Half Off Sushi!

I know the idea of “50% off Sushi” may sound slightly concerning to some people.  And I’ll admit, discount raw fish could end badly in many circumstances, but at May’s Place Sushi, the massive discount and fresh fish are what keep me coming back.   Located in St. Mark’s Square on the lower east side, this little joint has been packed every time I’ve gone.  And I’m not talking just college students—there are consistently groups of Japanese diners, ordering plates full of fresh sashimi and glasses of cold sake.

I love sushi. And I can eat more sushi than anyone you know. Whenever I order, I have to stop the waiter from putting away his notepad, and assure him that I can, in fact, eat everything I’m ordering.  Last night, Read and I ordered three specialty rolls.  One was an inside-out roll with shrimp, crab, and cucumber, all wrapped in avocado and lightly doused in spicy mayo and sweet eel teriyaki sauce.  The second roll was tempura octopus, crispy romaine lettuce, and avocado.  The last roll was a massive combination of smoked salmon, cream cheese, and cucumber.  The entire roll was tempura-ed, deep fried and drizzled with a mango sauce.  While the third roll tasted just a little too far off from sushi, we really enjoyed the first two.  We also ordered, drum roll please, tempura-ed sea bass, gyoza, tuna, salmon and yellow fin nigiri, a pork katsu appetizer, and an aloha musubi (which does include spam, a secret pleasure for a Hawaii girl like me).  All our fish was incredibly fresh, the tuna exceptionally so.

Keep in mind that single pieces of fresh fish nigiri, 5 pieces of gyoza, an order of edamame, kimchi, and so much more can be sampled for a dollar apiece.  Yes, they have a dollar menu!

And I can’t forget the drinks.  A pitcher of Sapporo will run you a mere 12 bucks. Believe it. We also ordered some sake, which was 7 dollars a bottle.

While I cannot say this is the best sushi you can find, it is certainly the best value I’ve come across so far.  Not to mention the most fun, with it’s bustling atmosphere and random mix of hip-hop and old school tracks.  A check for 70 bucks came at the end of our feast, which means, that’s right, it should have been more like $140.

Note: Half off sushi is only offered Sunday-Thursday.