Yamagata

Sushi and sashimi was very good and fresh! A little bit pricey but food is good. Also got the broiled yellowtail collar which was really good and the fried squid legs! Overall very good! A great Japanese restaurant!

As an early Valentine's Day celebration, we decided to treat ourselves to an omakase dinner. I made reservations for the Friday before V-Day for a 6 pm counter seating. There are only 6 seats so make sure to reserve. Otherwise, if you do omakase at the table, the fish is served all at once and it's just not the same experience. I wasn't expecting NYC-quality sushi but I have to say that the quality was up there, and you get a much bigger bang for your buck. We did the sushi and sashimi omakase ($90) and we left so stuffed. You would never find such a deal in NYC. Here is everything we ate:

Chawanmushi (steamed egg in dashi) - this was a nice opener to the meal

Sashimi plate (hamachi, amberjack, yellowtail, octopus, uni/scallop/ikura) - I liked the hamachi and yellowtail. I didn’t love the amberjack - it was pretty basic, as was the octopus. The star of the show was definitely the uni/scallop/ikura. It came nestled in this cucumber flower thing

For the sushi pieces: madai, fluke, striped jack, botan ebi with Hokkaido uni, hamachi toro, ika with uni, kanpachi, otoro, Hokkaido uni, needle fish, seared otoro, salmon with ikura. My favorites were the ebi, hamachi toro (I’ve never had this before and seriously, it just melts in your mouth), otoro, uni, and salmon. The rest were good but pretty standard pieces.

After this, there was more food. They give you a fried shrimp head (my fave!) and Korean udon noodles in soup. I was already so stuffed at this point but the noodles and the broth were just so comforting, I had to eat it. The meal ends with your choice of green tea or red bean ice cream.

I wouldn’t say any of the pieces are super innovative or creative but again, it’s the price point for the quality and quantity you get. Overall, it was a great experience. We spent about two hours there. The staff was also really nice. They were super busy that night but were very apologetic, and honestly, we didn’t mind hanging out and eating slowly. I can’t wait to come back and try some more sushi, and I will definitely be ordering a bowl of those noodles. And that’s the great thing about this place - if omakase isn’t your thing, they have other options, including fushi (sushi rolls with lots of sauce), and kitchen entrees. Their lunch specials also seem like a great deal.

Tip - BYOB but if you’re going to do the sushi and sashimi omakase, I’d recommend saving your stomach real estate for just that.

There’s also a parking lot with a good amount of parking, so it was nice to not have to worry about parking in Fort Lee for once.

Best sushi place my wife and I have hit up in NJ thus far. We each had the sushi omakase which were reasonably priced at $70 per. We do not like blue-back skinned fish so asked them for white-back skinned fish for which they were very accommodating. Each piece was flavored just right and i loved the texture and the amount of rice. We each got a course of edemame with egg soup, sushi, small udon, and ice cream with mochi. Udon noodle was superb and you get a choice of green tea or red bean ice cream. Service was great and very attentive and helpful. You do need to make a reservation as we have tried in the past to do a walk in couple of times and failed. We were there sat night and saw few people attempt and fail walk-ins as well. This is good because they seem to care more about food quality and the experience over maximize turntime and number of people served. I was honestly impressed with the spot.

Best sushi restaurant in NJ and just as good as what we ate in Tokyo. Highly recommend the spicy scallop appetizer, absolutely amazing. And the sushi deluxe is excellent each time.

Great sushi, reasonable price. A bargain if you compare with NYC. The staff and service is near the top in my experience. They are genuinely friendly, not like most high end places where they act friendly because they must.

Went here for omakase, was phenomenal. Fish was fresh, rice was great, staff was attentive and friendly. Price was great -- 55 for 10 pieces with complimentary udon and dessert. Would definitely recommend, especially as an option outside of NYC.

This is the first time I visit this Japanese restaurant. Very impressive! The fish quality is top notch! The taste is genuine "Nihon Aji". All my family did enjoy a wonderful meal at this special period. By the way, the staffs are very friendly and the service is good too.

Omakase, chirashi, Tuna lover, salmon lover rolls and 1 uni sushi. Best Uni I have had, sweet with no fishy smell, super rich. Quality and service is impeccable. Bathroom is very clean. Got free soup for everyone at the table, nice free warm soybean appetizer. Played chopsticks peanut picking contest with kids while waiting for my order. The free ice cream ball was a nice surprise. Red bean and green tea flavor are the best ever. Sweet salty red bean ice cream and bitter refreshing macha ice cream are perfect sized to bring smile to my face when I received the check.

(Re-Re post 0105 2019)
No.1 Restaurant in NJ. Super Tasty. Must have.

(Re- Post 0725 2018)

I think Ymagata is one of the Best restaurant in NJ. Taste and Service is Super great. You can feel it.

Exerent experience with Great quality of Sushi. I always tried to find good sushi place but I had to go Manhattan. However, this place is serving really great quality of fresh sushi and sashimi. I had omakase and all fish was from Japan except shrimp(it from canada).

If you can feel fine fish(sashimi)taste , you should be here. It worth. But if you just want to have Japnese style cheap roll and sushi, go other place. There are bunch of cheap place in Paliside park or Fort lee area. BYOB is another good option.

뉴저지 최고 일식 레스토랑. 맨하탄 최고급 일식집 재료를 똑같이 즐길 수 있는 공간. BYOB 라서 술을 가지고 갈 수 있음. 개인적으로 오마카세를 추천. 정말 최고임.

Loved the quiet, authentic atmosphere. Top notch sushi, plus they had Toro (fatty tuna) which is uncommon. Will be back again soon

The best sushi in New Jersey.
Their Omakase is always so good. Price is also reasonable. If you take sushi like this quality in Manhattan, you have to pay 30~40% more.

What a pleasant surprise. The sushi was great, comes at a reasonable price. I would go back to try their omakase. Need to make a reservation to ensure a spot. My friend called two days earlier and while we were dining we saw a couple being turned away because the tables were all booked. Speaks to the level of popularity of the restaurant.

This is our go-to takeout for sushi and sashimi. It's reasonably priced and the fish is always fresh. I usually get sashimi or the chirashi. If you don't like wasabi, you should specify when ordering. It's easier to pick the piece out of the chirashi. My friend got the nigiris and said she didn't expect it to be included.

Good food and good vibes. Very authentic Japanese cuisine. Everything is top notch. If you are in the area definitely stop by for some fresh and delicious sushi.

Found my favorite place for sushi, love it. I felt like I transferred to japan for a night, it was an amazing dinner experience. The food was fresh, staff are soo nice and friendly. We were treated with a warm towel and a hot tea in a cold night. They will make you feel valuable because once you say thank u to exit the shop , all the staff will say good bye in Japanese in one voice. Although the place us a bit small, but it has a great vibe. The service is so fast. The food is decent portions and great taste. We ordered two shrimp tempura and one rice bowl, and they offered a complimentary miso soup. The total ended to be 31 which is decent, yet there prices might be a little bit higher than others, but I assure you it’s worth it 👌

It is perfect place to eat sushi. Cheap, very very delicious. One thing is that the bar was too small for me.

I've been to hundreds of sushi restaurants in Japan and the US, but honestly I had one of the best sushis in my life here. A lot of the fish they serve are imported from Japan and the quality is all top-notch. It's hard for Japanese people to be satisfied with sushi outside of Japan, but this restaurant will save me from trips back to my home country. If you're here for sushi, sit at the counter and order an omakase meal. $55 is a very generous price for the quality you get. Nagai-san was an amazing chef, will be back again for sure!

OMG!!! This is a really good place. Any other review must either be a bitter person or dummy. Staff is very friendly and accommodating. Food was priced a bit high. But quality was exceptional. Couldn’t get any better. Have paid way more for bad sushi. I usually have to commute to tarrytown or millburn for good sushi. Great Job guys.

Food was amazing. Service was on point
Sea urchins with raw quail egg was creamy and delicious 😋

Amazing service and great quality at the price.