Sushi of Gari UWS (Gari Columbus) — Restaurant in New York

This place is so easy to miss..I’m actually not sure it has a sign out front. It probably does but I just went in without looking because my friends told me about it. Seems that that doesn’t slow down business. I went on a Thursday night an hour before closing and although the space isn’t large, it was packed. Lots of energy. I sat at the bar and had my usual …uni and fatty tuna. Both were fabulous (although the uni was $24 each vs the $15 I usually pay at other sushi houses). Can’t say that it was better than those for the price. I had a salmon sushi and immediately noticed that there were none of those white veins (the typical grain that you see normally). I’ve never seen such a uniform slice of salmon. And it was as velvety as it could be. Along with it I had the seared king salmon belly. Truly wonderful flavors along with the richness of the species. The slight char offered a nice flavorful accent. I had the salmon roe only because I’ve never seen such large beads. Not sure that the flavor was different from normal sized roe but the texture was enjoyable. Finally, I had the hijiki seaweed salad. It was unlike any seaweed I’ve had. Don’t know that I can describe it as it was a totally new flavor for me. Perhaps a little earthy. Again, hard to describe but worth the experience. Sitting at the counter where 6 chefs were actively plying their trade, I saw some very uniquely presented sushi and maki rolls that made me want to try EVERYTHING. But I didn’t. I wasn’t that hungry and I would have departed with a $300 bill just for me WITHOUT beverages. I will definitely return. It is not common to have a sushi menu absolutely replete with creative options as could be found here. Great staff too. Very attentive and...

Visited here twice and I am not going back. The restaurant has a great interior and immense space That's the only positive thing about it. Food is pretty ok, not horrible but not top-notch either. Their rolls, udon and tempura dishes are pretty good. But it was strange that they served ice cold soy sauce for the tempuras..why? Waitress couldn't answer either. Also the beef nabe, sort of like sukiyaki, I tried..what are they kidding me? They only put exactly 3 pieces of beef! I complained to the waitress and she nodded her head and went in the kitchen. She never came back to our table to give us any feedback. How professional huh..

As you could probably sense by now, it is their unprofessional service that really turned me off. When we were seated, it took them about 5 minutes to come back and take our food. Was it even crowded? No. Not many people were around and still there were one waiter and one waitress going in and out of the kitchen, chatting and whatnot. That tall Korean guy waiter...I really didn't appreciate his manner. When he gave me a check, he didn't even look at me but demanded me to leave the tip in cash. What the heck!

Keep in mind that this place is not cheap either. For this amount of money I'm spending, I feel that I deserve a way better service than the service that they provided here. Unpleasant and downright...

*Okay granted this is partially our fault buttttt - we asked the waiter for a recommendation for sake. The waiter provided us 3 small samples to try but he did not offer to share the price of the bottle nor did we ask. When the bill came, we found out it cost us $220!!! I felt like this was dishonest and put a damper on our otherwise wonderful meal. Ambiance (5/5): The establishment is pretty small but very organized and neat, clean, and welcoming! We were seated next to the chef's table and loved watching the preparation right in front of our eyes. The chefs worked together seamlessly to prepare the various dishes with special garnishes, sauces, and presentation. Service (4/5): We were warmly greeted at the door. Warm towels for wiping at the beginning of the meal and during the middle course. He went out of his way to ask us in advance if we wanted a birthday dessert since there was only 2 left in the back so he could reserve it. They came out with a sparkler candle for us! Free green tea with the dessert. Food (5/5): We chose the combo omakase for $180 (4 sashimi & 8 sushi). Every single dish was fresh and delicious! Presentation was exceptional and the tastes were...