Temakase, New York NY

Lol the worst delivery experience ever. All the photos here and on their insta are FAKE. The rolls are tiny and has very little protein. Also they charge you more for custom box and send you the wrong item. I ordered three uni toro and got zero uni. It cost me almost a hundred dollars and the quality was only about ~$40 max. Very disappointed. Will not recommend.

+ I know what “MAKI” is. Also, your delivery menu includes uni toro with the extra price for uni. So if you saw how much I paid for the uni options, you could have simply cancelled the order and notify me that it’s unavailable rather than accepting the order and switching out a lot of them to cheaper maki’s. ‍️

Temakase is one of the newer businesses that had opened up recently. The theme of this establishment is to offer an Omakase experience with fresh hand make Temaki rolls (longer rolls you eat with your hands). Your order is made right then and there with fresh seafood, warm rice and crisp seaweed. I had first heard of them when I saw a photo posted online and was very intrigued. At that time, they were only offering take out as there was a ban on indoor dining. I had decided to wait to visit since the rolls are ideally eaten fresh to get the best experience as opposed to take out.

I checked online using OPENTABLE to make a last minute reservation for a very busy day, Sunday February 14th. I was very surprised to see that there were slots left for later that night. The curfew had also been expanded to 11p so when I set my reservation for 9pm it seemed like plenty of time to be seated and enjoy some quality hand rolls.

I got there early but it was SUPER BUSY with quite a few people waiting due to it being Valentines Day and limited seating capacity. There was a couple ahead of me whom I thought was waiting to speak to the host. They informed me they were already checked in. When I got to the podium the host, Marco checked me in but was very apologetic because they were behind schedule and they would seat me as soon as possible. I appreciated the acknowledgement and courtesy.

** All employees were wearing masks. Those who were prepping food were also using gloves.

I think the wait was at least half an hour or more before I was actually seated. Luckily it was just me dining in and I understood that it was busier than it would normally be with the busy indoor dining weekend and the strict reduced capacity rules. The interior is designed quite nicely with a very relaxing ambience. There is a full bar near the entrance (not in use per current guidelines), and a decent amount of space for waiting. The dining area consists of two sides of bar seating with countertop and a view of the chef via a see through divider.

They recommend the rolls to be eaten within 15-30 from when the Chef delivers the roll to you. The dining and prep area is separated by a clear divider. You get your own plate and a dish for dipping soy sauce by the counter but there is a larger tray up top within a small window where you are provided with gari and wasabi. That is where each roll is placed ever so delicately.

Due to time constraints I was only able to try one set of rolls. The process for ordering is scanning a QR code that links to a mobile site with all menu items. You pick your items including drinks and add it to the cart. You then submit your order and pay. I had opted for the HUNGRY set menu which included Shrimp, Salmon, Blue Crab and Yellotail Jalapeño.

Drinks are brought to the counter first. Each roll is made one by one and placed on the larger plate / tray due to the face that it was busy. I would have liked to have had all the rolls at once for a photo op but it was still tasty. The seating was spaced out between customers or there were dividers for areas where they could not space people out. The area I was seated at has two empty spaces to my left but the right side had a divider for the patrons.

During my visit, Marco let me know that there was a reservation for two and wanted to know if I was comfortable with someone sitting right next to me. I asked if they were going to use a divider and he informed me that they were all currently in use. I told him that due to the current situation I was not comfortable with anyone sitting so close and he understood. I was super appreciative he had taken that initiative to communicate the situation.

The rolls were all very tasty and fresh. The chef checked in on me afterwards to ask how everything was and she apologized that I had to wait for each individual roll.

I wanted to try out Temakase on my own before bringing any friend or date. I can see why it has become so popular recently as patrons get a very good experience at an affordable price.

Good but a little expensive, I might prefer getting 2 bowls of pokes instead of 3 hand rolled sushis

Temakase was delicious. Very fresh and I got to see everything right in front of me. Amazing service as well!

The sushi hand rolls here are phenomenal highly recommend, amazing Spot amazing food and amazing chefs.

Temakase is the spot to go to for hand rolls, hands down.
I love handrolls but this place offers a different experience. The rolls are made right in front of you minutes after you order. It’s pretty amazing to see.
Due to COVID, orders are placed using your mobile phones, you scan the QR code, place the order and the chef starts to prep the rolls for you.
I arrived on a Sunday afternoon and this was the best time (for me) to go. They’ve limited the number of guests dining which is understandable and your temperature is taken as you walk into the restaurants along with signing a form of your arrival. Reservations are a MUST.
I wasn’t sure what to order and at the time the host was busy with orders so I couldn’t really ask for recommendations so I went on and figured I should go with ordering a combo platter of hand rolls to figure out which ones I like. I went with the “Starving” Temaki Combo: That included Toro, Salmon, Spicy Scallop, Blue Crab and Lobster. I recommend the Blue Crab and Lobster rolls hands down. Those were my favorite! I also suggest getting an order (or 2) of the crispy rice as an appetizer. I’ve been searching the city for crispy rice that lives up to the ones I’ve had in Las Vegas and Temakase’s rolls are in the running for the best crispy rice. I will definitely order more rolls when I’m in the East Village.
Temakase is available for take out via GrubHub, Seamless, Door Dash and Uber Eats.

Fresh fish, great service, amazing chef! Would definitely recommend the set menus and the crispy rice:)

Amazing sushi, tried it for the first time last week and it was the best i’ve had on the east coast!

Amazing flavor combinations. Loved the toro uni roll. Great staff, they really know their stuff. Thank you for recommending the kampyo roll.

The freshest fish, crunchy delicious handrolls and appetizers that are making me hungry just thinking about it. My favorites were the Toro Scallion and Truffle Blue Crab handrolls. Love this place! Glad I came to check it out. Service was great, beautiful ambiance and affordable prices. A meal that’ll keep me coming back again and again! Highly recommend

Extraordinary vibes and very welcoming service. The food was enchanting, absolutely the freshest and best handrolls around will definitely recommend this restaurant to friends! Five stars is not enough.
Great work.

Such great food and service. Will definitely be going back and highly recommend anyone looking to have a great sushi dinner

Such a great new place! Super fresh and delicious. Staff is friendly. Great customer service. New go to spot for a quick stop for handrolls. Yum! Highly recommend!

This sushi is an awesome find in the neighborhood. One of the best hand rolls Ive had in awhile. Will for sure be returning

Just opened, but already my go-to handroll bar! The fish is so fresh ALWAYS! My personal favorite - the maguro avocado is by far the best in the city! So ecstatic to have Temakase in the East Village!

Temakase is a new sushi handroll bar that just opened on 10th street and 2nd Avenue. The fish is fresh and tastes great and is prepared in from of you by the chef. The food is very reasonably priced and is a great value.

Probably some of the best sushi I’ve ever had here in NYC and there’s been a lot. The quality of the ingredients for the price you pay is well beyond the bang for your buck

Ordered a few hand rolls for dinner including toro, blue crab, lobster, salmon and spicy scallop. The fish was very high quality, especially for the price point!

My fave were toro and spicy scallop. The salmon was marinated in yuzu, which is pretty creative and works well. Looking forward to coming back soon!