Japanese Cuisines
Zenkichi
A hidden gem in Brooklyn ADDRESS: 77 N. Sixth St.,at Wythe Ave., Brooklyn PHONE: (718) 388-8985 DINNER: Tues.-Sat.,6-11:30 p.m.; Sun., 5:30-11 p.m. CUISINE: Japanese brasserie VIBE: Clandestine speakeasy OCCASION: Romantic date; under-the-radar dining DON’T-MISS DISH: Grilled miso oysters; scallops tempura PRICES: Small plates $5-$14; desserts $6-$6.50 RESERVATIONS: Highly recommended If James Bond were craving Japanese in Brooklyn, I imagine it would look a lot like Zenkichi. An air of mystery and glamour begins at an unmarked wood door on a lonely street corner at the edge of Williamsburg. As you descend a flight of stairs into this three-story labyrinth of corridors, you’ll feel like you’ve stumbled upon some hidden “otherworld” decorated with Japanese lanterns, bamboo and pebble-strewn floors. Diners are escorted to dimly lit wooden booths and secluded from other guests by bamboo shades. There are tabletop call buttons...
Read MoreSoto
Address: 357 Sixth Ave., at Washington Place Phone: 212.414.3088 Cuisine: Japanese/sushi Vibe: Unadorned serenity Scene: Serious sushi endeavors Hours: Dinner, Mon – Sat, 5:45pm – 11:45pm. Closed Sundays. First Bite Impressions: Transcendent tryst Inside Scoop: Omakase service begins later this month Note to Self: BYOB (If you forget, Waverly Liquors is nearby) Don’t Miss Dish: Steamed lobster with uni mousse Price: Appetizers, $10-20; Entrees, $20-30. Reservations: Reservations recommended. After eleven years of sushi service in an Atlanta strip mall, chef Sotohiro Kosugi has shut his doors and set off for the big city. The notoriously temperamental, “sushi nazi” wrangled a Food & Wine Best New Chef in 1997 for his masterful way with creatures of the sea. But after one too many tantrums, the chef wanted to start with a clean slate. And that’s exactly what designer Hiro Tsuruta...
Read MoreNatsumi
Address: 226 W. 50th St., btwn. Broadway & 8th Aves. Phone: 212.258.2988 Cuisine: Japanese-Italian fusion Vibe: Typical modern Asian Scene: Times Square escapees Hours: Sun – Mon, 11:30am – 11pm, Tue – Fri, 11:30am-11:30pm. Sat, 12pm-12am. Scoop: Separate bar & lounge with sushi-slanted lounge menu. Price: Appetizers, $2.50-$15. Entrees, $16-38. Reservations: Reservations accepted. www.natsuminyc.com Times Square’s a tricky stretch to open an ambitious restaurant. The late 7Square, a modern chophouse with Lespinasse-trained chef Shane McBride, quickly comes to mind. With Ruby Foo’s, Carmine’s & the relentless bowl of pasta at the Olive Garden, tourists & theater-goers are pretty much covered. But with numerous successes under their belt, restaurateurs Barbara Matsumura & Haru Konagaya seem to know how to please the public at large. Inspired by a recent trip to Italy, their newest gig is a bold move: a Japanese-Italian...
Read MoreTori Shin
1193 1st Ave., btwn. 64th & 65th Aves. (212)988-8408 TYPE: Japanese yakitori VIBE: Cozy hideaway OCCASION: Journey to a Tokyo eating counter on the UES DON’T MISS DISH: Miso-marinated chicken skewers DON’T BOTHER DISH: Chicken hearts DRINK SPECIALTY: BYOB (liquor license pending)… PRICE: $45 & up HOURS: Dinner, Monday, Wed. – Sun., 5:30 PM – 11 PM. Closed on Tuesdays. RESERVATIONS: Reservations accepted, recommended for large groups. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES: 7 (very good) FINAL WORD: An unlikely dining destination, Tori Shin makes its mark with a celebration of yakitori, elevating organic chicken to a simple, but inspired plane. After a disappointing visit to Ariyoshi for less than mediocre izakaya fare, I was hell-bent on uncovering a newcomer worthy of an authentic Japanese badge of honor. While searching for a sushi joint on the Upper East Side, I accidentally stumbled...
Read MoreAriyoshi
810 Broadway, nr. 12th St. (212)388-1884 TYPE: Japanese izakaya VIBE: Lackluster neighborhood spot OCCASION: A “something for everyone” Japanese outing DON’T MISS DISH: Cooked taro with baby shrimp & special sauce DON’T BOTHER DISH: Toro tartar with quail egg DRINK SPECIALTY: Sake and Japanese beers PRICE: $35 & up HOURS: Dinner, 7 days a week, 6 PM – 4 AM; Lunch, Mon – Fri, 12 – 2 PM. RESERVATIONS: Reservations accepted, but not necessary. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES: 5.5 FINAL WORD: With a menu that reads like a culinary encyclopedia of all things Japanese, Ariyoshi overextends itself, resulting in a flurry of well-priced, but unmemorable dishes. Seeing at it was the night after Christmas, I was in the mood for something other than peking duck and moo shu shrimp. First, I squired a reservation at Dennis Foy’s new Tribeca haunt...
Read MoreSasabune
Sasabune 401 East 73rd St., nr. 1st Ave. (212)249-8583 TYPE: Sushi VIBE: No nonsense UES sushi joint OCCASION: Serious sushi endeavors DON’T MISS DISH: Albacore sashimi, amberjack with ponzu sauce, crab hand roll – basically, the entire omakase menu. DRINK SPECIALTY: Sake & Japanese beer PRICE: $60 & up HOURS: Dinner, Mon – Sat, 5:30 PM – 10:30 PM; Lunch, Mon – Fri, 12 PM – 2 PM. RESERVATIONS: Reservations accepted, recommended for the sushi bar. RESTAURANT GIRL RATES: 8.5 FINAL WORD: The best sushi this side of Tokyo, Sasabune is a sushi trek definitely worth taking. At the risk of waging a culinary cook-off between Los Angeles & New York, I contend that LA’s only got one thing on NYC as far as food goes – sushi. But that’s all changed now that Sasabune has graced Manhattan with...
Read MoreJaponais
111 East 18th Street btwn. Park Avenue South & Irving Place (212)260-2020 Savory NY video TYPE: Contemporary Japanese & sushi VIBE: Feng shui sleek OCCASION: Entertaining GO WITH: A date, birthday party, or power lunch – the possibilities are endless DON’T MISS DISH: Wagyu brisket ravioli DON’T BOTHER DISH: Tuna tuna salmon roll PRICE: $50 & up HOURS: Dinner, Sunday-Thursday, 5 PM-11:00 PM, Friday & Saturday, 5 PM-11:30 PM. The lounge (no food served after 11) stays open Sunday-Wednesday until 1 AM, Thursday, 1:30 AM, & Friday & Saturday until 3 AM. Lunch will begin come September. RESERVATIONS: Two weeks in advance for prime hours. INSIDE SCOOP: No reservations necessary in the “walk-ins only” upstairs & downstairs lounge (100 seats & with an abbreviated food menu). RESTAURANT GIRL RATES (1-10): 6 FINAL WORD: A big addition to the neighborhood…...
Read MoreChanto
RESTAURANT: Chanto CUISINE: International Japanese WINE LIST: 30 sakes & 40 wines (8 Japanese wines) VIBE: moody elegance DON’T MISS DISH: King of Kimchee DON’T BOTHER: Snapper sashimi OCCASION: When you want to dine uptown, downtown. Take your Japanese clients. HOURS: M-Th dinner 6-12, Fri. & Sat. dinner 6-3; Sun. dinner 6-11. RESERVATIONS: Recommended PRICE: $50 & up RESTAURANT GIRL RATED: (1-10) 6 Already well-loved for its 49 restaurants in Japan, the Chanto dynasty is determined to make this Greenwich Village outpost the 50th star on their proverbial dining flag (think Nobu gone Wolfgang Puck). Once home to former 90’s hotspot Moomba, the red and black glassed-in lounge complete with come hither red leather banquettes creates the perfect atmosphere to mingle over Japanese spirits and oysters. If you decide to take dinner more seriously, allow not one,...
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