Saturday, July 20, 2013

Aquamarine-- Slick Looking "Asian Fusion" Place

Japanese food is big in Manhattan these days, has been for years..

I suppose what it boils down to is just finding the best of the lot, and personal preference as to the decor etc.

This place sure LOOKS nice enough...wonder what the reviews say

Aquamarine

3.0 star rating
103 reviews Rating Details
Category: Asian Fusion  [Edit]
713 2nd Ave
(between 38th St & 39th St)
New York, NY 10016
Neighborhoods: Midtown East, Murray Hill
(212) 297-1880
Make a Reservation

Nearest Transit Station:
Grand Central - 42 St (7, 7X)
Grand Central - 42 St (4, 5, 6, 6X)
Grand Central - 42 St (S)
Good for Groups:
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Casual
Price Range:
$$
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
Yes
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Good For:
Dinner
Alcohol:
Full Bar
Noise Level:
Average
Ambience:
Trendy
Has TV:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Review Highlights   What's this?

  • "YOU MUST GET THE AVOCADO & TUNA w/ WASABI CHIPS were UNREAL." In 6 reviews
  • "The lunch special is amazing here." In 8 reviews
  • "The Thai curry was excellent and it all came to $11." In 18 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
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103 reviews in English

  • Review from

    5.0 star rating
    7/10/2013
    PERFECT DATE SPOT

    I really love the ambiance they have going on there.  The music is also fantastic and there are TV's with sports on it.

    As for hte sushi, there is plenty to keep you coming back for more.  In addition to the california roll, spicy tuna roll, etc, there are some really creative specialties here.  And you can eat at this place without breaking the bank!  Definitely a favorite place and wish I still lived nearby.
  • Review from

    • 0 friends
    • 4 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    7/17/2013
    Came for lunch on a weekday.

    Sushi was good, sashimi was fresh, salad was boring, and service sucked.

    I'm not sure I would go back unless I was in the area. Nothing to go out of your way for, but the sushi itself is good and probably worth ordering in for!
  • Review from

    • 772 friends
    • 848 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    3/2/2013 1 check-in here
    Decent sushi in Murray Hill.  Not a destination, but if you're in the hood it's fine.

    The shogun roll was my favorite.  It was a shrimp tempura roll with spicy tuna and mango.  You can't go wrong with this combo!

    They have Sapporo on draft!
    Listed in: Murray Hill
  • Review from

    1.0 star rating
    7/10/2013
    Food is fine - nothing special. What really caused some commotion last night though was a MOUSE running across the floor. Enough said?
    Manager was apologetic and said something about the place next door having an infestation, but that didnt really relax me... Not coming back!
  • Review from

    4.0 star rating
    11/20/2012 3 photos 1 check-in here
    I did it, I turned my back on Matus (on 70th) to try a different place.  I can't say Aquamarite is better than Matsu, but it does have a roll that will keep me coming back....  The Santa Clause Roll.  Crunchy spicy snow crab topped with red and white tuna.  This was an amazing roll. Lots of fish, large qty, very filling.  Aquamaire also have great salmon.  I really enjoyed their salmon avocado roll.  We also enjoyed a spicy crunchy tuna, yellow tail Jalapeño and vegetable roll- which were on par with other good places.

    We ordered in and delivery was fast, so I have no feedback on the ambiance.
    • Spicy crunchy tuna, yellow tail jalapeño, salmon avacado
    • Vegetable roll. Very good!
    • Santa Clause roll
  • Review from

    • 26 friends
    • 13 reviews
    3.0 star rating
    1/13/2013
    We went here on the recommendation of the hotel's concierge even though I'm generally wary of Asian fusion restaurants.  But, it was close to our hotel and we were on a tight schedule, so we tried it.  

    Inside, it's dark but spacious and slickly decorated.  We were seated at a table by the bar area.  Separating our table from the rest of the dining space was a "curtain" made up of white logs.  Sounds weird, but it was nice looking and cozy.

    I ordered the octopus ceviche.  When I asked the dour waitress how it was, she replied - in a heavy Eastern European accent, "Nobody has complained about it."  Not a ringing endorsement, but whatever.  Well, they use the term ceviche loosely because this was nothing more than a shaved celery salad with a few tiny pieces of octopus.  Still, I thought it was tasty, and give it a B.  My husband's fried calamari was fine, and a decent sized portion, but the dipping sauce was the sweet chili that you get out of a bottle.

    My main course was a Thai-style seafood curry and it was a huge portion, but the curry was very watery and flavorless.  I had to salt it liberally.  The seafood included some nice looking large shrimp and seared salmon chunks.  The scallops, however, were rubbery and tasted old - pretty much inedible.  Why is it so hard to get fresh scallops in restaurants?  The sauce was lacking in nam pla - fish sauce - and could have benefited from some fresh herbs too.  Overall, considering it was only $20 - I give the dish a B-/C+.

    My hubs ordered the "pork chop" which actually turned out to be three pork chops cooked in the Vietnamese style.  Tasty but oh-so-dry and hard to cut.  Grade: B-

    The service was good, as our gloomy but competent waitress was helped out by a very friendly young Asian guy who seemed to know the exact second my water glass was empty.

    They do charge for refills of iced tea, and ordinarily this would annoy me since the glass was 90% ice with just a spot of tea, but refills were only two bucks each and served in beautiful glasses.

    I would try this place again, but will probably order the sushi next time.

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