While primarily known for its Greek food, Astoria is simply an overall Food Mecca. So many of the restaurants here are well-worth the pilgrimage to Queens.
In my experience, the deeper into Astoria you go (closer to the Ditmars N-train stop), the Greeker it gets. Being that I’m not so far in, my top is chock full o’ diversity. One culinary genre of abundance: Japanese.
Disclaimer: Please note…I don’t eat sushi. Something about the texture of raw things that I don’t love. I’ve tried to work on it, but it seems to be permanent. So take these reviews with a grain of salt (or a drop of soy!).
In a 2-block radius, there are 3 Japaneateries. They range from GREAT, AVERAGE and HORRIBLE:
LINN RESTAURANT
THE GREAT. The head chef from Masa must’ve shared my love for the outer boroughs, because he defected to Astoria to open up Linn. This place is a little treasure. I came here with my parents who are hard-core sushi eaters and they were impressed with the freshness of the fish, the cut (which is almost as important as the freshness) and the selection of authentic Japanese dishes. The cooked entrees were also very well-prepared, artful and NOT overly saturated in sodium! Will write a more in-depth review soon.
OSAKA RESTAURANT
THE AVERAGE. This is a passable Japanese restaurant. It’s run by a group of Chinese folks. I haven’t had the pleasure of having their sushi, but my fellow dining mates said it was pretty damn good. Their entrees are delicious, and they have generous portions for a VERY wallet-friendly price!
IJI RESTAURANT
THE HORROR. This is like being lured by a beautiful book cover, only to find it’s the most disgusting piece of literature you’ve ever read. Same thing. It’s easy to be mystified by the pretty red-lit interior. “It looks so cool – how bad can the food be?” BAD. I’m a pretty forgiving diner…I had to SEND BACK my Beef Udon. The broth was BROWN from beef stock (not the usual golden color it should be from seafood stock). The beef was just morsels of fat. And it was SO salty, it was absolutely inedible.
I know this is a very general overview of the 3 restaurants, but if you happen to find yourself in Astoria…the moral of story AVOID IJI!
2913 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11106-2954
(718) 204-0097
- Osaka Restaurant
2524 Broadway
New York, NY 11106
(718) 777-2662
- Iji Restaurant
2508 Broadway
Astoria, NY 11106
(718) 728-3381
Hi again. I’m looking forward to your review on Linn. Is it pricey? Japanese food in Astoria really sucks. It’s depressing too because Japanese is my favorite kind of food. All we have are the dime-a-dozen McSushi places and after eating real Japanese food I can’t eat that shit anymore. I always see Linn whenever I go to the Japanese market next store but I’ve never ventured inside, I’m curious.
I’m looking forward to your review on Linn. I absolutely LOVE sushi. When I first had sashimi I wasn’t used to it but now, I can’t go for japanese food w/o ordering it. My sister on the other hand is the same as you. She won’t touch any raw food.
Stay far, far away from Iji. Like, avoid looking at the sign if at all possible.
My boyfriend and I have ended up there a few times, lured in by the neat exterior. We look at it and are like “Oh, it must’ve been a fluke last time! It’ll be better!”. Usually on those nights that we don’t want Greek (living a handful of blocks from the aforementioned Ditmars N stop) but don’t feel like actually going all that far.
It isn’t a fluke. It happens again. It took us a few tries to realize that YES, it really is just THAT bad.
OMG, Holly – thank you SO much for adding the comment! I cannot believe how that place flourishes, while poor lil Osaka wilts next door!
Iji really sucks!!! I was there last year for lunch and ordered the beef terroryaki lunch special. The beef was overcooked and teriyaki sauce is way too sweet! The beverage list sucks big time. I mean what kind of restaurant sells Yellowtail Cabs? You can find that junk in any liquor store. I know Iji is not run by Japanese but way do these folks have to ruin everything? Maybe they should stick with making good Chinese food. Anyone here been to Tiffin take out on Crescent?