7 Kosher Sushi Rolls in Manhattan to Try Before Steak

Steak may be the reason you booked dinner, but there is plenty worth ordering before it arrives. Our kosher sushi in Manhattan gives you everything from tuna belly with Meyer lemon ponzu to spicy salmon with truffle glaze.

At Tabernacle, sushi and steak live on the same dinner menu. You can start bright and citrusy, choose something richer with truffle, or pick a cooked roll before moving into one of our dry-aged or Wagyu cuts. Tabernacle Steakhouse is under OU rabbinical supervision and is Glatt Kosher.

Why Start With Sushi Before Steak?

Sushi gives the first part of dinner a different texture and flavor from the steak course. A roll with cucumber, ponzu, Asian pear, or yuzu feels very different from a dry-aged ribeye. If you want something richer from the start, truffle and spicy salmon can take you in that direction instead.

You also have room to choose based on appetite. The Rainbow Naruto skips the rice, while the Roasted King Salmon and Yuzu Chilean Sea Bass give you cooked options. That makes it easy to build the first course around what your table actually wants rather than ordering the same kind of roll for everyone.

Here are seven rolls currently worth considering before the steaks arrive. 

1. The Tabernacle Roll for Truffle and Heat

Start with our namesake roll when you want a little heat followed by something richer. The Tabernacle combines spicy tuna with dragon avocado, serrano, Asian pear, and truffle pâté.

The pear brings a crisp, slightly sweet note between the spicy tuna and truffle. That mix makes this a good first choice if you already know you are heading toward one of our richer steak cuts later in the meal.

2. Midtown Manhattan Roll for Crunch and Savory Flavor

The Midtown Manhattan starts with spicy tuna and Asian pear, then adds seared tuna, lemon “brown butter,” and crispy potato.

There is more texture here than in some of the cleaner fish-forward rolls. You get soft tuna followed by crisp potato and a savory citrus sauce. If you like a first course with a little more weight before steak, this is an easy one to share.

3. Truffle King Salmon Roll for a Richer First Course

The Truffle King Salmon brings together spicy salmon, aged sake, truffle glaze, and dehydrated red pepper.

This is one of the richer choices on the sushi menu. The salmon and truffle give it depth, while the red pepper keeps the finish from feeling one-note. It works well when you want sushi first but do not necessarily want the lightest roll on the table.

4. Toro Meyer Lemon Roll for a Bright Tuna Bite

Tuna belly is naturally rich, so the Meyer lemon ponzu gives this roll an appealing contrast. We pair the tuna belly with red onion and avocado before finishing it with that citrusy ponzu.

Choose this one when you want the richness of toro without starting dinner with a heavy sauce. The avocado softens the sharper notes from the onion and lemon, giving each bite a smooth finish.

5. Rainbow Naruto Roll When You Want No Rice

If you are already thinking about a larger steak, the Rainbow Naruto gives you sushi without rice.

It combines tuna, salmon, yellowtail, avocado, tobiko, cucumber, and chile ponzu. You still get several kinds of fish and plenty of texture, but the cucumber-led format keeps the roll feeling crisp. It is a useful choice when the table wants sushi without adding another rice-based course.

6. Roasted King Salmon Roll for a Cooked Option

Prefer cooked fish? The Roasted King Salmon gives you a fully cooked option before steak. 

We pair the salmon with mango, white asparagus, avocado, and soy paper. The mango adds sweetness, while the asparagus keeps the roll from leaning too rich. It is a softer, gentler option for anyone at the table who would rather skip raw fish.

7. Yuzu Chilean Sea Bass Roll for Citrus and Crunch

The Yuzu Chilean Sea Bass is another cooked option on our ordering menu. It combines sea bass with asparagus, cucumber, avocado, yuzu miso, spicy mayo, and coconut crunch.

This roll has a little bit of everything: creamy avocado, cool cucumber, citrus from the yuzu, some heat from the spicy mayo, and crunch on top. It is a good final sushi choice when you want something lively before the table moves into steak.

How to Build a Sushi-First Dinner

You do not need a complicated ordering strategy. Start by thinking about how much steak you plan to order and how many people are sharing the first course.

For a lighter start, consider the Toro Meyer Lemon or Rainbow Naruto. If you want something richer, move toward the Tabernacle or Truffle King Salmon. Diners who prefer cooked fish can go with the Roasted King Salmon or Yuzu Chilean Sea Bass.

For a table sharing several rolls, mixing styles is more interesting than ordering three versions of the same flavor. One bright roll, one richer roll, and one cooked or no-rice option gives everyone something different to try.

Then move into the steak course when you are ready. Our current dinner menu includes 12 oz Angus Ribeye, 16 oz Bone-In Ribeye, 22 oz Signature Cowboy, 10 oz Wagyu Strip, 16 oz Wagyu Delmonico, and 48 oz Wagyu Tomahawk. All steaks are dry-aged in-house for 45 days.

Quick Sushi and Steak Match Table

These are suggestions rather than rules. Choose based on how rich you want each part of dinner to feel, then use our kosher wine pairing guide if you want a bottle to carry into the steak course. 

FAQs About Kosher Sushi in Manhattan