For date night me and my boyfriend were craving sushi so we decided to use open table and make a reservation for Nisen. Boy did we make a great choice.
We decided on 7pm reservations but arrive at 640 so we had time to drink at the bar since I was told their drinks are great. Arriving at Nisen in Woodbury and seeing we had no reservations, we checked our email confirming my boyfriend made the reservations in Commack instead. We were a bit bummed when they said they had absolutely no tables at 7 and couldn't accommodate our mistake but than again it was our mistake. Our impression of Woodbury was great though. It looks like a hole in the wall sushi take out from the outside but it feels like you are entering a new world when you get past the front doors. So we than bolted to the car and drove as quick as we could to make our 7pm reservations in Commack.
Upon arriving there, we were seated immediately. From the outside, the place once again not too impressive but the inside was trendy and fun, especially the sushi bar and private round tables. We were placed in the general dining area at a table that just seemed like a pizza place table packed with others. There were a bunch of families and children and I was a little bummed since I thought this was going to be a really fancy date night. But I decided to not let that get me down and actually give the place a chance, I mean it really is all about the sushi.
First things first, we took a look at the drink menu. It was really big, a lot of sake choices and wine and we both decided to try the $12 sake flight. They served three shot glasses (maybe a bit more than a generic sized shot glass) full of sake and each had a unique taste. One was more flowery while the other was sweet and toasted and the third was fruity. We both loved all the them and were happy we chose to do it.
We ordered the Spicy squid appetizer which is Japanese squid in a spicy sauce with vegetables. The plate came and we were impressed by the size. There was a lot of squid with corn, green beans and mushrooms. The squid was so tender, not even close to chewy, and the sauce was phenomenal. This already started to make the less romantic atmosphere seem unimportant.
For rolls we ordered two specialty rolls, the monkey jump and Scottish Goat roll. The monkey jump had tuna, mango, avocado, chopped yellow tail and chili padi paste on top (labeled hot hot hot on the menu). The Scottish Goat roll had seared ginger salmon, goat cheese, roasted portobello mushroom, japanese salsa and balsamic mirin glaze. I also ordered a piece of eel while my boyfriend ordered a piece of smoked salmon.
First we both ate our pieces of sushi and they were amazing. My eel was warm and soft, the eel sauce on top delicious. He loved his smoked salmon. Next we had a piece of the monkey jump. Very fresh tasting but not spicy at all. I had to put a bunch of wasabi on it to be up to my spicy expectations. My boyfriend wasn't too crazy about the roll but we expected that since he doesn't like mango or avocado. But surprisingly it was not the mango that bothered him but rather the avocado. That was because the avocado was so fresh that it had a strong taste to it but I loved it. Next we tried the Scottish Goat roll. That roll was just absolutely amazing. We both did not expect that at all but we just sat there feeling like we just ate the most extravagant thing ever. We also both were so happy we decided to stay here and order that, and the surroundings could have been a japanese take out in the back of an alley, it would not have mattered. After these rolls we were satisfied and since it is lent and I gave up ice cream while my boyfriend gave up chocolate, we had to pass on dessert. But we both wished we did not have to.
Overall I would rate this restaurant a perfect 10, and am more than looking forward to eating at the one in Woodbury! I would tell any sushi fan on Long Island, if you appreciate amazing sushi and are looking to eat somewhere that has a unique menu with rolls that will blow you away, visit Nisen, it is really bang for your buck high quality.
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