It's hard to call a lunch that costs $31 ($24+t/t) a great value, so I'll classify it as a "splurge" lunch. But the Wokuni-don at Wokuni is definitely a great value for the quality and quantity of ingredients you get. It is also not prohibitively expensive, which would be the case for say, the $150 omakase lunch at Sushi Ginza Onodera (At some point I'll give that a try and write about it).
The lunch sets at Wokuni tend to come with a fresh, crisp salad and some edamame.
The Wokuni-don also comes with miso soup and a nice thick yet fluffy piece of dashimaki (rolled omelette).
A close up of the Wokuni-don. Two large, freshly fried shrimp tempura. A slice of eggplant tempura hidden behind the shrimp. Three slices of yellowtail sashimi. Three slices each of two kinds of white-fleshed fish, which change each day based on what's fresh. The suzuki I had that day was especially good, with a nice firm, crisp texture. Three slices of salmon wrapped into a rose around some ikura. A very tasty slightly spicy salmon tartare. A few small dices of bright red tuna. A couple small slices of tamago. All over a bed of delicious rice.
I've been to Wokuni twice for lunch, and the quality of the fish makes me interested in going back for dinner. Their main selling point is that their prices are reasonable because they own the fish farm in Japan that supplies the restaurant with fresh fish flown in frequently.
As for the Wokuni-don itself, there are only a limited number of servings of the Wokuni-don each day. But basically, if you arrive before 12:30, you should be able to get it unless some large group came in earlier that day with everyone ordering it. However, even if you miss the Wokuni-don, the kaisen-don ($18+t/t) is also wonderful, with many slices of sashimi, including tuna, yellowtail, and salmon, along with ikura and the spicy salmon tartare over rice. The restaurant itself is a nice modern izakaya with a classy feel to it yet quite comfortable.
Wokuni
327 Lexington Avenue (39th Street)
Manhattan
