Award-winning

Aoi Restaurant

4.4

93 Reviews

$31 to $50

Japanese

Good for special occasions
Romantic
Good for groups

At Aoi, we specialize in Washoku, a traditional Japanese cuisine registered under UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage since 2013. Our chefs prepare each dish using the finest culinary techniques and feature only fresh, natural and seasonal ingredients.
Japanese cuisine oftentimes uses seafood-based flavorings such as dashi stock even in their vegetable dishes. Our menu, on the other hand, is rooted in Shojin cuisine, a genuine vegetarian cooking originating from Zen Buddhism. This distinction allows us to provide our guests with a diverse range of true vegetarian options.
Our mission is to support a healthy lifestyle for our guests and allow them to experience a large variety of flavors through our unique culinary creations. This is made possible by emphasizing the use of local, organic and sustainable ingredients to accentuate the authenticity and health benefits of Japanese cuisine.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Japanese Speciality
Hours of operation
Lunch Tue–Sun 12:00 pm–2:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
Phone number
(732) 635-7146
Website
http://www.aoirestaurants.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Catering
Catering: We offer various options, from chef action station, to sushi platters, and Bento boxes.<br /><br />
Private party facilities
Private Dining: Private sushi bar, for up to ten guests, semi private dining room for up to 8 guests, and semi private dining room for up to 22 guests.
Private party contact
Alex Serban: (732) 635-7146

Location
120 Wood Ave S, Iselin, NJ 08830
Award-winning
1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
Neighborhood
Avenel
Cross street
Hilton Road
Parking details
Large free parking lot, in front and in the back of the hotel.
Public transit
Metropark train station, Woodbridge, NJ
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Edamame$6.00
Vegetable Tempura$9.00
Agedashi Tofu$8.00
Lightly deep-fried Tofu
Croquette$7.00
Japanese deep-fried Mashed Potato
Chicken Skewer$11.00
Grilled Salmon Belly$18.00
Marinated Salmon Belly grilled to perfection
Grilled Black Cod$18.00
Marinated Black Cod grilled to perfection
Tatsuta Age$8.00
Japanese Fried Chicken
Chicken Nanban$13.00
Japanese Fried Chicken with creamy Tartar Sauce
Shrimp Tempura App$10.00
Assorted Tempura$15.00
Shrimp & Vegetables
Eel Tempura$17.00
Shishamo Tempura$11.00
Deep-fried Smelt Fish
Popcorn Lobster & Shrimp$23.00
Deep-fried Lobster and Shrimp side with Spicy Mayo
Hamachi Kama$18.00
Grilled Yellowtail Collar
Pork Katsu App$15.00
Breaded deep-fried Pork Cutlet
Pirikara$13.00
Scallops & Cucumber torched with spicy mayo & Tobiko
Chawanmushi$9.00
Steamed Egg Custard with Scallop, Fishcake & Shiitake Mushroom
Wagyu Beef #1
3-pc of A5 Japanese Wagyu with a Hot Stone for self-cooking
- 3 Piece$29.00
Wagyu Beef #2
5-pc of A5 Japanese Wagyu with a Hot Stone for self-cooking
- 5 Piece$45.00

Cold Appetizers

Seaweed Salad$8.00
Kani Salad$10.00
Yellowtail Jalapeño$15.00
4-pc of Yellowtail Sashimi with spicy mayo and hot pepper slices
Tamago Trio$22.00
Uni, Ikura and half-cooked Quail Egg in a special sauce
Ikatu Natto Wraps$13.00
Fermented soybeans, Tuna, Squid and Quail Egg served with Seaweed to wrap tableside
Crispy Rice$15.00
Deep-Fried Sushi Rice topped with Spicy Tuna
Salmon Guac$15.00
Salmon mixed with Guacamole served on Crispy Soy Paper
Ankimo$15.00
Monk-fish liver
Sashimi Sampler$20.00
9-pc of Sashimi
Oyster of the Day
3-pc of featured raw Oysters
- M.P.

Maki Roll

Choice of Maki Roll or Hand Roll

Avocado$5.00
Cucumber$5.00
Oshinko$5.00
Pickled Radish
Natto$5.00
Fermented Soy Beans
Kanpyo$5.00
Dried Gourd Shavings
Sweet Potato$5.00
California$6.00
Kani, Avocado & Tobiko
Philadelphia$7.00
Salmon, Cream Cheese & Avocado
Tuna$7.00
Salmon$7.00
Yellowtail Scallion$7.00
Tuna Avocado$8.00
Tuna Cucumber$8.00
Salmon Avocado$8.00
Salmon Cucumber$8.00
Spicy Tuna$7.00
Spicy Salmon$7.00
Spicy Yellowtail$7.00
Spicy Scallop$8.00
Shrimp Tempura$8.00
Unagi$9.00
Ikura$10.00
Negitoro$14.00
Toro & Scallion

Aoi Signature Roll

Fuji Roll$15.00
Seaweed Salad, Cucumber, Radish Sprouts inside Topped with Avocado, Mayo & Sriracha
Dragon Roll$16.00
Eel, Tuna inside topped with Avocado, Tobiko & Eel Sauce
Spider Roll$16.00
Soft Shell Crab Tempura & Avocado inside topped with Tobiko & Eel Sauce
Rainbow Roll$16.00
Kani & Avocado inside topped with Assorted Sashimi Fish
Naruto$16.00
Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Avocado & Wakame in a Cucumber Wrap
Futomaki$16.00
Tamago, Kani, Kanpyo, Cucumber, Oshinko, Gobo, Shisho
Red Caterpillar Roll$18.00
Shrimp tempura & Avocado inside topped with Spicy tuna & Bonito Flakes
Yellowtail Jalapeño Roll$19.00
Kani & Scallion inside topped with Yellowtail, Jalapeño, Spicy mayo & Sriracha
Salmon Guacamole Roll$19.00
Salmon and Cucumber inside topped with Guacamole, greens and Ikura
Pink Lady Roll$20.00
Shrimp Tempura, Cream Cheese & Cucumber inside wrapped in Soy Bean Paper topped with Seared Salmon, Tobiko & Spicy Mayo
Volcano Roll$20.00
Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail and Avocado inside. Breaded and deep-fried for a nice outside crisp topped with Scallion, Tobiko, Spicy Mayo and Eel Sauce
Medusa Roll$22.00
Soft Shell Crab Tempura, Spicy Salmon and Onion Chips inside wrapped in soy paper and topped with Crispy Kani, Seaweed and Tobiko

Sushi Entrée

Sushi Dinner$36.00
10-piece Sushi & Tuna Roll
Sashimi Dinner$40.00
15 piece Sashimi
Chirashi$29.00
Assorted Sashimi over Sushi Rice
Tuna Don$26.00
Yellowtail Don$26.00
Salmon Ikura Don$28.00

Aoi Special Entrée

Aoi Sushi Omakase
7-courses including Appetizer, Chawanmushi, 12-pc of Chef's choice Premium Nigiri Sushi, Hand Roll, Miso Soup & Dessert; Dine-in only
- per person$120.00
Aoi Special Sashimi Boat$95.00
Assorted Chef's choice seasonal Premium Sashimi cuts; Dine-in only
Aoi Grand Toro Don$60.00
3 way to enjoy Toro including Sashimi, Grilled and Negitoro over Sushi Rice

Hot Food

Gyu Don$21.00
Simmered Beef & Onions topped with poached Egg over Nishiki White Rice
Katsu Don$23.00
Breaded deep-fried Pork Cutlet with Egg Custard over Nishiki White Rice
Eel Don$36.00
Grilled whole Eel over Nishiki White Rice
Curry Rice$15.00
Katsu Curry$23.00
Breaded deep-fried Pork Cutlet
Chicken Teriyaki$23.00
Cod Teishoku$23.00
Grilled Marinated Black Cod served with Nishiki White Rice on the side
Nabeyaki Udon$18.00
Udon Soup with Shrimp Tempura, Fish Cake, Vegetables & Poached Egg
Tempura Soba$18.00
Buckwheat Noodles with Shrimp Tempura in Special broth
Ten Don$23.00
Shrimp and Vegetable Tempura over Rice with Ten Don Sauce

Sushi à La Carte

Choice of Sushi or Sashimi

Inari$3.00
Bean Curd
Tamago$3.00
Egg Custard
Tako$4.00
Octopus
Ika$4.00
Squid
Ebi$4.00
Shrimp
Botan Ebi$8.00
Jumbo Sweet Shrimp
Hotate$6.00
Scallop
Maguro$5.00
Tuna
Chu Toto$9.00
Medium Fatty Tuna
Otoro$11.00
Premium Fatty Tuna
Sake$5.00
Salmon
Ikura$8.00
Salmon Roe
Hamachi$5.00
Yellowtail
Unagi$6.00
Eel
Aji$7.00
Horse Mackerel
Kinme$8.00
Golden Eye Snapper
Uni Sea Urchin
- M.P.

Lunch Special

Avaliable Tue-Fri during lunch 12PM - 2PM. All Lunch served with Edamame and Miso Soup

Bara Chirashi$18.00
Chicken Teriyaki$18.00
Curry Rice$15.00
Tempura Soba$18.00
Buckwheat Noodles with Shrimp Tempura in Special broth
2 Rolls Special$13.00
Choice of 2 rolls: Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Tuna Avocado, Salmon Avocado, Spicy Tuna, Eel Avocado, Scallop, California, Philadelphia, Eel, Spicy Salmon, Spicy Yellowtail, Shrimp Tempura, Sweet Potato, Avocado
3 Rolls Special$18.00
Choice of 3 rolls: Tuna, Salmon, Yellowtail, Tuna Avocado, Salmon Avocado, Spicy Tuna, Eel Avocado, Scallop, California, Philadelphia, Eel, Spicy Salmon, Spicy Yellowtail, Shrimp Tempura, Sweet Potato, Avocado

Dessert

Mochi Ice Cream$8.00
2-pc of Ice Cream wrapped around by Sweet Dough. Choice of Vanilla, Green Tea, Red Bean, Mango
Tempura Mochi Ice Cream$10.00
2-pc of Breaded deep-fried Ice Cream wrapped around by Sweet Dough. Choice of Vanilla, Green Tea, Red Bean, Mango
Ice Cream$6.00
choice of Green Tea or Vanilla
Matcha Crème Brulee$9.00
Green Tea Flavored Crème Brulee
Coffee Jelly Ice Cream Sundae$12.00
House-made Coffee flavored Jelly with Ice Cream

What 93 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.4

4.4 based on all time ratings

4.5Food
4.4Service
4.4Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

93 Reviews

D
Davek
New York City
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on October 14, 2023
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
We the Omakase course and felt you get the most bang for your bucks here. The food was good and delicious! They said the course is 2 hrs long and it did. If you are trying make sure you have enough to sit there and enjoy the meal.
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CR
CharlesR
Atlantic City
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on October 13, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Celebrated my wife and I anniversary along with our 2 small children and was given a spacious booth. We both opted for the Omakase and it was an excellent and memorable 7 course experience. The servers and service were top notch, definitely coming back here very soon!
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MC
MariaC
Poconos
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on September 8, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food and service!! We celebrated my husband's birthday. The fried oysters, shrimp tempura and tatsuage were a hit. Our very rolls are Medusa and Pink Lady. We also ordered a Sashimi Boat and it was delish.
1 person found this helpful
A
Alessiofoodmaster
New York City
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on August 11, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Bday dinner was amazing as this place always is
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LF
LocalFan
Orlando
6 reviews
3.0
6 reviews
Dined on June 22, 2023
1. Overall 3
2. Food 5
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Hands down, some of the best sushi ever. Service was friendly, but not very attentive. All things considered, I wouldn't go back.
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d
djsiry
VIP
New York City
3 reviews
2.0
3 reviews
Dined on May 21, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 3
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
This is my third time at Aoi, and unfortunately, it was a disappointment after 2 great dinners. Having ordered the omakase the last two times, I convinced close family friends to make the drive down since I was raving about it. When we got there, we were told we had to call ahead to order the omakase, which wasn't the case before and is not specified on their website. That was a disappointment as it was the whole point of the trip. Then we were told to order individually by adding menu items on each person's iPad to a "wish list", and we were told that they use this as our individual orders as they collected the iPads, so we didn't have to tell the waiter what we ordered. The problem is that after everybody had been served except one person, I inquired about when his food would arrive and they had no record of it on the order. They asked if he wanted to order again, but everyone was already done. So my guest left without having dinner at all. Also, I don't think the sushi was as good this time. The ikura and Uni pieces were comically small, and otoro was an oddly shaped square dwarfing a small ball of sushi underneath. I'm not sure if they have changed chefs or what but I will hesitate before making the drive down to Iselin again. I don't usually post these kinds of reviews but I do hope they fix the service and offer the same high-quality sushi course I had the first two times as I honestly felt it was the best I had experienced in NJ.
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JL
JohnL
VIP
New York City
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on May 12, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
very nice Japanese restaurant stowed away in a hotel. The staff was very cordial and was always on hand if we needed anything. I would highly recommend this restaurant, the food was fresh and tasty.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on May 6, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food, great service, great atmosphere! The best Japanese restaurant in town.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
New York City
1 review
2.0
1 review
Dined on April 21, 2023
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Visited on a Friday evening on 04/21/2023. Overrated restaurant! Could not get a full bottle is Sake from the menu as they did not have it. ( only had 1/2 bottle and had to settle down for a 10 oz flask). (Ordered two Hitsuyijama flower cocktail which was totally different from the one shown jn the digital menu)Except for the Pirikara which was very good all other dishes we ordered-Shashimi , 3 piece Wagyu, Oysters, Grilled Salmon belly, Chicken skewer - all were average ! Salmon was stale and had a distinct stale smell and very very oily ( it mentioned grilled, although in the menu) and so was the chicken- oily , bland and overcooked- rubbery! The sashimi was average- Tuna/Yellow Tail/ Salmon- nothing extraordinary- kind of stuff one would get in any restaurant! Service was decent as it was not crowded! Wagyu was also just average quality! BTW the waiter doubled as a bartender 😀! The ambiance is good and the decor is cool! But highly overrated and delivers poor value! Will not recommend to spend the evening for a special occasion! Thank goodness we didn’t order Omakase , as for $150 per person, one would get fantastic Japanese delicacies in NYC. Poor in terms of Value! Average in Food Quality! Fair service!
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MP
MohanrajP
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on April 16, 2023
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food , great service . we were a family of 4 and thoroughly enjoyed the service and the food. Bit pricey but taste was authentic and food was fresh.
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FAQs

Aoi Restaurant is rated 4.4 stars by 93 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable booking network. To check availability, please contact them directly.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

120 Wood Ave S, Iselin, NJ 08830

Additional information

Award-winning
1. MICHELIN Plate 2022
Cross street
Hilton Road
Neighborhood
Avenel
Hours of operation
Lunch Tue–Sun 12:00 pm–2:00 pm Dinner Tue–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:30 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Japanese, Sushi, Japanese Speciality
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Large free parking lot, in front and in the back of the hotel.
Public transit
Metropark train station, Woodbridge, NJ
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, JCB, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Chef's Table, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.aoirestaurants.com/
Phone number
(732) 635-7146
Catering
Catering: We offer various options, from chef action station, to sushi platters, and Bento boxes.<br /><br />
Private party facilities
Private Dining: Private sushi bar, for up to ten guests, semi private dining room for up to 8 guests, and semi private dining room for up to 22 guests.
Private party contact
Alex Serban: (732) 635-7146

Aoi Restaurant

Not available on OpenTable

There’s more to explore

Additional information

Hot Appetizers

Edamame$6.00

Vegetable Tempura$9.00

Agedashi Tofu$8.00

Croquette$7.00

Chicken Skewer$11.00

Grilled Salmon Belly$18.00

Grilled Black Cod$18.00

Tatsuta Age$8.00

Chicken Nanban$13.00

Shrimp Tempura App$10.00

Assorted Tempura$15.00

Eel Tempura$17.00

Shishamo Tempura$11.00

Popcorn Lobster & Shrimp$23.00

Hamachi Kama$18.00

Pork Katsu App$15.00

Pirikara$13.00

Chawanmushi$9.00

Wagyu Beef #1

Wagyu Beef #2

Cold Appetizers

Seaweed Salad$8.00

Kani Salad$10.00

Yellowtail Jalapeño$15.00

Tamago Trio$22.00

Ikatu Natto Wraps$13.00

Crispy Rice$15.00

Salmon Guac$15.00

Ankimo$15.00

Sashimi Sampler$20.00

Oyster of the Day

Maki Roll

Avocado$5.00

Cucumber$5.00

Oshinko$5.00

Natto$5.00

Kanpyo$5.00

Sweet Potato$5.00

California$6.00

Philadelphia$7.00

Tuna$7.00

Salmon$7.00

Yellowtail Scallion$7.00

Tuna Avocado$8.00

Tuna Cucumber$8.00

Salmon Avocado$8.00

Salmon Cucumber$8.00

Spicy Tuna$7.00

Spicy Salmon$7.00

Spicy Yellowtail$7.00

Spicy Scallop$8.00

Shrimp Tempura$8.00

Unagi$9.00

Ikura$10.00

Negitoro$14.00

Aoi Signature Roll

Fuji Roll$15.00

Dragon Roll$16.00

Spider Roll$16.00

Rainbow Roll$16.00

Naruto$16.00

Futomaki$16.00

Red Caterpillar Roll$18.00

Yellowtail Jalapeño Roll$19.00

Salmon Guacamole Roll$19.00

Pink Lady Roll$20.00

Volcano Roll$20.00

Medusa Roll$22.00

Sushi Entrée

Sushi Dinner$36.00

Sashimi Dinner$40.00

Chirashi$29.00

Tuna Don$26.00

Yellowtail Don$26.00

Salmon Ikura Don$28.00