Japanese Cuisines
Restaurant Spotting: Bara
The East Village is arguably New York’s top dining destination right now, with more than its share of noteworthy newcomers (Tuome, Huertas, King Bee, GG’s, Bowery Meat Company, Root and Bone, & Empellon al Pastor), and just as many seminal institutions, like Russ & Daughters, Prune, & Momofuku Noodle Bar. But the restaurant we’re most excited about hasn’t made anyone’s “hot” list yet, which means you can actually still snag a prime time table…
Read MoreMore than Just Noodles at Ivan Ramen
There may be more ramen restaurants than you can shake a chopstick at in New York nowadays, but that didn’t keep residents from eagerly anticipating the heralded debut of Ivan Ramen on the Lower East Side, which finally opened in May. Owned by native New Yorker, who catapulted to fame in Tokyo after opening two wildly successful and respected ramen-yas (an unprecedented accomplishment for a foreigner), Ivan Ramen launched his first stand-alone venture back in the States…
Read MoreAida
Sick of eating French food in France? Hey, it happens. Though it’s an exemplary cuisine, it’s also a decadent one, and sometimes you just need a break, which is what compelled my husband and I to take a night off and eat Japanese. Before you get too excited, I should warn you that most Japanese in Paris aren’t great. In fact, the sushi is downright mediocre. But there are a few, fantastic exceptions and Aida is most definitely one of them. (Thus, all the Japanese guests in the dining room.) That’s because the chef and owner, Koji Aida, came to Paris straight from the countryside of Japan. And after an hour inside this serene oasis in the 7th arrondissement, you may forget your in France entirely. Both the food and the space is traditional teppanyaki with only chef...
Read MoreKiss Sushi
There are only twelve seats at this jewel box of a sushi spot in San Francisco. If you’re a purist about your sushi, you’ll love Kiss Seafood. (If you’re not and you love inventive sauces or creative combinations, eat elsewhere.) It’s run by a husband-and-wife team and open only four days a week, which further makes it feel like you’ve just been invited into their notably zen dining room for dinner. There’s a solid sake selection and some seriously fresh fish. The chef specializes in a series of cooked dishes, like fish ball soup or steamed sea urchin with tofu sauce, sashimi, sushi, and various levels of omakase. I recommend the chef’s omakase, which includes a mix of cooked dishes, sashimi and sushi. On the night we were there, the omakase included a trio of raw fish preparations,...
Read MoreNew York Sushi Ko – Reviewed
By now, you’ve probably heard about New York Sushi Ko. (Or not.) It’s part of the new order of sushi joints popping up around New York City (hurray!). And by new order, I mean hip, laidback, and excellent. Let’s face it: Most sushi temples (the great ones anyway) evoke solemn dining experiences, like eating in church, speaking in hushed whispers, careful not to disturb or annoy the chef behind the sushi counter. And I won’t even get into it that Los Angeles has always trumped New York in the sushi department…
Read MoreQ & A with New York Sushi Ko’s John Daley
New York Sushi Ko’s John Daley doesn’t exactly fit the expected mold of Sushi Chef. His bare arms are covered by a riot of tattoos, with the words “FISH” and “RICE” emblazoned across his knuckles. He plays reggae music over the restaurant’s sound system, and is known for muttering expletives (sometimes playfully, sometimes not) at his sous chefs. Oh, and he’s caucasian.
Read MoreZenkichi
There’s nothing that adds more to the romance of Valentine’s Day than a sexy atmosphere. While it might be just a restaurant, dining at Zenkichi, a sexy izakaya in Brooklyn, is a Bond-like experience. You’ll happen on a corner with an unmarked building in Williamsburg. Slip inside and down the stairs and suddenly you’re in Japan (well almost). There’s rocks on the floor, bamboo trim, and trickling water in the background to set the mood. Oh, and each booth has a privacy curtains. Every time the server enters they have to ring a bell. Sound sexy? Damn right. Start with a seasonal sake from their impressive selection and an order of the Salmon with its own Roe, Lamb Chop Tataki with ginger onion soy sauce and Sweet Duck Salad with soft egg and baby greens. For dessert,...
Read MoreIppudo’s Spicy Pork Ramen
In Japan,Ippudo is a dime a dozen. But in New York, this Japanese brasserie is a rare gem. It boasts some of the most innovative ramen dishes in the city, with a dinner menu featuring six different types of ramen bowls with seven varieties of toppings. With lines out the door almost every night, it’s no surprise that their ramen is some of the best in all of Manhattan.
Read MoreWhat I’m Loving – Yopparai
It’s not easy to surprise me with a great, new restaurant that’s not really new at all. It makes me feel like I’ve failed as a food writer and restaurant chaser. How did I miss the memo about Yopparai? Seriously. I suggested we go for Japanese to a friend who responded, “I just went to a great spot on the Lower East Side.” When I neared the entrance, I realized I’d been to the same address for sushi just a year before when it was Sushi Uo, an oddball sushi spot that sadly didn’t last long. I buzzed the same mysterious buzzer, then passed through a door into a railroad-style apartment building where the restaurant occupies a long, narrow space on the ground floor. There’s a long wood sushi bar with cozy, cushioned seating, several two-tops along the wall,...
Read MoreWhat I’m Loving – Ootoya
I had nearly given up on eating at the new Japanese izakaya Ootoya in Gramercy. Every time I tried to stop in for dinner I’d stumble into a fleet of hopeful diners surrounding the hostess stand and come up against an hour or two wait for a table. Having become very impatient in my old age, I’d sulk near the bar for ten minutes, then head to nearby 15 East or another Japanese joint. I’d all but given up, but I thought I’d do one last drive-by on the evening of the recent Noreaster. The room was still buzzing and the eating counter packed, but the snowfall had scared off a few diners, so there was one two-top left in the house. The counter seats and main dining room were all taken, but I was happy to be indoors, gifted a cup of...
Read MoreMorimoto
There’s tuna tartare and then there’s Morimoto’s version. Considering his love for luxury ingredients, we should’ve expected something decadent, but this Toro Tuna Tartare takes the cake. It’s extravagant, expensive, and worth every penny.
Read MoreSushi Samba 7
It’s not every day you find a restaurant that successfully fuses Japanese, Brazilian, and Peruvian cuisines, but at Sushi Samba, that’s exactly what you’ll get. The resulting menu is full of unexpected and rewarding dishes that somehow work. For summer, we’re obsessed with their Sweet Corn Kakiage this summer. They mix corn kernels in with the tempura batter and then toss small spoonfuls into the deep fryer, resulting in sweet, crunchy corn fritters. They finish the dish off with a little touch of shichimi, black truffle sauce, and lime zest. It’s one of the most original ways we’ve seen corn used around the city, making this a must try dish for...
Read MoreBlue Ribbon Izakaya – The Sexy Date
Tucked inside the Thompson Hotel on the Lower East Side, Blue Ribbon Izakaya is the newest addition to the Blue Ribbon empire. If you’ve never had the pleasure of dining in an izakaya — that’s Japanese for a pub — this is the perfect place to start. The room itself is sexy and sleek with a mix of communal tables, private tables and a long sushi bar at the center of it all. The menu is humongous, so there’s something for everyone to discover, and in true izakaya fashion, most dishes are small plates, best for sharing with your date. We strongly recommend you venture out of your comfort zone and try delectable nibbles, like Yellowtail Tartare, capped off with a quail egg, and a seasonal Crab Dish with Ponzu Butter. If your date is a fried rice fanatic,...
Read MoreYakitori Totto
Climb the stairs of this second floor walk-up and you’ll feel as if you’ve stepped out of Manhattan and into an izakaya in Tokyo. One of my favorite food escapes in the city, grab a seat along the counter to watch the yakitori chefs at work. “Yakitori” translates as grilled bird with an emphasis on head-to-toe-chicken, but some of our favorite dishes never touch the grill at all.
Read MoreMasa
From start to finish, a mind-blowing meal that will change the way you see Japanese food forever. Sit at the counter, so you can watch the sushi chefs create divine bites of truffle-coated sushi, toro with black caviar, mackerel, and snapper sushi. Dinner at Masa isn’t exclusively sushi. There’s excellent cooked dishes as well, like wagyu with white truffles, langoustines and more.
Read MoreKyo-Ya Reviewed
Kyo-Ya *** Stars (Out of Four) Address: 94 East 7th St., nr First Avenue Phone: (212)982-4140 Cuisine: Eclectic Japanese with Kaiseki Tasting Vibe: Serene , Subterranean Oasis Occasion: Intimate date, tranquil escape, or craving Japan Drink: Seasonal Sakes Don’t Miss: Grilled magret duck, chawan mushi, braised daikon in broth, & green tea creme brulee. Don’t Bother: Seasonal Tsukemono (Seasonal Pickles) We spend so much time chasing after new restaurants we often forget about the ones that have managed to stick around long enough to no longer be considered new. And as you know, in New York, that’s no easy feat. For my birthday, a friend was determined to take me for dinner somewhere I’d never been. While I doubted the likelihood, I played along and headed down to 94 East 7th Street in the East Village to discover where...
Read MoreNew York's Best Izakayas
What’s better then a good bar? A good Japanese bar with scores of sake, shochu and Asian beer! Just like any Spanish tapas bar, Japanese izakayas offer plenty of traditional small plates to nibble on. Most fly under the radar, but there are some terrific izakayas hidden all over Manhattan. Venture into any one of them and you’ll discover natives nostalgic for a taste of home, foodies and chefs seizing the opportunity to snack on grilled chicken meatballs, fried oysters, homemade tofu, and cold, spiced octopus. My favorite is Yakitori Totto in midtown. I love their shochu cocktails with lemon or lime juice you squeeze fresh right at the table, along with chicken delicacies, seaweed salad, and some surprisingly great desserts. But there’s izakayas all over the city — a taste of Japan without hopping a plane to Tokyo....
Read MoreInakaya
231 W. 40th St., between Eighth & Broadway. (212) 354-2130 Dinner, Mon.-Sun., 5 p.m.-11 p.m.; lunch, Mon.-Fri., 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. CUISINE: Traditional Japanese robatayaki. VIBE: Dinner theater. DON’T-MISS DISH: Chicken thigh skewers, Kaku Ni simmered Berkshire pork belly, Kinki deep-sea snapper, ginkgo nuts. AVERAGE PRICES: Appetizers, $10; entrees, $20; desserts, $5. RESERVATIONS: Recommended for the robata counter. About four years ago, I ate at Inakaya in Tokyo. The locals said I shouldn’t miss it. They warned me it’s touristy. Guess what? It is. And the food’s excellent. Now New York‘s got its own Inakaya, and the food is just as good. This one’s scaled to New York, so it’s triple the size of the Tokyo flagship, and so is the menu. It’s right across from the Port Authority at the edge of Times Square, in the Olive Garden–Red Lobster–Applebee’s...
Read MoreMr. Jones Yakitori
Mr. Jones: A little swank with your yakitori. 243 E. 14th St., (212) 253-7670. Sun.-Wed., 5:30 p.m.-midnight; Thur.-Sat., 5:30 p.m.-2 a.m.; CUISINE: Traditional Japanese VIBE: Stealthy yakitori den; OCCASION: Night out, casual date; DON’T MISS DISH: Chicken wings, wagyu with wasabi, escolar with citrus sauce; PRICE: Appetizers $6; entrees $15; desserts, none; RESERVATIONS: Recommended Some people like to invent imaginary friends. Lesley Bernard likes to invent imaginary friends who design restaurants. He created Tillman’s, a Harlem soul lounge in Chelsea, named after its fictional proprietor, Mr. Tillman. Mr. Jones is the name of Bernard’s new restaurant on E. 14th St. The question is — who does Mr. Jones think he is? And more importantly, do you really want to eat in the mind of a fictional character? Especially a mind that resembles James Coburn’s in “In Like Flint”? But...
Read MoreMatsugen
Paradise found in a bowl of soba noodles. 241 Church St., at Leonard St. (212) 925-0202 Tues.-Sun., 5:30 p.m.-midnight; Fri. & Sat., 5:30 p.m.-1 a.m; closed Mondays. CUISINE: Taste of Tokyo VIBE Hip, tranquil Tribeca haunt. OCCASION Intimate date; business dinner; serious noodle endeavors. DON’T-MISS DISH Homemade tofu; Matsugen special soba; inaka soba with goma dare sauce; grapefruit jelly. PRICE Appetizers, $9-$65; entrées, from $12; desserts, $9-$14. RESERVATIONS Recommended The last time I ate food cooked by the Matsushita brothers, the chefs at Matsugen, was in the Ginza District of Tokyo. I went to both of their restaurants. It was my first serious introduction to the simple, intense flavors and ingredients of Tokyo cooking – astonishingly fresh soba noodles, grilled pork belly, homemade tofu, even my first taste of uni. And I can tell you that Jean-Georges Vongerichten...
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