Mamasushi — Restaurant in New York

Ok so I had a craving for sushi and tend to get MamaJuana whom I had been to when it was open on the upper West side and Mama Sushi mixed up. But wasn't surprised that the owner is one and the same for Mama Sushi and MamaJuana, but unlike my happiness with my experience at MamaJuana it was not reproduced here sadly.

Let's deal with the Pros the decor cute/clean, location easy, staff pleasant/slightly attentive, management reasonable.

Food that went right:

Grilled Octopus with Brussels Sprouts, Basil Vinaigrette

Duck Gyoza "Dumplings" Pan Fried with Mango & Soy Dipping Sauce (I think cripsy would've been better)

Ceviche of the Day which was Scallops #Yummy

Grilled Veggies (the asparagus was boiled no flavor, everything else was right)

So side note one should never go to any restaurant starving during a heat wave why....... because you tend to order everything.

Back to our regular programming......the appetizers would've been enough for a light afternoon of snacking and had we known that the octopus was going to be so big and delish, we may have only ordered a roll or two and been good with the little nosh of tapas. And now having hindsight we surely would've stopped there since the food experience went downhill from there.

Food that went Bad (so theme here was plates presented well, but the food was either under flavored or over/under cooked):

Yuca fries to which I am overly excited for HAD to be sent back (apparently they mash them up them reform and bread them as fries) WHHHHHYYYYYY Batman WHY!!!!!!! #JustWrong

Bento Box with Miso Soup (salty per my mom), Brown Rice (no flavor, slightly over cooked), Four Pieces of California Roll (rice was watery/mushy)

House Roll: Lobster & Wagyu Beef - the rice was watery/mushy, the beef was under cooked/over charred NO Flavor #Disappointed (sorry forgot the ingredients)

House Roll: Dynamite (was like a salmon/California roll) lightly fried like a tempura situa - the rice was watery/mushy and NO Flavor #Disappointed (sorry forgot the ingredients)

Red Snapper (don't recall what it came with) but given being full with above minus Yuca Fries (sent back) and the lobster/wagyu beef roll (sent back) wanted to send the Dynamite roll back but felt bad we had to send anything back at all. I didn't even get to taste if this an additional disappointment and decided it wasn't worth the headache to see it it worked on a warm up later. Plus Mom mentioned that her salmon wasn't fresh but frozen and we are foodie enough to know the difference.

The fact that the manager was accommodating was/is a pro. Additionally our server Chris tried her best with initial suggestions it was just unfortunate that they all didn't work out (she seemed somewhat deflated, probably thought we were going to tip sucky...... No sir wasn't her fault the kitchen didn't do their job.

Alas I am not sure I will come back here to see if they just had an off day.......well know I fib I would come back for the Octopus and ceviche and maybe try a cocktail or two with the hopes that the bartender is better.

I would've really liked to have given it 3 🌟's but couldn't in good conscience as a foodie and having seen the whole Spanish/Asian fusion thing work at MamaJuana, Sushi Mambo or Caridad 78. What can I say soggy/wrong rice in my sushi No Bueno!!!!! (because now that I think about it the rice wasn't the sushi grade sticky rice).

So hoping this would be another local foodie spot for me and mom when I came to visit...

First and foremost, I want to emphasize that MamaSushi remains one of my favorite dining destinations in Harlem. The food, the atmosphere, and the consistency in service from certain members of the staff have always made this restaurant a local gem. However, after my most recent visit, I feel an ethical and community-driven responsibility to address a serious concern that cannot continue to be overlooked. On October 3rd, 2025, my daughter and I dined at MamaSushi. As temperatures have begun to drop, the establishment’s doors remained open well into the evening; creating a noticeably chilly environment. When I chose to keep my hood up to stay warm, the Front of House Manager approached us in a rude, condescending, and dismissive manner, demanding that we remove our hoodies. His tone and delivery were completely unprofessional and lacked both empathy and hospitality; particularly considering that my daughter and I are anemic and were simply trying to remain comfortable in a drafty space. I’ve noticed that many seem hesitant to speak up about this individual’s conduct; perhaps out of fear or avoidance; but I refuse to allow his silent abuse and antagonism toward women and staff to go unaddressed any longer. As a community stakeholder and advocate for respectful service industry standards in Harlem, I will be raising this issue at our next community business meeting to ensure this matter is formally acknowledged and addressed. No customer or employee should endure that type of energy in an establishment that thrives on community support. The saving grace of the evening, however, was our incredible waitress; a radiant and kind soul who made the experience bearable and reminded me why I’ve continued to return to MamaSushi over the years. I wish I could recall her name; it may possibly be Queen Angie” (and I hope she forgives me for that!), but I do know she mentioned that Kaity, another one of my all-time favorite servers, is her best friend; and that connection makes perfect sense. Both of these women embody grace, professionalism, and excellence. They are the true heartbeat of MamaSushi. In fact, I strongly believe that women like them should be promoted to Front of House Managers; they have the temperament, leadership, and hospitality skills that create memorable guest experiences. Until this current FOH manager is investigated and replaced, I will continue to advocate publicly for accountability. Harlem deserves hospitality leadership that respects both its patrons and its hardworking staff. To the owners: please recognize and uplift the talent you already have within your team. The women who save your brand each night deserve to be celebrated; not overshadowed by a man who leads with ego instead of empathy. Juanita Purcell Community...

I was really excited to take my friend to this place since I had enjoyed the Dyckman location with my family previously but I left was such a disappointment today. We got there and it was pretty empty maybe two tables were occupied, our server came up and presented herself and asked if we wanted water and what type, we tell her and she leaves. We stay waiting and another waiter comes and ask us the same question I tell him how she had already asked us, i guess she forgot and he ended up being us the water. After a few minutes sitting there the waitress comes and ask if we want anything to drink My friend and i ordered some appetizers ( edamame and Pao buns. It take about 20 minutes she comes back and asks for our food order and we asked for two roles, the lobster noodles and another appetizer ( fried pork). We get our first appetizer after 10 minutes and our roles 20 minutes later. We finished our roles and got the lobster noodle like 20 minutes after finishing our roles. The noodle had no flavor and the lobster also had no flavor, it tasted like nothing, just a was of a good lobster. We ask for the check since we are tired of sitting there and the food was bad. At this point we had to ask another waiter for our check since our waitress never came up to ask how we were doing or if we needed anything. She brings our check and leaves, we review it and put a card down, she comes back to pick up the check and that when we ask her how long until we get our fried pork, she says 4 minutes, we tell her to make it to go and she leaves. She proceeds to swipe our card and bring a new receipt back. Our total was around $94 before taxes and when we got the new receipt she had put a 20% gratitude which made no sense since they have an 18% gratitude but only on checks over 100 dollars. I look at and realize she had charged us twice for the fried pork. She didn’t let us see the new receipt before charging the card. I ask her why since we never even got our first order our the F.Pork in the place would she charge us for two. Since she never actually took care of us she didn’t know we never got our order. She went and talked to her “manager or supervisor” and they were acting like they didn’t know what to do. At the end we ended up canceling the chicharrón overall and left. It was such a distasteful experience that I’m never going back to Mamasushi in general.

They need to work on their customer service more. never charge a card before showing the total to...