Ni Japanese Delicacies

SO GOOD. This is located inside of the Essex Market! That confused me, but once i found it oh man. They have homemade kombucha (so good) and definitely try the jalapeño miso ball. Service was so pleasant as well

Such nice people… and such an array of stuff crammed into a little stall!
I got the vegan bento box today – they offer both a vegan bento and one that comes with fish – and it was made to order, fresh, and delicious: kabocha squash, brown rice, and other rolls that were well-​presented and –prepared. Plus it included two different kinds of fresh greens; this is a very viable, satisfying, affordable lunch option.
This place is toward the back of the Essex Street Market, and fortunately they have a sandwich board they usually set up out front. Today is the 75^th birthday of the market, so they’re getting a lot more foot traffic than usual. I’m at the market almost every day, so I’m going to start patronizing them more often.

This place gets 4.5 stars for the quality of the food. As for customer service and relations, I’d give them a 2. I’ve eaten here before, and though I find some items pricey, the quality of food is high. But last time, I arrived before closing, and when 4 of the options I chose were out, I was repeatedly directed back at the fish dinner, which I didn’t really want but need to eat and quickly.
$ 15 for a small to-​go meal that was my 5^th choice? I basically feel like he was trying to sell off the items for the end of the day, and I got suckered. I wrote some thoughtful feedback on Square stating I liked the food but was disappointed by the response when so many options were out and I got this back:
«She came right before closing and I explained to her it was busy day so we do not have a lot of option»
No discount, no apology. I mean, I know I am very American, but customer service still has to mean SOMETHING these days.

Delicious organic greens salad. Great stand with a lot of healthy and homey Japanese foods (kombucha squash with adzuki beans, grilled cod on rice, etc.)

My husband and I had been recovering from colds so we were craving something healthy and clean. We saw a sign for a vegan bento box and a fish bento box outside Essex Market and decided to check out Ni Japanese Delicacies. I had the fish bento and my husband the vegan bento. Both were delicious and unexpectedly comforting. The rice was insanely good. I also liked the side dishes. The portions are pretty small so I don’t know if I will go back on a regular basis.

Cute place. Highly recommend the sashimi bowl. The rice balls are also a nice to-​go treat.

Cute and authentic Japanese stand, serving healthy home-​style boxes and bowls. Try the inari, hijiki, or vegan bento box. Really tasty! They have elixirs and healthy drinks, as well.

This place is delicious! Tucked away in Essex Market. It’s small, but offers so much. There are plenty of options (vegan too) and the quality is great.

Delicious, authentic Japanese creations from an unassuming back space in Essex Street Market. The bentos are delicious and everything is fresh.

I frequently stay at a hotel nearby and I wish I had found this place sooner! I’ve been coming here as much as I can since my first visit. Simple and delicious Japanese dishes, and a thoughtfully curated selection of beverages.
Had the udon yesterday which was amazing, and the tuna don for lunch today (the tuna was incredible) with onigiri. Big fan of everything, can’t wait until my next meal there.

I originally felt that such a small place would not have much to offer. I did see their overall items on display and whatnot. That really did not interest me much.
So I decided to give it a shot to try with their Udon soup. BAM! It has been approximately six months from when I first gave it a try. and I’ve been coming here almost weekly now. This soup is so flavorful enough that I forgot that I was a carnivore keke! The udon noodles are soooo fresh and so are their vegetables, that come straight from the chopping board as they make their soup. In addition, I also tried their green tea matcha. I only happened give it a try since I overheard several people ordering it, too. Now I know why, it was really good. Furthermore, I think this place is solid in what they try to offer.
There are mostly snacks on display and teas, etc. Not sure about the rest of the other food items, but it seems like from the other reviewers, they’re all decent. I am rating this place five stars because I KEEP COMING BACK for the green tea drink and the soups. Yippee!

I love this place. I thank my fellow Unilocalers for reviewing it and first drawing me in to the charming Essex Market.
So many things to try here, but everytime I go, I can’t help but order the miso-​cured salmon bento box. So rich and satisfying, with fresh and interesting vegetable sides. I have also tried the forbidden rice burger and recommend it. The vegan bento box looks a little small for the price and like it might leave me hungry.,

The food is is very healthy, though the portions are a bit smaller than average. Flavors are nice, and the market price specials are a bit dry but exceptionally tasty with the kale salad and roasted cauliflower. I came way after lunch so might try it during a busier time.

I love the yellow tail jalapeño sushi here. All their sushi rolls come with brown rice which makes for a healthy snack. I also have a gluten allergy and love the fact that he gives gluten free soy sauce packets with my sushi rolls. The spicy kimchi is really awesome too. If you’re looking for a healthy tasty meal, this is a good place to come to

I love this little shop in Essex Market. They offer tasty bento boxes and interesting salads. My favorite thing to get are the brown rice sushi rolls with wild fish! This is somewhere I love going when I want something clean and healthy for lunch.

I picked up a bento lunch today. I was so happy to find this little shop. It made me nostalgic for the time I spent in Japan. The food isn’t too fussy and it’s a side of Japanese food that I don’t often get to have even in such a big city as New York without a lot of hassle. The vegan options are also great. I’m very happy to have finally made it here. I plan to pop by with my spouse so he can taste the flavors I miss so much. Not the ones in restaurants, but the homemade tastes that you share between friends.

Cozy, cute shop tucked away in Essex market, it has plenty of Japanese fare. There is even hot food like ramen and udon. I opted for the onigiri… my soft spot of snacks. I decided on the grilled salmon for the interior. Man, it was downed in approximately 13 seconds. It had the right amount of salt, rice, and nori seaweed wrapping. The man who worked there even heated it up for me, so it ended up filling me up. I would come back. Too bad, there is no seating, just standing near the mirrors lining the walls as you come in.

Are you looking for the secret Japanese eatery that’s hidden halfway along a wonderous maze with promises of fairy dust sprinkled food and wish granting cats?
Well, Ni can meet you half way. It’s a little hidden treasure, but it’s not as if you need a password to get in and answer an ancient riddle. Don’t spend time on thinking up your perfect wish for the felines. You’ll look silly, it’s just in Essex Street Market.
After reading a review in the NY Times about half a year ago, then planning a trip to NYC with one of my top five things to do being «eat at Ni,» I was on the edge of my seat for a day and a half immediately preceding my visit to Ni. People who live in NYC have no idea how good they have it, or do they? Well, my friend can attest to how cray cray I was (like a crack addict hopped up on five espressos) the day and morning prior.
The food was simple and magnificent. It was the carpenter’s chalice in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Simple and perfect, home-​cooked and magical, logical and comforting. Golly I can’t wait to return.
What did I have? It doesn’t matter, everything was good.
No really, what did I have? The Vegan Bento Box and a Salmon Rice Ball. Oh, and Barley Water. I suggest all of these. It’s a big meal, so maybe get the Rice Ball to go. It comes wrapped in plastic anyway.
The Vegan Bento Box had a mix of different veggies. On the day I went (I think it changes often, if not daily) there was a pair of tiny rice balls with shaved sour plum on top. A cauliflower mix. Vinegary potato salad with peppers. Portabello mushrooms. The seasonings were simple; the vegetables didn’t really need it, they spoke for themselves.
The Rice Ball was the size of a baseball. It was mixed with just a bit of salmon, then you wrap it in a half piece of nori. Of the two, this was my favorite. Slightly savory, mostly carby.

This place is tiny, tiny, tiny, I almost walked right by it. It is literally a small stall in the marketplace. There was a sign outside that made me want to go in: Avocado wasabi honey sandwich. Doesn’t it sound enticing? The woman was super sweet and there are so many different goodies here. I waited about 5 minutes for my sandwich and it was de-​freakin-​licious. I had a little time to scan the stand and will definitely have to try their bento box next time or onigiri.

Essex Market provides many temptations, yet Ni remains unmatched by so many Japanese grocery stores and small delis which it may compete with.
Before I tried them at Ni, inari was not something I would regularly crave (or football rice, as the recently closed oms/​b onigiri shop once called them). Now, it’s rare that I will stop by without picking up a trio of the delectable fried tofu skin filled with sushi rice along with a few onigiri (the pickled plum is a new favorite!) and rice crackers.
The homemade mochi is a perfect treat which elicits sweet memories of picking up fresh mochi from the streets of Tokyo midsummer. Even more than the plentiful, delectable treats, the service of Ni (particularly the kind lady) keeps me coming back. The sort of place that keeps me hankering for more and very happy to keep supporting such thoughtful food and people.

I finally stopped in for lunch and must say the options available to order at this tiny food stall — and there are many– sound a lot better than the ones I tasted.
I got a spicy yellowtail roll and a cold kabocha pumpkin and potato salad. The fish in the roll was unexpectedly chewy, which I do not normally associate with fresh raw fish. The fish did not taste spoiled, however.
The chunks of potato in the salad were dry– almost dehydrated– somewhat crisp and flavorless and reminded me of boxed instant potato flakes that had been vacuum sealed together in a mold. I pressed on, however, and eat nearly all of it as I tried to recondition my tastebuds and appreciate the subtlety that can be the treasure of authentic Japanese food. Despite that effort, these potatoes were just no good to me. On the other hand, the pumpkin – mixed with sesame seeds and other spices– was deliciously simple and delicate yet wonderful.
Two small containers of food ran me approximately $ 14. I love the idea of supporting Essex Market (but don’t normally get good reasons to do so) and I have wanted to come to support this little spot, so I probably will come back again to sample other offerings. If my experience mirrors this one, however, I will not be making a habit of returning.

My mom is Japanese and the food here made me a little homesick, that good. The salmon omusubi is also the best I’ve ever had (sorry mom).
Right next door to Boubouki, which is delightful as well.

This tiny stall in the Essex Street Market has a big heart. The couple who staff it couldn’t be nicer, and the food they turn out shows just how interesting and delicious home cooking style Japanese «health food» can be. Salads, miso, brown rice and mackerel figure prominently. Many vegan options are available. It’s mostly prepared food, with a few hard to find Japanese grocery items for sale, as well as tea and soy drinks.
They made a believer out of me with a sushi roll of smoked mackerel, quark cheese and brown rice. It was one of the best things I’ve eaten recently. They’d cold-​smoked the fish themselves. Sublime.
You could walk right by Ni and not notice it. They don’t do much to draw attention to themselves. Keep your eyes peeled next time you hit the Essex Street Market. You don’t want to miss this place. They’re doing deep stuff with food.