I’m constantly on the lookout for good sushi deals, which to me consists of three rolls for $10 (the ML price limit.) Aoki, on 48th btw. 7+8th, has always been my go-to spot, even though they raised the price to $11. The last time I posted about it, Lunch’er “nycfoodie” mentioned that he was a bigger fan of Ocha (on 46th btw. 8+9th). Well, Lunch’er “Jon” took that as a challenge, and hit up both places on the same day. Here is his report:

Once in a great while, a battle wages between two restaurants for supremacy of a combo. On this day, I hoped to crown a champion. After reading up on the Aoki three roll combo, then hearing that Ocha’s was better from someone else, I took my large appetite, my pre-work hour, and my notepad to hit both Ocha and Aoki back-to-back to hopefully settle the qualms on ML. First up, Ocha.

I walked into Ocha about 1:10 to find a few tables filled with various walks of life. Business lunch, slackers, etc. The ambiance of Ocha screamed “hang out” to me. This is a place that I could certainly see a group of friends having this place be the regular spot to meet, catch up, and eat cheap sushi. I had every intention of ordering the three-roll combo, but I saw that they had a namesake roll called the “Ocha Roll” which was “Eel, shrimp, salmon, avocado outside hot pepper” for $7.95. Now, whenever I go to a restaurant and see anything named after the restaurant I’m in, I order it. Because if their namesake dish sucks, then chances are the rest of their food does too.

So, I ordered the two roll combo of Shrimp Tempura and Spicy Salmon with salad, and then the Ocha roll too. The salad came first, it was your standard greens/carrot salad with a very, albeit mild, Russian-esque dressing. Wasn’t bad, very light, primed me for the sushi. Everything came out very quickly. Sushi soon followed.

The Shrimp Tempura had a salty “twinge” to it that was a little off-setting. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it was noticeable. The Spicy Salmon was nice enough, but no spice was noticeable. The Ocha roll, but I think I got something else, because the avocado was inside, and was completely devoid of hot pepper. The way it was arranged on the plate didn’t do anything to make my eyes go, “Mmmm” either. That said, the fish tasted very fresh and buttery, and I certainly cleaned the plate. I was in and out in 20 minutes. Next stop, Aoki.

Walking into Aoki around 1:45, I felt a tad under-dressed. This place was definitely swankier than Ocha, decor was certainly appealing, and the place was bustling. I was quickly seated at the sushi bar since I was flying solo, and handed a menu. I was planning on ordering their namesake roll as well, but at $15.95, that idea was quickly nixed. They’re pricier on the whole than Ocha, so I stuck with the three roll combo, and I’m glad I did.

I ordered the Shrimp Tempura, the Spicy Salmon Crunch, and the Eel Avocado, again with a salad. The former two were to compare directly to Ocha, the latter, well, because I like it, and I couldn’t compare namesakes. Salad came, standard greens and carrots, only this one came with two cherry tomatoes dotted on top. Nice touch. The dressing was a grainier, stronger tasting dressing. Tasted good, but wasn’t what I was focusing on.

Sushi took a few minutes longer, because of the Shrimp Tempura. I didn’t mind the wait at all, as I dug into that one first. The still-hot Shrimp Tempura combined with the velvet flavor of the avocado was great. The Spicy Salmon Crunch roll had a small amount of heat. Nothing to write home about, but I could tell that it was there, as opposed to Ocha. And the Eel Avocado was great too, as the eel was warmed through, as was the eel sauce on top. And keep in mind this is now three MORE rolls I’m consuming on top of the three I just ate 20 minutes prior.

The sushi itself was better aesthetically. Everything tasted very fresh, buttery. The hot Shrimp Tempura though…. I’m still salivating over that. And just like Ocha, I was in and out in 20 minutes.

Overall, if I were to recommend a hang out place, I’d probably say Ocha. Cheaper food, more of a hole in the wall, and friendlier staff. If I had the time to organize a weekly occurrence, that’d be on the list.

But this isn’t about hanging out. This is about eating. And while the Aoki combo is $1 more than Ocha, all the little touches and things you might not consciously notice more than make up for spending that extra dollar. You eat with your eyes first, and the plating that was given to me tasted much better than that of Ocha. And the hot tempura, the warmed eel/sauce, the flavors, the textures, really everything about it….

Aoki came out the clear winner.

Ocha, 350 W. 46th (btw. 8+9th), 212-581-3198
Aoki, 234 W. 48th St. (btw. B’way+8th), 212-956-2356

Related:
3 Quality Sushi Rolls for $10? Aoki Me!

I have slowly come to the realization that in the matter of sushi (as it pertains to Midtown Lunch’ing) I will never find the holy grail. In other words, you pretty much always get what you pay for… and it’s impossible to get a ton of sushi for less than $10, and also have it be edible. But if push comes to shove, my favorite spot is still Aoki (on 48th btw. 7+8th) even though they raised the price of their 3 roll lunch special from $10 to $11.  Tasty Eating is apparently a fan as well, and I couldn’t help but notice that her roll choice is a mirror image of my standard order:  eel and avocado, crunchy spicy tuna (don’t judge me), & shrimp tempura.  Great minds, I guess?  What’s your ideal three roll combo?

Related:
3 Quality Sushi Rolls for $10? Aoki Me!

In a total shock, the 3 rolls for $10 takeout sushi deal is still available at Aoki on 48th btw. 7+8th.  I thought for sure when I wrote about this in April they would pull a Del Frisco’s but, in a delightful surprise, the best sushi deal in Midtown is still available.  Just remember, you have to take it to go.  It’s $11 for 3 rolls if you sit in the restaurant.  2+ months and counting…

Photograph by nycblondieandbrownie

Now the bad… plenty of places have raised their prices recently, but it’s always more upsetting when it happens at a Midtown Lunch standby.  All three Kwik Meal carts have tacked 50 cents on to most of their items.  The falafel on pita is already on the small side, and for $4.50 I’ll have to think twice about buying two (a standard Kwik Meal order.)

The ugly, after the jump…

I swung by Ambrosia (on 45th btw. 5+6th) yesterday to see if there was anything new going on at their Korean stand in the back.  What I discovered was totally shocking…  the bi bim bap with meat is now $10.95.  The vegetarian version was raised to $8.95 (a complaint that was posted last week), but I didn’t realize the meat version was so expensive!  It explains why there was no meat in my $9 bi bim bap the last time I went, so I guess it has probably been this way for awhile… but I certainly didn’t realize it.  Shocking.  I haven’t been to Cafe Duke in a minute, but it looks like I’m going to be returning very soon.

Got any news of your own to report?  Post it in the comments, or email me at zach@midtownlunch.com

The search for good (but cheap) sushi in Midtown has been an arduous one. Good is not really the issue, since there is plenty of amazing Japanese food in Midtown. Good and cheap is a different story. Try for under $10, and you’re in a danger zone, where better quality is tempered with smaller portions- and cheapness leaves you wondering about exactly what it is you’re eating. There are a few mediocre take out choices (Naruto or Midtown delis), but I think if quality is your main concern, then the sit down restaurants, where the sushi is made to order, is the way to go.

Most of the mid range places in Midtown have a lunch deal where you can usually get two rolls with a soup or salad for under $10. Taki (on 48th btw. 5+6th), and Kikku (on 55th btw. 5+6th) are two pretty popular choices, but two rolls for lunch always leaves me wanting, both for quantity and variety. Give me 3 rolls for $10, and now we’re talking. For months now, two of my co-workers have been extolling the virtues of Aoki, a sit down sushi place (on 48th btw. B’way+8th), with the holy grail of sushi lunch specials. My craving for quality sushi overtook my usual reluctance to get lunch from a place where you have to order from a waitress, or take the food to go… but 3 rolls for $10 will do crazy things to a man.

What I got, and a +/- after the jump…

Even at sit down restaurants there can be concerns when it comes to sushi. 3 rolls for $10 sounds great on paper, but what are you actually getting? Some places will limit your selecton, forcing you into choosing from cheaper rolls, like california or cucumber. Not Aoki. Their sushi roll lunch menu is pretty long, and even includes some big money items like the shrimp tempura roll. They also improve upon the standard spicy tuna roll by offering a “crunchy” version, that includes the addition of tempura bits into the spicy tuna mixture. (Is there anything not improved by adding bits of fried stuff to it?)

My favorite combo is the eel and avocado roll and spicy tuna roll, so I went with those two (the cruncy version of the spicy tuna roll of course), and for my third roll I couldn’t resist ordering the shrimp tempura roll. I wouldn’t normally order more cooked food than raw, but the lure of the shrimp tempura, a roll that can cost $10 on its own at some sushi restaurants, was just too great to overcome. The remaining two fears (quality and quantity) were pretty quickly put to bed…

A ton of food, and it tasted great. The quality of the eel was much better than you get at most cheap sushi places, and everything tasted really fresh and delicious. Since spicy tuna is usually the chopped up dregs, it’s hard to judge the quality of a restaurant’s fish based on that one roll- but considering my experience and how much my co-workers love this place- I think you’d be hard pressed to find better sushi in Midtown for the price. If 3 rolls seems like too much, they offer a two rolls lunch special for $8- but for an extra $2 it’s almost like they are paying you to take a third roll. Don’t be a wuss…

Of course, when something is too good to be true, then chances are it’s too good to be true, and with food costs rising at a pretty alarming rate, I give this place about a month and a half before they realize what suckers they are and raise the prices. In other words, get in while the gettins good, because eventually, they are going to pull a Del Frisco’s, and the holy grail of sushi will become a mysterious hidden treasure once again.

THE +

• 3 rolls for $10. Does it get any better than that?
• You get 24 rolls to choose from, and includes some particularly great ones like crunchy spicy tuna and shrimp tempura
• The rolls are a good size, unlike the 1/2″ tall rolls you get at delis and even though they’re only 6 pieces each, it’s a pretty great deal for the quality.
• They’re made to order

THE -

• It’s a sit down place with waitresses, so in order to keep the cost around $10 you have to order for pick up and take it to go.
• The rolls are only 6 pieces each, not 8 pieces
• Eventually they are going to raise the price…

Aoki, 234 W. 48th St. (btw. B’way+8th), 212-956-2356