Sushi Katsuei — Restaurant in New York

‼️Outrageous‼️ I took myself out on a solo date here to see what it’s like since they were all these great reviews. Since I come to review restaurants on Google and I’m by myself I come just for business and to eat. I was greeted at the door, which was very nice and saw at least four or five chefs behind the sushi counter, ready to make sushi that looked extremely fresh, which was very pleasing. No odors came. Neither was the restaurant dirty, which was beautiful. It was a bit small but that’s fine. Once I was seated, I got my order in about 10 minutes after sitting. I ordered 6 rolls in total but in 2 separate orders. each order of sushi has six pieces and for my first three order it requested around $50. For $50 in this area or anywhere in New York City you can get a whole lot more sushi. I’ll give it the benefit of the doubt, thinking the quality would be way higher than any random sushi spot. Once my plate arrived, it looked quite small for $50. My whole three orders of sushi came out to being 18 rolls only. Any role was about slightly smaller than an inch in width and height. Of course I devoured them and was still hungry for more so I ordered three more. And that second order took a whole 20 minutes to come. The order was only a cucumber roll, avocado roll, and some other vegetable roll. So just rice, some seaweed and the vegetable… not crazy about that. In total, I had 36 pieces of sushi and was quite full after all that of course. I see they do specialize in the whole tasting menu. Where you get exquisite fish fresh from the chefs, for an investment of only $119 per person. But with lackluster ambience, and sushi that quite honestly doesn’t fill you up. I don’t know if it’s worth it. If you plan to go on a date here, and talk and yap so you don’t eat much. Or perhaps you come here to drink and still not eat much. You might find this place appealing. But me just coming here to eat and basing my review solely on that. My total was $105, as they charge nine dollars for a bottle of sparkling water. I don’t know if this would be worth it. For $105 I can go to Manhattan and get an unlimited Brazilian steakhouse experience where the waiters are at my beck and call. My waiter at this restaurant wasn’t too on top of me and wasn’t in a hurry to take my order the first go around, neither was she too prompt on pushing my second order after 20 minutes of waiting for rice and vegetables. I can easily think of other sushi places with thicker rolls 1/2 to 2 inches per roll for a quarter of the price with eight pieces per roll. Now I might say the quantity is not here, but neither can I say that the quality is. For the average person, I doubt people would notice the quality difference if they weren’t looking at triple the price. If I could make anything better at this restaurant, I would hopefully see that waiters could be more on top of the guests, especially since it was half empty when I was there. And perhaps more value to be provided. As I feel, I didn’t have an amazing experience. And I’ve lived in Park Slope for my whole 24 years. Hopefully they get better and maybe reach out to me so I can try it again another time....

FOOD POISONING My husband and I went out for dinner to Sushi Katsuei on Saturday night. We had a great time whilst we were there. Unfortunately some time after I got home, I realised I had food poisoning. I was sick 9 times through the night. I have a tough stomach and have never been in a condition like this before. The reason I am certain this was due to the Sushi Katsuei meal is that I had nothing to eat after or prior to that meal, the last food I consumed was lunch. We spend $325 on the meal. I called the restaurant 3 times yesterday unable to speak to the manager. The last time I called asking for the manager, I spoke to a woman who works there. She said, that I would need to provide a Dr’s note to prove that I was specifically sick by something at their restaurant. This would not be possible since I had stopped physically being sick. She also was very quick to advise me that my stomach was probably not that strong and that perhaps I couldn’t handle the food. I have been eating sushi my entire adult life and never had this happen to me. It’s not unknown that you could get sick from one bad oyster which we had and from one cut of fish but not another. She also said it might have been something I ate from my fridge that made me sick. My initial approach to this was that these things happen and I know that this isn’t a restaurant that would intentionally serve bad food. I was looking to be comp’d, even partially yes especially because of how much we spent. I never in a million years expected the insensitivity and rude response I got from this restaurant. Like I wasn’t feeling bad enough the then go on and receive countless criticisms in addition to being cut off in the middle of conversation. Needless to say, I will never go back to Sushi Katsuei. It was the worst dining experience...

Sushi Katsuei has been a go-to spot for years, but after this recent visit, I can confidently say I will not be returning. We opted for the omakase, expecting the high-quality fish and exceptional experience we've come to know, but what we received was far from it. The fish was rubbery, lacking freshness, and had a distinctly off-putting texture. To make matters worse, it seemed like we were served a subpar selection compared to other tables. While others were presented with a variety of premium cuts, we were left wondering if we had received the leftovers.

The experience took an even darker turn when two members of our party fell ill later that evening. Both experienced food poisoning symptoms, which was a shocking and concerning outcome from a place we once trusted implicitly. Food safety should be a given at any restaurant, let alone one that claims to be among the best for sushi in Brooklyn. It’s unacceptable and deeply disappointing to have our health compromised after what should have been an enjoyable meal.

What’s most disheartening is that this wasn’t our first visit, and our previous experiences set a much higher bar. Sushi Katsuei used to be a shining example of quality and consistency, but this visit felt like a betrayal. It’s clear something has changed, whether it’s the sourcing of ingredients, attention to detail, or care for loyal customers. Whatever it is, it’s not working, and it’s a shame to see a once-beloved restaurant...