Take Sushi & Bowl Opens on Second Avenue

It’s as if the fish swim straight from the sea and into your mouth at Take Sushi & Bowl, a take-out sushi spot that just opened last week at 1147 Second Avenue (between 60th and 61st streets).

Advertisement

Take took over the space that used to be Woops! Bake Shop. While Woops! is no longer on the Upper East Side and their Columbus Circle location is also temporarily closed, it does have a location at the Port Authority Bus Terminal and will have a space at the Bryant Park Holiday Market.

Now instead of French macarons and Argentinian alfajores, you can get miso soup ($5), spicy edamame ($5), 8- or 16-piece maki roll sets (between $10 and $24), crispy rice bites (between $12 and $14.50), and custom rice and salad bowls (starting from $13) at this small Second Avenue spot.

The cleverly-named Take has a double meaning. In Japanese, the word ‘take’ means ‘bamboo,’ which is viewed as a symbol of simplicity and continuous growth. But the name also reflects the fact that most orders at Take are take-out orders. For customers who do want to dine in, there are four wooden stools and limited counter space.

Get East Side Feed In Your Inbox (It’s Free)

Take was created by Joe Zou, who has been working in sushi restaurants for 12 years. Zou came to the United States from Shando, China at the age of 17 and studied homeland security at the Long Island Business Institute. His entry into the world of sushi was serendipitous. Initially just looking for a job to support his college education, he ended up at a sushi restaurant in West Virginia and discovered his passion for sushi.

Throughout his 12 years in the business, Zou has worked at several sushi restaurants as both an assistant and head chef. When asked what inspired him to open up Take, his first restaurant, he said, “I want to serve customers high-quality fish. I’ve been in a lot of restaurants, and some of them serve bad fish. My heart and consciousness did not feel right. You have to do right by your customers and make the food worth the price. I like to serve with my heart.”

Advertisement

We got to taste the freshness at Take when we went in for dinner last night. Zou, who greeted us with a traditional bow, started us off with a large bowl of spicy edamame ($5). The edamame was lightly smothered with a bit of spicy sauce, but that little bit sure goes a long way. While satisfying and flavorful, the spicy edamame is not for the faint of heart.

ALSO READ: Chef Behind Miriam Opens Rafael on Lexington Avenue

Next up was a box of 8 pieces of spicy crab rolls ($11.80). All of Take’s beautifully arranged boxes contain a side of edamame and seaweed salad–as well as a positive reminder to “enjoy your life.”

The crab rolls were drizzled with spicy mayo that added just a tinge of flavor without being overpowering. The cool taste and hearty texture were apparent in every bite. Dinner culminated with a box of avocado, crab, and lobster crispy rice bites, which are best eaten within 30 minutes. The crunchiness of the crispy rice base was complemented by the softness of the toppings, from the tangy avocados to the succulent lobster. The lobster crispy rice is Zou’s favorite item on the menu—a sentiment we agree with.

Advertisement

In addition to the taste of the food, being able to watch Zou and his brother, Wilson, make it right in front of us was noteworthy added entertainment.

ALSO READ: 2 UES Spots Included in List of NYC’s Best Croissants

We’re not alone in our positive review of Take. Google reviewers have also commented on the freshness of the food along with the cleanliness of the space, the speedy serving time, and the Zou brothers’ friendliness. The restaurant currently has a Google score of 4.6 out of 5 stars, however, the only one-star review was written before the restaurant actually opened (the author was upset because she thought they had).

Take is open Monday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Have a news tip? Send it to us here!