visiting NYC last week and thought I would pop into this pretty cool looking spot for a quick sushi roll. At first I was skeptical about the concept of do-​it-​yourself sushi, but that all faded away when I tasted their signature sushi rolls. Unbelievable!
First I’ll start with the «sauce». Usually, I dip my sushi in tons of soy sauce mixed with wasabi, however My Maki doesn’t limit you to the same old soy sauce. Genius. They have some really good dipping sauces to try from. I suggest the spicy mayo, its little kick is all I needed to make the California Love pop with flavor.
I didn’t try the custom rolls, because I’m not «culinarily» creative enough to do so, instead I stuck with the signature rolls. Although I do have to say, next time I hit this place up, I will figure out a way to add crushed Doritos and craisins to the mix of my customized rolls. The CA Love was really good and so was the Philly Freedom. I never thought cream cheese would taste soooo good with salmon. But it does.
My Maki just opened its door so I’m sure they’re working out the kinks, but I highly suggest checking it out if you’re ever in mid-​town looking take care of your sushi crave. Good luck fellas!

Seeing a new restaurant open up, I thought it would be my Unilocalic duty to stop in. I got some takeout for lunch. They make sushi rolls to order. My favorite roll is Spicy Tuna. I got their version of one, and it was fine. Nothing great nor bad. I found $ 9 for one roll a bit steep, and if you were to add in a drink, they don’t fit into the one dollar sign range (read, not cheap). The décor is very modern and clean, fast foody even. I don’t have high hopes for the longterm prospects of this restaurant. Too costly and not unique enough.

I am in serious love with this place. I’ve just went to lunch and I totally agree that it’s like a Subway conveyor belt for sushi and not as overwhelming as you might have heard. In fact, the people working there are super nice and helpful. I would, however, suggest going to their website and figuring out what ingredients you want so there’s no pressure once you’re in line.
I only had the japanese roll with avocado & mango (i will totally get more next time!) with sesame seeds and masago on top. I also picked up the Teriyaki Sauce and Citrus Ponzu sauces but when I was up at the register, the guy suggested the Karashi Mustard so I took all 3. I didn’t have to pay extra for getting extra dipping sauces which was awesome.
The sushi was super tasty and fresh and I am in love with the karashi mustard. Yum! I will definitely come back here!

My co-​worker and I decided to venture out to My Maki because of the $ 3 Midtown Lunch discount. We took our first steps into the polished and minimalistic setting and were immediately overwhelmed by the different combinations offered on the menu. For a second, we just stood there in awe looking at the big board like a lost tourist in an airport terminal.
Let’s try to follow this decision tree:
1. Do you want to make your own roll?
[Yes] — keep staring at the big board
[No] — stare at the premade combinations
2. If yes, then do you want your sushi wrapped in traditional seaweed or wrap made of soybean?
[Seaweed]
[Soybean]
3. Then choose from one of the ten main ingredients (could choose more than one). Traditional ingredients include imitation crab and unagi, while they also throw in crawfish and chicken for good measure.
4. Other ingredients are available with two complimentary additives. Again, My Make offers the same variety from traditional to eccentric (potato sticks, pineapple, sundried tomatoes).
5. External toppings include the ballyhooed Doritos chips or the traditional Masago.
By the end of going through all the possible branches, you come up with thousands of combinations. So, I ended up with a premade selection; the Big Easy — crawfish, jalapeño, cream cheese, spicy breadcrumbs — and the Karachi Mustard — a tangy, sweet thick sauce with a mustard aftertaste. The roll was good, really creamy and heavy because of the rice and cream cheese, but the crawfish was fresh and the jalapeños provided a good kick. In no way was I really expecting something authentic, but it was a decent sized lunch, albeit a little expensive for Midtown lunch standards (~$ 10 w/​tax).
The process is unique too. The first line cook grabs a slab of rice from a futuristic Maki Rice Flattening Thingamajig and places it on the wrap. The next person adds all the ingredients you requested and rolls it up in the traditional bamboo sheet. Then places it in a MakiCutter, a stainless steel instruments little sushi rolls probably have nightmares about. Person number three places the ten pieces in a nice container, adds the external ingredients and you’re on your way. The usage of machines to make sushi rolls probably make every self-​respecting sushi chef turn in his or her grave, but this is corporate America — we don’t run on honor, we run on maximizing profits…
Which brings me to my last point, speed. The whole process was fast (good for lunch) and my co-​worker dubbed it «Subway for Sushi», but I think the quality was definitely better than anything from the larger chain. I don’t know how often I would actually opt for My Maki on a monthly basis, but it’s nice to add a new restaurant to the lunch rotation every now and then. However, I did notice all the t-​shirts and paraphernalia, a sure sign for franchising ambitions. They are also setting up Seamless Web and hope to have delivery up and running. Right now, patrons can request delivery by calling in.

This just opened up by my job, so decided to try it out for lunch today.
I got the 10-​piece roll with:
— Soy wrap
— Tuna
— Avocado
— Craisins
— Doritos
— Spicy Bread Crumbs
— Citrus Ponzu Sauce
Process was assembly-​line format, with different people manning each part of the roll:
— 1 person asks which style wrap you want, seaweed or soy (NOTE: Soy wraps are $ 1 more than the seaweed wrap)
— 1 person handles the fillings, aka Protein & Vegetables (NOTE: You get to pick 1 protein & 1 veggie)
— 1 person handles the extra fillings then rolls the roll up
— 1 person puts the roll into what looked like a slicing machine & then puts on a plate or container for you
— Last person puts the external toppings on & brings the roll to the cashier for you
— You grab the extra dipping sauces yourself at the section next to the register. They also have side dishes (edamame, crab salad, Vietnamese ceviche, etc) below the sauces & snacks below the register counter, if you want an extra snack with your sushi.
— They give you some packets of light soy sauce, but you have to ask for the wasabi as an external topping. They also don’t give you any ginger (which I’ve trained myself to eat after I finish the sushi because it supposedly cleanses your palate).
The roll tasted good. Tuna wasn’t the freshest I’ve had, but it was decent. I did love the Craisins, Doritos & the spicy breadcrumbs, gave it an extra umph. But since I didn’t ask for the wasabi as an external topping & they didn’t give me any & since I like to have wasabi with my sushi rolls, I felt like something was missing.
The line moved a little on the slow side, but nothing horrible. I guess it’s to be expected of sushi because it’s not an easy process, even if assisted by various machinery.
Service was good, the workers were all very nice, but the cashier guy looked distracted when I went to pay. I think he might’ve been checking out the girls who were in front of me because his gaze lingered as they walked away & he was slow to check me out (no pun intended! heh).
Pros:
— Loved the concept of a (as another Unilocaler put it) Sushi version of a Subway.
— They do have unique fillings like the Craisins, Doritos, Potato Stix, etc.
— Interior of store is cute, kind of reminded me of Pinkberry.
— They have some cool machinery like the slicing machine & another one that (I think) distributes the rice onto the wrap for the worker handling that part of the roll for you.
Cons:
— Just the 1 roll cost me just over $ 10. And I was still hungry after (Doh!).
— While they have signs on the display windows for each section as you rotate down the line, showing you the fillings & toppings, it was hard to read it because a few people kept blocking them from my view as they were standing on line.
— There were no Spicy versions of the fish nor were there brown rice options.
— They should give you wasabi & ginger on the side by default like other sushi places do.
Overall, it was good & I would eat here again. But it’d be cool if they maybe had some type of meal combo (1 sushi roll with side dish & a drink for $ 10 maybe?).

What a great idea — make your own sushi! I kept thinking «this is either going to very good or horrible» as soon as I walked in.
I stepped inside and was surprised that it had quite a large seating area. There was the huge board telling you which selections were available on the right of the counter: soy or seaweed wraps, fillings, and toppings etc. and I definitely wanted to try the Doritos so I had to go with fish filling. The owner asked if I understood how everything works and I nodded :) I found you on Unilocal, I don’t need any explanations. hehe.
I made «my maki» (how appropriate) with tuna, avocado, cucumber, Doritos topped with crunchy tempura. The portion was filling. The sauce choices were awesome. I went with a safe bet and grabbed spicy tuna and a small seaweed salad. Ryan at the checkout was very helpful and gave me my lucky $ 2 bill!
Now my coworker went with the «big bird» roll which had chicken and craisins — it was an interesting mix but much more dry than my roll. Since this is a make-​your-​own-​roll I would suggest you do so, it’s more fun! I will be back.