This place is really nice. The whole place is just aesthetic in general. Before you even order, the waiter brings over some hot wet towels for everyone to wash their hands, which is a great feature that most restaurants don't have. The food is amazing and there's not a long wait even if the place is crowded. The waiters are nice and friendly. Really, the place is just great. It's a great restaurant for Japanese food.

Everything was super fresh and delicious!

One of the best restaurants in the Upper West Side. Fair prices, excellent sushi (just stick with the classic rolls, not the fancy ones). The miso eggplant appetizer is out of this world. Another favorite is their simple tuna avocado rolls.

Not only does Kouzan have incredible sushi, they also have other Japanese delicacies that you don't find in a generic sushi restaurant. The sushi is very good, and it seems they pay careful attention to the quality of the rice and additions to their sushi. I live nearby, and delivery had been impressively fast multiple times - sometimes taking less than 15 minutes which is just nuts.

Haven't been to Kouzan in a while, but have always considered this Japanese restaurant one of my favorites. With that said, Kouzan certainly did not disappoint last evening. Met a dear friend for supper in her UWS neighborhood. She asked what were some of the places my B and I enjoyed. I gave here several choices - her selection was Kouzan. Extremely hospitable attitude from the owners and the entire staff, all familiar faces, as if they were welcoming us into their own home. The menu is typically Japanese. We shared goyza, tofu and tempera - standard selections, artfully presented and very tasty. Flavors are always nurtured by the dipping sauces, delicate versions of clear soy. Warm saki complimented our selections. This was a reunion of two friends who had recently lost a third...we were not rushed - the staff was beyond gracious, sensing that we needed time and space. Often it is the food that we judge the calibre of a restaurant...in the case of Kouzan, the food is superb, but the caring attitude and kindness of the proprietors and staff ranks very high in my book... Thank you Kouzan.

Elegant location with courteous service. The sushi is fresh and original rolls. Not too expensive. Lovely! Especially the lunch menu.

Been there a bunch of times. My go to sushi spot. I've gotten apps there I don't love but the sushi is excellent and pricing is reasonable. The place is clean. Prompt service. Nice decor.

Absolutely love this place every time I come here! Delivery service isn't perfect, but overall this is a great place to eat.

Very humble attendance, the 🍱 was great very recommended.

Kouzan is a neighborhood gem with a classy but unfussy decor. They serve moderately priced sushi and other Japanese cuisine. They are very accommodating to young children as well.

Excellent, delicious, beautiful Food. Nicest staff. Great drinks! I love the drink options, my kids love the food. Great ambiance. We love this place.

I have no complaints whatsoever. Everything was tasty and on point. I suggest you get in there and enjoy your own experience. 🙏🙏

Great sushi lunch special! Highly recommend the salmon specifically; honestly one of the best I've ever had!

We enjoyed lunch at this place immensely as the atmosphere was lovely, and so was the service. Kouzan's been one of my staples in the neighborhood for sushi since it does have some really fresh and tender fish for a decent price. It is roomier than most New York restaurants. The friendly wait-staff remembers us and what we are getting to make it personalized. After 13 years in the neighborhood, this is a singular place to dine, with outstanding service coupled with fresh seafood. Don't pass this gem, especially if you get a chance to go for lunch-just great food at a reasonable price. My favorite Japanese restaurant on the Upper West Side, it's complete with a beautiful waterfall and dim lighting inviting people in.

I feel like my home everyone is Super Professional and very kind Good is Delicious and nice music

first time here and love it. very nice set up and decor. fresh fish and good food

Sushi and Sashimi for 2 is a great deal! Same items in the area can range ~$10 more expensive and not be quite as good. Very attentive service but not annoying.

Kouzan is a great place to get sushi or other Japanese food. While maybe not always very authentic, they do a good job and it is always tasty.

Fantastic Experience in Asian Fusion. Deliciousness and Great service

Great neighborhood place. I have been going here for years. Great service and quiet in the restaurant and very fast delivery.

Always good sushi and great service

+1

Second time here and my husband and I love it. Service is great and they are always super fast in bringing the food. We had the shrimp & veggie tempura entree to share (which is amazing, it has sweet potato, carrot and other veggies that I adore), some miso soups (great flavor), and I had the Kira roll which is really really savory and my husband had the Kouzan spicy tuna roll, both amazing! And the last time we were there we had the matcha cheese cake, DREAMY! One of my favorites!

Fresh wonderful service and generous portion. Great neighborhood sushi place to visit!

This restaurant is the best restaurant ever. If you see this review it’s a sign that you must go. This restaurant is a major hidden gem in nyc. This place also holds many memories. We went once and decided that we had to return. In total we’ve gone around 50 times. Also if you take any one here you will definitely impress them. Now for the food. The sushi is wonderful and the fish is always very fresh. It seems like you’re eating at a Michelin star omakase. The ambiance is also great with amazing decor. Money wise it is not too expensive, especially compared to other nyc sushi restaurants. If you or the person you know has a dietary restriction they will definitely meet your needs. I went with a vegetarian and a person who had celiac. They made sure there was no cross contamination and introduced us to other Japanese food that we haven’t tried before. The staff would also make our day by how kind they were. We also would go with kids and they were kid friendly as we went with kids on occasions.

We have been ordering and patronizing Kouzan for many years. They have consistently been excellent, whether dining in or delivery. The bento boxes and sushi are among the best in the city.

Excellent Japanese food. Fast, friendly service. Big portions. Reasonable price. Big selection of sushi, although for me, I'm only interested in the kitchen items. Chicken teriyaki was very well prepared and the fried pork gyoza was excellent too. Highly recommend.

I ordered larger catering platters from this restaurant. The food was good and moderately priced. My only concern was, there weren't any holes in the lid. This would allow the tempura to remain crispy. My tempura was tasty but was soggy. I would eat here again. Looking forward to dining in here.

This place is always amazing out waitress was great, the food was ready fast

Great local fresh sushi spot. Customer service is friendly and welcoming, everyone here works so hard. My favorite is the salmon avocado roll with extra ginger. I've ordered take out here many times and have not been disappointed. Thank you Kouzan.

Jeffer Sonian

We have been ordering and patronizing Kouzan for many years. They have consistently been excellent, whether dining in or delivery. The bento boxes and sushi are among the best in the city.

+1

Erin Twelker

Great food and atmosphere. We had a big group with kids and adults and the service was wonderful. It’s in a more quiet area of the city which is nice and feels more calm. The kids loved the katsu chicken and then edamame. Lots of fun cocktails and sushi rolls for the adults.

S Rahman

Kouzan is one of those places that just gets it right every time. The food, the drinks, the service—always on point. Fresh seafood, affordable prices, and a clean, welcoming vibe that makes you want to come back. Happy hour is the sweet spot. Already reasonable prices get even better, and the quality never drops. Amanda was the first server I met here and she’s honestly a gem. Super kind, warm, and goes out of her way to make sure I’m comfortable. Linda and Sherry are also incredible—friendly, attentive, and make the whole experience feel personal. If you’re looking for a spot with great food, great people, and a relaxed atmosphere, Kouzan delivers. Every time.

Arelys Cohen

Excelent, fresh fish, food and affordable. The staff is so friendly the manager Eric is great

Michael Jones

Such a delightful dining experience. The lunch menu is absolutely a great value.

Carmen Barnes

My favorite Japanese restaurant on the Upper West Side! Their sushi is the best, and the ambiance of the waterfall, the lighting, everything about this place appeals to me. Great wait staff.

Bung

We had a good lunch here. The atmosphere is nice. The service is great. The food is excellent.

+2

Christopher Yandell

Kouzan is one of my neighborhood favorites when it comes to sushi. The fish is always tender and fresh and it isn’t too expensive. It’s also a relatively large restaurant which is rare for New York. The waitresses are very sweet and they know my family’s order by heart since we go so much. Highly recommend.

Annie Kyuu

I absolutely love this place. The sushi here is fresh and the atmosphere is amazing. The staffs are nice! They greet me the moment I walk. I actually have a very hard time eating tuna but the tuna here is so fresh. It makes me very happy to be able to eat fresh tuna. I 100% recommend this place if anyone is looking for a fresh sushi spot! 💙

Krystina

WOW!! Some of the best sushi I’ve ever had. I’ve been here a few times now and every time it impresses me. Things I’ve tried include the seaweed salad, edamame, miso soup, egg drop soup, fried gyoza, assorted sushi for two, and the key lime dessert. They use high quality, fresh fish and it melts in your mouth.

Executive Thrillseeker

After being in the area for the past 13 years I can honestly say that this is a one of a kind experience with the best service, fresh fish, and all-around beautiful experience… If you are in the area do you not miss out on the spot especially during lunch where you can find yourself dining with the best on the dime!

+7

Janice Brodowsky

This was my first visit to this restaurant. Upon arriving, the hostess smiled and escorted us to a lovely and quiet table. We made reservations being specific about what we would like, and we got exactly what we requested. We were presented with hot towels after we were seated, which was very nice. Regarding the food, my friends who had sushi really enjoyed it. The appetizers (fried and steamed dumplings, edamame, spring rolls) were all delicious. Tempura and dipping sauces were very tasty. We also had the fried tofu, which was the only dish that I wasn't fond of. The mushy texture, at least to me, wasn't that great, but I'm a little weird and probably overly sensitive about food texture. All in all, it was a lovely experience. The service, food, and ambiance were all excellent. It was a nice change being in a restaurant in NYC that was quiet, relaxing, and the food was very good. We were there on a Wednesday evening, so I can't speak to how the weekend would be. It is definitely a place we will return to.

Love this place. Ordered online and went to pick up the same day. Sara is very sweet. I ordered a lot of marshmallows for our camping trip and Oh man they are delish.

The sushi list is creative and delicious. The cocktails pretty good. I loved the sake tasting. Great service. I'll return.

Very good service. Clean, quiet, efficient. Always enjoy the sushi and my dinner companion enjoyed a blackened cod dish.

Food is fresh, and delish... prices are reasonable. I recently took a japanese friend and she was over whelmed by the quality and the tasty food. Her wards "nothing like it in Japan!" and guess what happen the rest of the night...

Good Japanese food. The waitress and the manager were very friendly and helpful. That always makes a meal better for me.

Very nice place, with welcoming service. They are really fine with toddlers. The Kouzan roll is awesome! The Rainbow not so much.

A quiet, pleasant Japanese restaurant with good ambience and delicious food. I really love their Bento lunch boxes where you get miso soup, salad with ginger dressing, mini California rolls, and mini spring rolls and your entree. One day I'm going to try their Green tea tiramisu and cheese cake!

One of the best uws choices for traditional sushi

Eric and Shirley were nice Amanda and Nini are great during lunch hours Open space for strollers

Great delivery option. Better than average pedestrian sushi. Packaged well.

Japanese. Some of the sushi was excellent, some reasonable. Service was ok but not stellar. Pretty location.

The food here is exceptional. We ordered the sushi boat and it was huge and delicious. Everything we ordered was great. The service, on the other hand, left a lot to be desired. They took appetizer plates away before we were finished, but once our final dish was delivered left plates on the table long after they’d been picked clean. By the end of the meal all the staff were running by asking if we needed anything else, but not waiting for answers, or clearing any empty plates. The quality of the food was fabulous, though, and worth it. I will also offer the caveat that we had a late reservation, and closed down the restaurant. I just wish they paid a little more attention in the service category.

Maria Boyarkina

Nice local spot with a cozy atmosphere. We came during happy hour, but no one mentioned it to us — I only noticed when another table was offered the deal. The sushi rolls were tasty but portions were on the smaller side.

Lillie Freeman

Kouzan you are really remarkable, I had an incredible experience here yesterday. Kudos to yelp for advising Kouzan. I had a blast last night at Kouzan. Yummy menu items and terrific service. Yummy menu items at good prices, awesome mood to unwind at. Really relaxing, clean, and beyond friendly. Every single menu item that we purchased was extremely fresh and flavorful. Every single thing that I have tried has been rather flavorful. Every single thing that I have ordered was really great and I would return to have it again! Service is incredibly good, no problems at all. The servers are very welcoming and accommodating. The workers made certain I was helped and answered all my questions really politely and enthusiastically. You won't be disappointed at Kouzan. Absolutely coming back here again for more because one time is just not enough. Only wish I had found Kouzan sooner.

Run-of-the-Mill Japanese food with respectable amount of meat in each dish without the complementary taste one hopes for. $15 a dish. 3.25/5 stars as a lunch spot.

Nice place. Nice staff. Nice food. It's on Amsterdam Avenue at 94th Street which is nowhere we tend to go. Nice as it is, we will return if we are in the neighborhood but not go out of our way.

Good service and food

+3

Sadly, the quality of the sushi here has really declined in the past few years and no longer warrants the high prices. It was quite good when it opened. There was a change in management during COVID. I won't be returning.

Sushi and drinks are good, nothing spectacular, but very good. I'm leaving only 3 stars because my friends and I were literally chased out of the restaurant after a 2 hour meal. Our tab was well over $150 with drinks and food and we left a generous tip on top of that, but the place got busy and at least two people, including the owner, rudely came over and told us to go. This was Christmas Day so I know Asian restaurants are real busy... but still. I wouldn't go back. I did tell the owner that he should warn patrons when they walk in that they are expected to leave after a certain amount of time. Their behavior turned a pleasant evening into an unpleasant one.

The service and food have always been reliably exceptional. It's been one of the restaurants in the neighborhood that have survived the rollercoaster ride of the industry. It's good for an informal dinner date. Ambiance is casual but elegant.

Atmosphere/layout: small waterfall/pond near doorway entrance; two rooms, first room has a sushi bar and regular bar with tables and the second room off to the left has additional seating Service: Wait staff was very good Food/drink: Ordered the combo roll dinner, which came with three sushi rolls and choice of miso soup or green salad (I chose the salad). The salad itself was OK, the dressing became watery as you got to the bottom of the bowl. The sushi was fresh. I had a Saketini as my drink and the complimentary bar snack was wasabi-flavored nuts of some kind. Overall I'd say it's a solid neighborhood option but nothing put it into the category of "special" or "destination worthy".

Kouzan has good food, and the price is normal for NYC. They have a diverse menu, and a beautiful environment in the restaurant. The last time I went, my dad substituted something in his sushi due to an allergy, and the waiter basically yelled at him when he asked when it was coming...because it was already 50 minutes and we had almost finished eating. They cancelled the order. It was a really unpleasant experience and created a lot of tension.

I originally rated this restaurant 5 stars but I'm changing my mind. The sushi isn't as fresh anymore and the food quality has gone down. This is definitely a place that I won't be visiting anytime soon.

Mike Y

Decent generic neighborhood restaurant but probably not worth coming back because there must be plenty of other japanese restaurant within the few blocks that have much better food. Food: - Sushi - looks OK. Taste lacking. - soft shell crab - A-OK. Feels a little oily than I expect. - spinach ohitashi - Don't get ohitashi. Should be in a light sweet soy sauce broth, but it's not. Service: Somehow our waitress was very busy and we had a hard time flagging her down every time. Sigh. Price and atmosphere: Maybe the inflation is high and I don't feel the value given the atmosphere/service/food.

Trevor John

Food was fresh and prepared well. Nothing over the top that made me say wow!! Good traffic so looks like it has a good reputation in the community.

+3

ESB NYC

Friendly spot for Chinese versions of Japanese food. I’ve never had Oyakodon like this, didn’t care for it much. My husband had the pork version and he thought it was good. Bottom line is the price was decent for mediocre Japanese “style” food. Didn’t have the sushi but not sure I’d try that.

Friendly staff, nice enough space, and fresh ingredients. But it’s pricey for what you get, the cuts of fish aren’t always great, and the recipes are mostly uncreative

Server lost our order and waited 10mins before coming back to retake it. Told him we had a show to catch, he said he would expedite the order. He did not. Asked for the check while we were waiting, did not do that either. Then when the food arrived we asked for boxes because we really had to go. He wanted to take the meals to box in the back while we waited, nipped that in the bud. Chicken karage and pork katsu were both cold. Amateur hour all the way around. Yikes!

Even supermarket sushi is better than this. The fish is not fresh. The rice is so hard and falls apart when you pick it up.

LAHM 2K17

The chiken katsu It's not very good, the sweet taste of the sauce is missing, the chicken is very fried, and the rice is different from other places. It's worth it to fill your stomach, but there are better and cheaper places.

PJ M

**Update (Sep ‘25): While their overall grade has been bumped up to an “A”, if you dig into the report results you’ll still find that they haven’t addressed the rodent issues yet! Granted it’s NYC, but many restaurants are able to mitigate rodent risks while this looks to be a long-running issue that Kouzan has failed to (or chosen not to?) address. And since they finally got their “A” rating, they have since posted the grade sign on their main entrance rather than the side/unused door for their prior “B” signs 😒. So careful with blindly relying on “A” ratings folks! Definitely worth the 10 secs to go online to quickly check the report. For me, long-running rodent issues are a deal breaker! I wish they would get around to addressing properly. **Update (Mar ‘25): Looks like they haven’t addressed their sanitary/rodent issues yet, with their most recent inspection/grade as of January 2025 still a B. Aaaand they’re still posting their B grade sign at an unused side door rather than their main entrance. 🤦‍♂️ **Update (Oct ‘24): Looks like they finally posted their “B” grade but they posted it next to a side, unused entrance. Kinda shady.** This has been our family’s go-to neighborhood sushi spot since we moved to the UWS over 10 years ago (both in-person and delivery). They had always been reliable, fresh and offered decent value. However, we learned recently that their restaurant grade went from a long-running “A” to a “B” starting in August 2023! We try to be very strict with sticking to A-rated restaurants, but especially for places that serve raw food!! We hadn’t dined in-restaurant since early 2023, but have continued to order delivery until we recently learned of the downgrade! And we’ve walked by a couple of times in the past few weeks and their grade isn’t prominently posted so consumer beware. Based on some more recent reviews it looks like that B grade is really being reflected in some customer’s experiences. Hopefully they can turn the ship around and earn that A again. Until then, we’re sad to pause patronizing Kouzan for awhile.

+1

Food is low quality! Noodle soup is tasteless, chicken is bland! Fried food is ok! Nowhere close to being a quality Japanese restaurant! Not sure how this place is getting 4 stars from other reviewers!

Absolutely disgusting!! Omg the food was so horrible I can’t even explain what did I just eat. Literally I can get better sushi at the corner supermarket food was so disturbing. I will ask for a refund because I can’t understand how is it possible to have such nasty food available. It was so bad like PLEASE GO SOMEWHERE ELSE FOR SUSH. It was so OLD AND HORRIBLE DO NOT EAT FROM THIS PLACE!!!!!!!! THIS PLACE SHOULD BE CLOSDED!!!!!!

I usually don't bother to write reviews, but this place is horrible. The sushi is bad, and even the beer and wine are of low quality. A real scam.

We didn't like the food, but the most ridiculous happened when were leaving wateress approached us on the street, and said that it was not enouph tips we left. So basically we we were robbed and forced to pay better tips.

The food is decent but unusual when you ask the person at the sushi bar for a napkin and he tells you no I'm not your server. I have friends in the restaurant business have worked in one and eat at restaurants...I think a little customer service gods far

Ordered broiled eel over rice(Unagu) for lunch. The eel was like a piece of rubber. All fat and loaded w sauce to hide it

Food was not good. Overpriced for the quality served and the utensils and plates were very obviously not clean (had colored sauce marks on them)

RACIST!!! I’m a Hispanic woman in my 30s, I come in and the server (female) tells me to sit where ever I would like. I sit at the sushi bar and greet the chefs. I’m sitting for about 3 Minutes before the server comes to the sushi bar to ask for Ginger for another customer this is when I thought she was going to bring me a menu. Five minutes bye And I still didn’t have a menu so I look at my phone nothing anything of it and maybe she’s just really busy. A Caucasian man sits right next to me at the sushi bar and a menu is brought to him within moments. She looked at me sees I have no menu and walks away. I thought within that moment she would bring me a menu, and to not assume anything I sit there for another minute, I look around and I see nothing but her serving caucasian guess and still walking past me. I voiced out loud to the chef, was she serious, he looks at me and sees my frustration, I get up and walk out. I order online from this restaurant often and I have spent hundreds of dollars here. To be treated like I am invisible or as if I’m not a paying customer is Disgusting. I feel personally discriminated against and I will never come to this restaurant again.

I have ordered from Kouzan a lot over the past few years and it has been amazing. Unfortunately tonight my fiancé got extremely sick after eating sushi here. It must not have been fresh which is unacceptable. We will not be ordering from here again.

Served me a tuna roll that was not fresh, ended up getting sick almost ruined my trip to NYC. Strange..I ordered California and Tuna roll combo along with a glass of wine, sat at the bar and told them i would be eating at the bar. Was served the miso soup and wine, then given a bag with the rolls to go. The tuna in the roll had a soft and warm feeling but i trusted the reviews and reputation enough to keep eating. .big mistake. Got sick and couldnt eat for the entire following day. This establishment seems to be struggling with its appreciation for auality and care for the customer. I would never return.

Terrible food that barely resembles any Japanese I've ever had. I ordered Soba and got what appeared to be chow mein, with rubbery chicken and baby corn. My boyfriend got noodle soup, which was just a collection of cut up vegetables in hot water. Not broth, water. We can't afford to go out very often, and this blew our whole budget for the next two weeks, and it was so inedible that we left and cooked food at home.

Not fresh. Shrimp tempura - slimy shrimp. Seaweed not fresh: California roll mushy; rice tough. Food came cold. Only good.thing was the wine and the shumai. Terribly overpriced. Miyako Sushi much better and cheaper. I mentioned to the waitress the food was not fresh. She didn't even blink and did nothing. Ambiance always nice, but food not worth the high price. One can find better elsewhere.

I ordered some takeout and when I got home and ate the cucumber and shrimp sushi, it tasted rotten and smelled strange. Also, the miso soup was not fresh at all, looked and tasted like it was 5 days old and it had a strange dark color (miso soup can look like this if you leave it refrigerated for days). It is infuriating paying for food that is not fresh and could make me sick. I am a local and will never be eating here again. Please be careful with this place.

Absolutely horrible experience - they sent me the completely wrong roll for one of my ($$) special rolls, and it contained several things that I am severely allergic to (eel sauce, imitation crab), and REFUSED to send me the correct order. I chose this restaurant for a special family treat because I’ve dined there in person and knew that they had food that could accommodate my allergies. They refused to send me the correct order because it was “too far” and the delivery person did not feel like spending the time. Then they denied my request for a refund, even though they completely ruined my meal. I spent $90 for a family meal which I could barely eat anything. Never again.

I have been a regular for years (like 10). Suddenly, they went from a A rating from the health code to a “pending” and then “b” - I love this place so allowed myself to push thru the rating and go. It saw a roach and multitudes of ants walking on the bar. I couldn’t finish my meal. Sadly, I won’t go back. After 10 years. Those health code ratings are good to look into.

This place had decent food. However, the experience for us was ruined by how one of the waitresses treated us. She kept rushing us to leave even though we hadn’t even finished eating. We really literally had only been there for about 30 minutes and it was not like they were about to close the restaurant anytime soon. Then when we paid, she complained about the tip and said it wasn’t enough for her. Not cool to treat customers this way.

Ordered from Kouzan. Paid $27 for the food in the picture. This feels like an insufficient amount of food. I was thinking this would be an indulgent meal but I’m still hungry. Definitely not worth it. Never again. Edit: Furthermore, when I look at the folded cuts of salmon, they are thin and uneven. 8 bad slices of salmon for $27 feels like a scam.

Michelle L

Not authentic / poor quality food. Oyakodon was made with fried + dry chicken, fried egg, and some sort of sauce on top (not sweet broth made from mirin, soy sauce, and dashi). Service was terrible! Waitress accidentally stuck her fingers in my food and quickly looked around the table to see if anyone noticed then walked away.