Nizi Sushi — Restaurant in East Rutherford

OMG!!! Sushi is one of my favorite foods, and mixed with the skill of the Itamae, it can at times be an experience to just take in the beautiful splendor that is: finely sliced raw fish. This sushi/hibachi restaurant is quaint and located on a main drag connecting towns in north Jersey, just a brief drive from NYC. From the elegant placement of all the evenly sliced fish, to the aesthetic decor that is the garnish, my eyes started to eat before I even picked up the chopsticks. Every bite was dissolve-in-your-mouth delicious without so much as a hint of fish odor (means extremely fresh fish). My gorgeous date and I started with edimame which was cooked superbly and salted to taste. I had placed an order of the sushi combo for two and while we awaited patiently for the bounty of flavor to arrive we enjoyed a few alcoholic drinks which you can purchase on site. The beauty I was with had a cocktail ("Pink Lemonade") and I enjoyed a house sake warmed to perfection; finished the whole bottle alone might I add (fish likes to swim 😎). Both drinks were just what we needed to start off the weekend on the most perfect of Saturday's. When the fish arrived along with the tuna roll I had added, I was mesmerized by the amount and the beautiful arrangement of the love boat which was placed in front of us. The vixen I had the pleasure of enjoying this meal with had only had sushi once before this time and it happened to be in Mexico. She was convinced that nobody could compare to that flavor she experienced while visiting the Mexican continent. After explaining the history behind sake and giving her a brief lesson in proper sushi eating etiquette, I managed to persuade her to try almost each individual piece of fish on the platter. She absolutely loved it!! To satisfy the taste buds of someone who was sure to never have flavorful sushi again is a feat in itself. The waitresses were professional, courteous, extremely helpful to ensure proper accommodation and polite to boot! In summation: if I could give this locale a six out of five stars, I would give it seven! Great flavor, quaint ambiance and the utmost professionalism makes me wish I could partake of this establishments fine cuisine every weekend. Alas, I now live in south Jersey and this will have to be a treat whenever I visit up north again. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ESTABLISHMENT! Definitely worth every penny and the time. Needless to say; I loved every second of the experience and am...

As a longtime customer of Nizi Sushi, I have always appreciated the quality of their food, but my recent experience with their customer service left much to be desired. I placed an order online and had a specific request regarding my order, which I attempted to modify in the special instructions section. Unfortunately, their online ordering system did not allow me to make this adjustment, so I decided to call the restaurant directly to ensure my request was accommodated.

From the moment I got on the phone, I immediately noticed a lack of professionalism and attentiveness from the staff. Instead of handling my request with the level of service one would expect from a well-established sushi restaurant, I was met with indifference and an unwillingness to assist. I calmly explained my situation and asked for a minor adjustment—to have the salmon on my roll seared. This is a simple request that I have made at numerous other sushi establishments without issue, yet the staff at Nizi seemed either unwilling or incapable of completing such a small task.

When I asked to speak to a manager, I expected a higher level of customer care and problem-solving. Unfortunately, the experience only worsened. The manager was unhelpful and showed little regard for customer satisfaction. Rather than attempting to resolve the issue, they dismissed my request outright, citing excuses rather than solutions. It was evident that there was no effort to accommodate a loyal customer, which speaks volumes about the restaurant’s service standards.

While I cannot deny that Nizi offers high-quality sushi, customer service is a critical aspect of any dining experience, and on this occasion, they failed completely. The unwillingness to fulfill a simple request and the dismissive attitude of both the staff and management made it clear that customer satisfaction is not their priority.

For a restaurant that has built a strong reputation in Rutherford, I expected far better. I sincerely hope they take feedback like this seriously and improve their approach to customer service because, at the end of the day, great food should be complemented by an equally great experience. Unfortunately, this shows how easy it is to lose customers due to the lack of professionalism in a business.

I spoke to the...

As a former resident of East Rutherford, I frequently traveled across the tracks to the consistently packed Nizi Sushi on Union Ave. I was so excited to see that they have finally opened up a larger space and are doing so well. This being my first time in the East Rutherford location, I was excited to enjoy some Nizi staples. The new location ( formally Taos) is huge compared to their old location. We went here for date night and as always, the Nizi crowd was there, even for a late Saturday night, it was packed. We were able to get a table immediately , and the service, as always is top notch and exceptional. That being said, a few things have changed. First and foremost, nizi now serves alcohol , so that’s new… however, those free mussels they use to give with siracha has been discontinued as part of the Nizi experience. We ordered a Japanese beer recommended by the waiter, and I enjoyed a Malibu Bay Breeze, served with an umbrella and fruit skewer, it was a mini vacation in a cup. We shared the edamame which was hot and salty… good as usual. We ordered four special rolls . The pink lady roll, the spicy girl roll, the crazy salmon roll and the kamikaze roll. The rolls were huge. Now, if you have texture sensitivity, I advise you to be aware. All of the rolls, were not tightly rolled. This was good because you were able to eat the roll in two bites. The con, ALL of the ingredients in the sushi were more or less the same consistency and temperature. There was really no difference in texture between the rice, the fish , and the other ingredients. Everything was room temp and super soft. The spicy tuna they put on top of the roll was so soft it was a challenge to pick up the roll. That in combination with the roll being so huge, and heavy, and loosely rolled… it was very difficult to eat. The flavors were good… but again, it was hard to eat. For dessert, we ordered the fried ice cream. This I would skip. It tastes like peanut oil, the outside is not crunchy or has any flavor other than peanut oil. They bring out this little sundae caddy which was cute! Overall, Nizi upgraded themselves to East Rutherford, however, it appears their kitchen took a slight downgrade during their relocation. I would return, and try them again, perhaps they had...