11/03/09

Great sushi

by TammieM

I love Gari, though only eat there for special occasions as it is so expensive. (Well, I only order the Omakase, and at unlimited sushi, it gets pricey.) There have been off nights, but they are unusual at this place. Overall, I think it's fantastic, and you get a special kind of sushi that is unique and wonderful. The seared fatty tuna and the smoked Cod are amazing. The Snapper with salad and pine nuts is refreshing. You won't find an omakase serving quite like this anywhere else.

• Pros: Omakase
• Cons: Expensive

09/23/09

Great sushi! Sit at the bar.

by fivestarlife

The sushi is excellent. The east side is much more fun, low key, easier feeling. This one, seems rushed, not relaxed, and the servers look really stressed. Theres a lot of tension here. But if you sit at the sushi bar you will be much happier. There is also nice sushi at tenzan and neo for this neighborhooh. They need a calming envirmentalist to come in and help out, and the sound. Bad for biz convo , cant hear. Sorry. Noise, Servers look stressed, intense experience, not relaxing , not fun at all..no one smiles here , even the customers.

• Pros: Excellent sushi
• Cons: loud, crowded, not feng sui'd at all....

08/04/09

Good food but Head Chef is a big loser

by Horrified03

The food is very good but the head chef at the bar does nothing to make me return to Gari!!

05/19/09

Extremely Disappointing -- overpriced, overhyped

by izzmeth

Decided to order the Omakase because everyone raves about it. It was extremely disappointing. And at 96 dollars per person, the tastelessness created a pall over the dinner. If I am ordering a dish like this I expect to be awed. I was extremely disappointed. The rolls were the saving grace. Spicy tuna, spicy scallop and salmon rolls were above average. If you go, don't trust the chef unless you're willing to throw away money on an underwhelming experience.

• Pros: The spicy scallop rolls
• Cons: Omakase -- underwhelming to say the least

12/03/07

Very good, interesting sushi

by yourhums

Great fish but a little noisy. The reason to go there is to try the "Gari Style" sushi. Each piece comes prepared with a different sauce or topping. I got the salmon which came with a tomato topping that was amazing. The toro came seared and melted in your mouth. There is a tuna option on the menu where you get ten different pieces of tuna each with a different preparation that is really interesting. It's a little pricey, but I liked it.

• Pros: Gari Style sushi is delicious and unusual
• Cons: a little noisy, a little pricey

11/04/06

Delicious

by jbookach

Gari is the best place for sushi. Better than Nobu, Morimoto, etc. I prefer the Gari East location because it's a bit more low key, but the food on the West side is exactly the same - amazing!

08/24/06

Best Sushi I've ever eaten

by amona234

I know. Everyone loves to say that. But I swear this is true. My wife and I eat sushi at least once a week- every week. We usually stick to our local joints but we do on occasion venture out of our neighborhood to good quality places (Jewel Bako, Yama, Sushi Sen-nin, etc.). Last night was our first visit to Gari and it was simply unbelievable!

The star of the show was definitely the chef's 10 piece sushi served w/out the option of soy sauce. It was so incredibly fresh, very inventive combinations and beautifully presented. I also recommend the duck salad as a starter. The rolls were good but nothing to write home about. If you really want one -spring for the toro scallion. The wine list was basic but reasonably priced. Overall dinner cost us about 50% more than we usually pay but it was absolutely worth the money. The service was very friendly - slight communication problem with our waiter but nothing to spoil my opinion of the place. I would try and make a reservation if possible otherwise you might be relegated to the communal table.

• Pros: Great sushi
• Cons: A bit crowded

03/03/06

Fresh, interesting and creative

by ahal1

been 3 times -the bar is the better experience - surprising dishes, very creative combinations. This is a non traditional, non blah and not your everyday shushi/sashime combo. One great 2003 Nelms Cabarnet ( x3 the cost of wine store); yes, it is not cheap but one can say the same about Prada....

Speak slowly and clearly to the waitress and repeat, yet still don't count that u were understood.

• Pros: innovative
• Cons: The English

12/04/05

Very unique style of sushi...worth trying

by andybeat

A few days ago, I tried Gari sushi at the bar for the 1st time. All raw ingredients as Tuna, Salmon, White fishes, Mackerel, Avalone, Giant clam and Squid etc. were exceptionally fresh that now I understand why they charged the 1st class price without hesitancy. Although some of them were too much salted for me, the way the sushi chefs mixed their special Gary style sauces/toppings with the best quality raw materials was fantastic. The harmony of those and small piece of rice gave me a joy. Don't expect traditional sushi, I would say they are taste-amplified sushi. Finally, some drawbacks were: the restaurant was so small that servers walked right behind, toooo noisy to have conversation, poor list of alcohol, and the price that reminded me sushi was not everyday-low-price.

• Pros: Innovative sushi, OK service, Nice view
• Cons: Tiny seating, Too noisy, Expensive

06/10/05

Offshoot of famed sushi bar brings Japanese fusion to the UWS.

by Tara Lis

The Scene
Sandwiched between a brick wall and glass block, the interior benefits from an ultra-minimalist decor of dark woods and pale tabletops. A team of chefs craft their masterpieces in full view of after-work tugged ties and neighborhood foodies. Servers can be tentative, but offer friendly, helpful suggestions with encouragement.

The Food
Masatoshi "Gari" Sugio's western outpost perpetuates his reputation for eclectic sushi and successfully expands it into cooked dishes. For appetizers, the satisfying crunch of crab and shrimp spring rolls competes only with its own luscious pairing of baby leeks and wood ear mushrooms. Octopus ceviche is a sweet and tangy revelation, bathed in passion fruit juice and finished with a kick of chipotle. Sushi standouts include buttery salmon nigiri, and signature baked Kumamoto oysters. For entrees, lean and tender duck breast is deliciously drizzled in a balsamic teriyaki, and oven roasted lobster is enlivened by tarragon butter.