NYCGuide
The Best Sushi In Park Slope And Prospect Heights
We don’t know what kind of sushi-stabilizing laws were passed in Park Slope and Prospect Heights, but both of these neighborhoods are easily home to the best sushi in the borough, and much of it is a steal. There are sushi sets that involve supersized nigiri, bento box lunch deals, and an omakase under $60 that rivals options that are double the price.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Sushi Lin
This place in Prospect Heights with a shoji screen and a little Bonsai tree looks like hundreds of other neighborhood sushi spots. But that’s where the similarities end. Sushi Lin is serving some of the best sushi in the city—not just for a casual spot, but for any spot. The focus here is on quality fish, and for $33, you get nine pieces of thick-cut nigiri along with soup and a negi toro roll. It’s a deal that should cause lines around the block.
We always recommend Sushi Katsuei to anyone looking for a terrific, creative omakase that they can eat without feeling like Mr. Monopoly. Their omakase options start at $57 for nine pieces and a handroll, often highlighting unusual pieces like firefly squid or ocean trout (along with typical fan favorites like toro and uni). You can also order from their extensive à la carte menu. While the sushi is top-tier, the space is notably nondescript, with low ceilings that make you feel like you’re in someone's basement. If you want more ambience, try the West Village location.
photo credit: Sushi Yashin
On the sushi date spectrum, Sushi Yashin sits in the center. It feels upscale without being intimidating, featuring both floor-to-ceiling windows and floral wallpaper you’d find in your grandmother’s kitchen. The fish feels luxurious, the temperatures are perfect, and the presentation is on point. Sushi sets start at $29, so come here with someone you’re feeling sorta serious about, but aren’t ready to take to one of those super serious omakase counters where you end up learning more about the fish than each other. With a little sake and jazz playing softly from the speakers, there’ll be just enough romance in the room to make it special.
This Prospect Heights Japanese spot has been around since the ’80s, and it seems like not much has changed since then. You can get a big bowl of udon for $7, one of the walls is covered in decades worth of scribbles and paint, and the sushi chefs look like they’ve been bobbing their heads to R&B slow jams while compiling spicy tuna rolls since the dawn of time. There’s never much of a wait, and it’s always packed, so take a seat at the triangular sushi bar, and enjoy the D’Angelo.
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
Park Slope has plenty of good sushi, but Ki Sushi is the rare spot with first-rate fish and enough space for big groups. Their dining room on Flatbush Ave (they also have one in Boerum Hill) is dark and moody enough for a date, but it also has a long sushi bar and tables for up to 10 people. The sleek metal and stone vases of cherry blossoms make this place feel like a monastery reimagined for people with money, but you can get a sushi set for $31, and portions are generous. Bring a group before a show at Barclays and order a flashy appetizer like the salmon tartare topped with black tobiko and gold flakes.
photo credit: Wasan
The fish at Wasan is a cut above the rest, and, considering how big the pieces are, it’s inexplicably well-priced. Our favorite way to eat here is to order one of the $27-$29 sushi or sashimi bento boxes served with rice, a boiled egg, roe, miso eggplant, pickles, shishito peppers, and a salad. You can also order à la carte or go for one of their 30 rolls. The umami futomaki roll makes for an especially indulgent meal of eel, shrimp, egg omelet, and squash rolled up in rice. There isn’t much of a vibe here, so this isn’t the best place to “go out to dinner,” but it’s perfect for when you want a peaceful spot to eat lunch with your AirPods in.
JPan doesn’t look like much, but the reliably fresh fish makes it one of our go-to casual neighborhood sushi spots. Order the sushi and sashimi for one, two, or however many people you have. For $30 per person, you’ll get 10 pieces of quality sashimi, five different types of nigiri, and an eight-piece roll. Save this spot for a weeknight when scarfing down a ton of fish is your only objective. All the ambience in this barebones restaurant comes from the lively crowd going ham on sashimi.
