- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Jewel Bako
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Japanese Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
239 E 5th St(between 2nd Ave & Cooper Sq)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 979-1012
- Nearest Transit:
-
Astor Pl (4, 6, 6X)
8 St - Nyu (N, R)
Bleecker St (4, 6, 6X)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
153 reviews for Jewel Bako
Review Highlights
"I def need to come back and try the omakase."
(in 63 reviews)
"The Tsukiji Fish Market special of snapper was amazing and..."
(in 7 reviews)
"The owner, Jack Lamb, personally presented each dish to me..."
(in 9 reviews)
Loading...
153 reviews in English
-
Review from Jason D.
New York, NY
1/21/2012
The best sushi I've had in the city, and I'm generally here once per week I'd probably eat at Jewel Bako once per week even if I didn't live across the street from the place :-).
Food. Sushi is top notch - never had a bad piece of fish in the 50+ times I've eaten here. I generally get the selection of sushi although I'll get the chef's omakase sushi selection on special occasions. Miso soup is very nicely done with a fish stock. Occasionally we'll order the edamame. And they do a very nice green tea ice cream sandwich for desert.
I've had the makimono rolls once or twice but they're a bit too large with too much rice for my taste.
Their beer selection is great - several interesting Japanese craft beers - I recommend the Yebisu. Excellent cold and hot sakes as well (although I'm very far from a sake expert).
Ambience is intimate and service is very attentive. Food and drinks are served on a variety of unique handmade plates and glassware. -
Review from Thomas A.
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
The place is hidden in the east village. It's on 5th street closer to 2nd avenue. The place is small but quaint.
Got here around 6:45 and was seated without any problems. It wasn't crowded for a Thursday night. The staff were very hospitable from the host, waiter, waitresses, etc...
When we were seated they gave us hot towels to clean our hands. They even undid the napkins and placed it on our laps. My friend and I opted for the omakase, which comes with a complimentary white miso soup.
We got ice water, and also asked for green tea. The green tea was yummy; it was mild and not overpowering as some green teas can be very bitter if it's too concentrated. The sushi chef gave us a free amuse bouche: a crunchy fried rice ball topped with some bluefin tuna and with some spicy sauce that really had a nice kick. It seemed like it was some type of hot sauce (maybe frank's) and mayo. It had a nice kick and the bite was perfect. It was crunchy, spicy, salty, sweet, soft...mmm it definitely entertained my mouth.
The white miso soup is very delicate. The broth wasn't too strong, and the tofu was soft. Unfortunately, i took my time eating my soup, and it ended up getting cold on me.
Finally the omakase of sashimi arrived. I forget all the damn pieces but it was good. There was blue fun tuna, another type of tuna, a salmon, shrimp, octopus (like in Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern), scallop, etc...
I really enjoyed the octopus with yuzu. Like in Bizarre foods, I poured the yuzu that was housed in the Octopus' suction cup on to the octopus, but i didn't stop there, i also poured some of it on the scallop. The suction cup was nice and crunchy and it really absorbed the flavor of the yuzu. The octopus meat itself was tender and again it absorbed the yuzu. The scallops were amazing. The salmon tasted like it was marinaded in Worcestershire sauce or something but it definitely was not (maybe it was cold smoked or something?) I'm not sure but it the taste was surprisingly good. I think it was the mackeral that had a really great creamy/mayo flavor to it.
Every single piece was fresh, and it was just awesome.
To end things off we got the green tea ice cream sandwich. It was 2 chocolate cooking sandwiching a soft mild green tea ice cream. It was bliss. The ice cream was too soft to handle as a sandwich so i had to separate it and eat the cookies and ice cream separately.
The sakes are reasonably priced as well.
Great hole in the wall place; it def is one of the better sushi spots in NYC. -
Review from MoMo B.
Brooklyn, NY
1/1/2012
Great, slightly more upscale and fancy sushi place.
The food was delicious, the service was friendly and attentive, and the space in general is really cool. (Check out the pictures in the reviews.)
We skipped the dessert and went elsewhere, but I'm sure it would have been good. -
Review from Jen I.
Manhattan, NY
1/30/2012
Phenom as always. Top notch service. Can't get any fresher than their sushi.
-Hamachi & Scallion Roll
-Negitoro Roll
-Spicy Tuna w/ Yellowtail, cucumber and scallion roll (all sorts of flavors in your mouth)
-Otoro (fatty tuna) : MELTAGE
-red wines are all good -
Review from stacy y.
New York, NY
1/29/2012
WARNING: SPICY SAUCE IS SPICY! You can seriously have a heart attack. I ordered a spicy tuna handroll it tore through my stomach.
The spicy sauce ruined my meal.
SO.....BEWARE of SPICY anything here. Other than that, everything else was good. -
Review from tiffanie n.
Brooklyn, NY
12/3/2011
AMAZING. impeccable service and food.
For our appetizer, we got the Braised King Salmon in a delicate sea urchin sauce. Our waitress recommended this to us, and I enjoyed it. Great flavors and fish was moist.
I also asked our waitress for the tuna pizza but she said we can only get that as part of the tasting menu. But she was sweet enough to bring me a piece to try! Also, we asked for the fried shrimp heads (off menu) and I think you have to order a few jumbo shrimps to get it but they gave it to us without ordering the jumbo shrimps. WOW....where can you get service like this! We weren't rushed either.
I got the Makimono Omakase a tasting of all nine large makimono - rolls. And I loved all of the pieces on there.
Dessert - green tea ice cream cookie ssandwich. The cookies were so good!! I liked it better than the ice cream itself.
New favorite sushi place!! I kept thinking about this place all night b/c the food really stuck with me. Very rare for that to happen. -
Review from Vintage G.
Manhattan, NY
1/6/2012
I been told that the fish selection is broad and selective. I am just a salmon and tuna type of a guy.
Blue Fin Tuna? No thanks.
Other fishes? I don't know what those fishes are in english... let alone japanese. -
Review from Lauren F.
Los Angeles, CA
1/3/2012
Disappointing. My boyfriend and I ate dinner here last week while visiting from LA. We both ordered the nigiri omakase. We are avid sushi eaters and have tried omakase at many places in LA.
I expected our meal at Jewel Bako to consist of a selection of the restaurant's best fish served in a progression of courses. Instead, they served their omakase as a single course on one plate (per person) with 8-10 pieces of nigiri and 3 pieces of maki. This in and of itself was disappointing since much of the pleasure of omakase for me is sampling each dish slowly in a series of courses. I did not feel like our meal was truly omakase. If I wanted a bunch of sushi pieces on a plate, I would have ordered off the regular menu.
Then there was the quality of the sushi. It was completely mediocre and not at all up to par for the price of our meal. Most of the pieces came highly seasoned with sriracha, wasabi, soy sauce or sea salt, obscuring the flavor of the fish (perhaps as a tactic to jazz up lackluster fish?). The rice was chewy and tasted as if it had been sitting around for a while. They served an amuse bouche of a crispy rice ball topped with tuna and spicy mayo. I've had my fair share of crispy rice with tuna in LA (it's been a copycat dish all over and a standard you can find at any sushi place). Jewel Bako's was the worst I've ever had. The rice ball was cold and again very chewy. No crispiness or warmth. Clearly the restaurant prepares these rice balls in advance and does not fry them to order.
Another oddity was the maki. The maki in our omakase consisted of 3 small pieces of cut toro roll. Each piece with a tiny amount of toro. Admittedly, it tasted good. But what I found odd was that they wasted toro by serving it in roll form. They could have easy served it nigiri or sashimi style and improved the overall quality of our meal. Perhaps they were trying to find a way to cut their costs on omakase while using up toro scraps. I thought it was really strange since omakase at this price point would typically include some toro sashimi (at least in LA).
I left feeling cheated, wondering how this place got such great reviews on Yelp. -
Review from J J.
Manhattan, NY
11/5/2011
Just do Omakase.
One of the better sushi places, if not best, in NYC.
Really small place.
Extremely uncomfortable seating arrangements.
But good service, good food. -
Review from Kevin W.
10/28/2011
I've come to the realization that Omakase always tastes better when eaten at the bar. Not knowing what inventive thing you're going to eat next and being surprised by it is, well, better. It seems to taste better at least. (I did not eat at the bar here unfortunately).
The omakase can be either a sushi omakase or a sashimi omakase.
Sushi omakase:
* obviously comes with rice, so more filling, and nice to have a starch
* salmon was raw but had a smoked flavor to it - awesome! that one stood out to me the most
Sashimi omakase:
* the fish selections are slightly different from the sushi omakase, so ask your server what that difference is
* more unadultered pieces of fish (i.e. vs a shiso leaf wrapped one in the sushi omakase)
I don't remember having any Uni, or Amaebi in either omakase. Fail. Toro was not the fattiest i've seen, but still very tasty. There was a whole range of other white fish that were all excellent and tender. Quality of fish overall was superb - hard to beat anywhere - size of them could've been bigger though.
If you are REALLY hungry, I would not recommend coming here to stuff your face. I honestly could've eaten both omakases by myself, but because i am a gentleman (some would say a borderline girl) i shared. (Omakase here is cheaper at 55 pp than other places, so factor that in.)
I enjoyed this more than Seki, less than Sasabune, and have not yet been to Gari or Yasuda. -
Review from Jaimee A.
11/5/2011
What a great sushi experience!! The restaurant is adorable and the staff is attentive without being overbearing. They answered all of my dopey questions without making me feel, well, dopey.
We had the Chef's tasting Omakase. We had the most delicious bottle of sake. Really outrageous and I drank a lot of it, so if I don't recall the names of some of the fish we ate please cut me some slack.
We started with:
a bite of tuna pizza (tuna sashimi on top of deep friend rice and spicy sauce). The tuna melted in your mouth - so delicious. I contemplated steeling the tuna pizza bite from the couple at the next table.
Next was edamame with rock salt - very tasty.
Then then we had micro green salad with seared salmon skin, raw mackerel with balsamic jelly, raw Kumamoto oyster (got to eat the hubby's, he doesn't do raw oysters - loser!!) and spicy yellowtail in a fried cup - very yum.
Then an amazing plate of sashimi (a personal favorite) - mackerel, blue fin tuna (delectable), raw shrimp (a yummy first for us), salmon, octopus (not a fan of raw octopus, but this was very good) and some other fish that I don't remember but it was good.
Now came the hot food. We got the salmon in miso cooked in parchment and the crispy scorpion fish. This was the only low point in the meal. The scorpion fish didn't taste as exotic as the name. It was kind of bland and boring. The salmon tasted like, well, salmon. Totally overpowered the miso. I prefer my salmon raw - too fishy when cooked.
Then came a delicious plate of sushi - blue fin tuna (melted in your mouth) salmon (yum), scallop (delicately sweet and good), mackerel wrapped in a leaf (very good) and eel (IMHO the true chicken of the sea - delicious). There were a few other pieces of fish but I don't recall what they were (again I drank A LOT of sake).
Dessert was green tea ice cream served in a chocolate cookie sandwich with some chocolate sauce which was quite good. It was served with a cup of hot green tea. We would definitely come back and next time do the sushi/sashimi only tasting menu. The hot food was a waste of a course for us. -
Review from Max M.
Manhattan, NY
10/25/2011
We had a very enjoyable dinner here. First, this place is pretty classy and a bit out of sync with the area, which we thought was an awesome touch.
We opted for the tasting menu, which was a pretty good choice. Less thinking for us, and we pretty much tried everything on the menu.
The sushi here really fresh. I especially enjoyed the raw shrimp, oysters, o-toro, and the tartare.
Since you have little choice in the tasting menu, they ask you up front what you don't want, I would recommend skipping the salmon skin and battered fried fish (can't remember what it was exactly).
Everything else was really awesome, although this was wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too much food for me! -
Review from Miranda D.
Lower East Side, Manhattan, NY
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Fantastic. Cosy but stylish environment. Impeccable service. For our first visit we kept things simple with the sushi and sashimi entrees which comes with a delicate and welcomingly warm white miso soup - so good given the freezing evening outside. The seaweed salad with tiny, crunchy rice balls was a colourful delight. By the time we came to last morsel of sushi, we could do nothing more than smile at each other with satisfaction. The green tea icecream sandwich was the perfect way to cap off the evening. Oh, and the sake.....mmmmmm
-
Review from Julie C.
New York, NY
8/5/2011
Excellent quality fish with great service. I love how hidden it is in the East Village and for someone like me going there for the first time, I almost missed the entrance.
I don't know how hard or easy for that matter a reservation to this place is. I came for a 9:30pm seating at the sushi bar on a Thursday night. Half of the restaurant was empty. Honestly, I like it and would like to think only the few in-the-knows would come here for a good sushi meal.
The sushi bar set up is different from most of the other Japanese places. Sitting at the bar one would not feel any distance from the chef and the food that's coming your way. It's pretty, cool.
Food was good. I appreciated that they didn't provide a sauce dish for soy sauce. I enjoyed every piece the chef served with its special sauce or seasoning, even though the fish was fresh enough without much sauce/seasoning needed. Of course, all that just made it more fun to eat.
I almost wanted take one star away for the fact that they received a "Grade Pending" which was well hidden behind all the Michelins. -
Review from Stacy T.
Elmhurst, NY
7/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place seems so exclusive from the exterior and almost like a lounge. The facade is very modest and minimally adorned. The restaurant itself is not that large. The interior is darkly lit, except for the sushi bar, which is where I sat with my date.
As usual, the service was impeccable and very accomodating. The ambiance is a little less stuffy than that of Yasuda's bar seating. The sushi chefs frequently joked with one another and the servers. The sushi bar is also the room where all the business transactions occur, so it is very busy. There were servers rushing from one side of the bar to another. I didn't enjoy the frenzy, but it didn't distract me too much. Also, I got a waiter that looked like a movie star, haha.
I ordered the sushi only omakase and was pleased to have the female chef Sho ( I am not sure if this is spelled correctly) on her last day at Jewel Bako.
Starter:
1. Ball of flying roe with spicy mayo - One fish ball artfully placed on a leaf, a very rough textured taste.
2. White Miso Soup - standard tasting, nothing of note.
Omakase
1. Partially sear tuna - soft, the rice is sweeter than I have had in other restaurants.
2. Striped Jack Fish - very tender, handle carefully as this was a delicate piece.
3. Tasmanian Salmon with smoked soy sauce - a very distinct taste coupled with the smoked soy sauce, innovative and a fresh twist on the usual salmon
4. White striped bass with lime - Nice lime tang at the end of the tasting
5. White shrimp -t iny shrimp bundled on top some rice. The shrimp is not as gooey as when I had it at Azabu. This had an interesting spicy and salty intricacy.
6. Mackeral, scallion, ginger and shiso leaf - This was a mixture that was re-shaped onto a piece of rice. It does not look pretty but it is definitely a new spin on sushi. I didn't like this one too much because the shiso leaf was over powering.
7. Toro - this piece of toro was special because it came from the cheek, so it was evenly marbled with fat. Usually the toro comes from the belly, this is my first time having it from the cheek. It was a very very good piece of tuna.
8. Sea scallop wrapped with seared uni - I like the new combination. The uni contrasted the scallop well - the scallop was light and delicate while the uni had a deeper flavor.
9. Octopus with yuzu juice and green tea salt - the octopus was fresh, firm and flavorful, but the green tea salt pushed it over the edge to make it distinct.
10. A mini fishbowl full of salmon roe, rice, shredded seaweed - Sho placed a tiny slice of cucumber with freshly grated wasabi on top of the mixture. The salmon roe had a deep, almost smokey and miso-like flavor to it, and it was not very salty.
11. Marinated bonito - very fleshy, had a deep red color, almost tasted and looked like raw beef. Interesting and a new one for me.
12. Sea Eel - usually very tender, but here it was almost creamy because she stacked it in between two leaves and smoked it with a blow torch.
End of Omakase. At this point I just wanted to try something new, so I ordered a few more pieces.
1. Sand bore with kelp - this was very interesting, since I have never had this fish before. They store the fish between two kelp pieces and clean the fish out when it is ordered. The fish was not better than other pieces, but had a smoked taste to it.
2. Pen shell scallop - Sho sliced the scallop in half and wedged rice in between and tied it with some seaweed, essentially she made a sushi sandwich! This was amazing. The scallop was firm and had the texture of long bundled filaments. I really enjoyed the ingeniuity and new flavors.
Lastly, we were served a complimentary dessert - green tea ice cream with homemade cookies and candied nuts. The salty chocolate complemented the ice cream very well. If you want dessert, get this.
Overall, amazing food for less than one would expect, it ended up being $80/person even with the add'l pieces. Awesome!Listed in: Sushi - The Good, The Bad, and…
-
Review from Eva W.
7/29/2011
Really nice ambiance. I love the svelte wood beams arching across the seating area. We were seated at the mirrored end right before the sushi bar. Who doesn't love seeing themselves out of the corner of their eye as they eat..
The omakase tasting menu was delicious, and I came out of it fully stuffed.
Great quality of food. The sashimi was deliciously fresh, and the cooked dishes were artfully prepared. I loved their dish of assorted mushrooms, which was prepared in a paper pouch. By the time the sushi platter came out, I could barely eat any more and handed the plate over to my dining partner.
The highlight of dinner was when my dining partner dropped his edamame into his $40 cup of sake. And then quickly scooped it out and pretended nothing happened. Precious :)
Will return, but probably won't tackle the omakase unless I've done some stomach stretching exercises beforehand..kidding -
Review from Sushi S.
Charlotte, NC
7/7/2011
The best thing about Jewel Bako was the people who work there. I was shocked to find everyone so nice, friendly, and in such a great mood, when I recently dined at Jewel Bako. The service was top-notch, and everyone made eye contact and was so welcoming.
The food itself was just OK for me. I ordered omakase dinner, and nothing really stood out. The rice was just OK. So I'd have to say that I won't be returning for the food. Still, it was rather affordable, and again, the people were so awesome!
I've been trying to find a sushi place that does sushi better than Sushi Yasuda, and the search continues. Otherwise, I'm going to keep going back to Yasuda, even though I find the people there to be cold and unfriendly. -
Review from Liz C.
4/6/2011
I was a picky eater as a child, and didn't grow comfortable with seafood until after I turned 25. It was a concerted effort - involving many reputable omakases, including the daunting sashimi omakase at Jewel Bako.
JB shares a wall with the inimitable Degustation, and crams lots of tables-for-two in a space resembling a very small and stylish wind tunnel. Despite a play at intimacy, the volume level and proximity to other tables (a hyperbolic five inches, give or take) render it a pretty raucous dining room - sometimes, to the point of distraction.
I'd direct hardcore sushi lovers to JB. Being a relative dilettante when it comes to sushi appreciation, I found the space somewhat uncomfortable (albeit beautiful). However, the fish is fresh and the presentation is artful. I dutifully finished, with minimal difficulty, about 2/3rds of the twenty-odd sashimi. $100 will guarantee each head adequate food and drink.Listed in: Posh Noshin', Douchy Sushi
-
Review from Diandra D.
New York, NY
5/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
...And still the undisputed heavyweight champion of sushi ... Jewel Bako - a part of me was dreading this evening's reservations, fearful that our near perfect first experience was nothing more than just a collective dream my husband and I had about the best sushi we've ever tasted.
I am happy to report that we were not dreaming. I suggested to him that we get the Omakase. "But we got that last time we were here," he replied. "Yes," I quipped, "and did we not love it?" Point taken. Typically, we find that there is either way too much food or not nearly enough with a chef's tasting menu, but tonight's selection was just right.
I would be doing Jewel Bako a disservice by incorrectly reporting every dish that we sampled, as there were many of them. But two things that stick out quite distinctly in my mind were
1) the miso glazed salmon (and let me clarify that I have had this dish many times in my life, but NEVER like this) -Buttery and tender, it was served in a wrapped up piece of parchment that was opened right below my olfactory tract, sending every nerve in that bundle of axons into a TOTAL frenzy. I've never eaten salmon like this before- it literally melted in my mouth!
2) I'm amazed at how mediocre every other sushi you've ever had seems once you've eaten fish that is as fresh and wonderfully prepared as Jewel Bako carries. There's really no need for ginger, soy sauce, wasabi ... or any typical Japanese accompaniments, as Jewel Bako has perfected the art of presenting fish in its most simplistic and naturally authentic form - and as with anything else, things are at their best when they are in their natural state.
If you are considering a trip, be warned that excellent food and service like this does come at a price. Be ready to spend a pretty penny for less food than you might get at a more mainstream sushi restaurant. -
Review from jocy c.
SHORT VERSION:
Great sashimi (freshness and taste) - 4 stars
Portion size - SMALL - minus 1 star - $52 Omakase will leave you HUNGRY
Clientele - minus 1 star
LONG VERSION:
Jewel Bako has 1 star in the Michelin Guide... so it goes without saying that bf and I were expecting a treat. We were happy to be able to get a table for 2 on a Friday night at 9PM (with no reservations and after a 15 minute wait). YAY!
FOOD:
After reviewing the menu, we ordered the Omakase ($52 version) and went at it. The sashimi was very fresh; some FLOWN in from JAPAN. Woot. However, both bf and I walked out STILL HUNGRY. It goes without saying that when Omakase is ordered, it is NOT expected to order other food to supplement. I totally agree with another Yelper's review of "Honey I Shrunk the Kids Machine" on their sushi. That's how bf and I felt. It really blows to spend $100 on a dinner and walk out hungry. Worse feeling ever to walk out of a dinner still hungry. BOO!
CLIENTELE:
Our experience here was also ruined by 2 drunk guys sitting at the table next to us. Since the tables are packed so tightly together at the restaurant, we could hear every single word that the 2 drunk guys were saying. Dropping f-bombs and c-bombs left and right. What a way to ruin a nice atmosphere at such a nice restaurant. It's a 1 Michelin star restaurant. Where are the MANNERS? During their conversation, 1 of the drunk guys pounded his fist on their table so hard that his cup of sake spilled all over the table. This happened twice. Our night ended with the other drunk guy giving a lesson on what a SHISO LEAF was. ENOUGH SAID!
PICTURES:
Amuse Bouche - fried rice ball with tuna sashimi & tobiko - http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Omakase - http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Lychee Dessert - http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Green Tea Ice Cream Sandwich - http://www.yelp.com/bi...
CONCLUSION:
I ended up thinking... what a nice restaurant with great food but ruined with curse words and small portions. Sadness.
Fresh sashimi nonetheless with very courteous service. Would still recommend to try at least once to say that you've been BUT you've been WARNED. You might still end up leaving hungry because of the small portion sizes. If you go on a FRIDAY night (like we did), you may hear a lot of curse words from the table next to you. Bleh.Listed in: Michelin Guide NY, Japanese Love
-
Review from Chris J.
5/16/2011
Really good sushi. Not the best I've ever had, and I would argue not even the best in the East Village (see Yuba). However, what Jewel Bako lacks in overall value, it more than compensates for in intimacy and decor. Others have mentioned the limitations of the space, but the smart design emphasizing the height gives the illusion of ample space. The restaurant is only approximately 55 seats (including sushi bar), booking a reservation ensures that you will be served fine quality fish.
We split the edamame, both had the sushi omakase, and Orion beers. Before tip, our check was $140 and I still had room for 16 Handles for dessert, so keep that in mind.
I'm glad we dined here and hopefully next time we'll be smart enough to book a reservation at the sushi bar. -
Review from Jezzie X.
New York, NY
7/13/2011
What an interesting, minimalist place, so out of place in the East Village. Maybe that's why it's hidden? I almost missed it walking past. It's like this big secret black box, no windows, just a heavy door. As you enter, you are directed to the right, into which you enter a room with low curved ceilings, glittering gold and porcelain. I feel like I'm inside a luxury liner, dining with a small group of elite intellectuals or wine connoisseurs.
The price is almost justified by its food. Well, the salmon definitely is. It just melts on your tongue like soft heaven. So fresh I could taste the ocean sea water. I got a large maki roll of spicy tuna yellowtail with scallion and cucumber which, to be honest, was good but not spectacular. I also got the seaweed salad which tasted better and better as you dug down to the bottom, drenched as it is in seaweed flavored vinegar. Very umami.
The waiter was verrry cute and service was above and beyond par. I enjoyed Jewel Bako very much but I will always wonder, as I eat there, if there is somewhere better I can eat nearby, with better value and more comfort. We ARE in the East Village after all. That is the problem with NYC - too many damn options! -
Review from Anna A.
Manhattan, NY
7/13/2011
Jewel Bako (means "jewel box") is a charming and authentic little sushi restaurant in East Village.
The menu and its selection is quit small, but it offer a variety of fish flown in from Japan which is very delicious with interesting flavors, fresh and imaginative presentations.
Note: They serve complimentary delicious and flavored smoked green
tea.
They don't have a desert menu, but the green tea ice cream and
the sorbets are very good.
I highly recommend trying the desert, sweet and delicious sake
named "Umeshu - Kaori/ Choya"
Tip: For some might be a bit pricey.
Its a small restaurant, and i highly recommend dinning at the sushi
bar. -
Review from christina d.
Brooklyn, NY
5/12/2011
Pros: Absolutely excellent service and very competent staff. Huge relief and a nice change from Williamsburg. Great ambiance. Unbelievable omakase. Some of the freshest fish I've ever had.
Should you do the omakase and secure seats at the sushi bar (make reservations) and you have the female sushi chef, ask her to move a little slower. Seems to me she has a habit of rushing the omakase. Sure, your mouth waters for the next piece, but with a $65 price tag for omakase, its better to have your mouth water and savour the experience than to have it go by too quickly and feel less than satisfied with the money you've spent.
Lychee and coconut sorbet which is given free at the end of the omakase is great, too!! -
Review from Matt R.
3/25/2011
This place just became one of my new favorites.
This jewel "bako" is tucked around the corner just off of 2nd Avenue and similar to its sister restaurants like JLOB and Degustation
The head chef Yoshi, maitre'd Rio and owner Jack are the best. Very personable, amazing food, laid back atmosphere and great service. They offer some of the more authentic parts of true Japanese cuisine that you don't often see elsewhere. Jewel Bako is the type of resturant that makes living in NYC so enjoyable and I plan to make frequent trips back.
5-stars , without question. -
Review from Marcia P.
5/9/2011
Skinny waiters in tight suits.
Tiny tables in a tube.
Precious arrangements of fresh fish niblets.
Oddly quiet at 8 PM this past Friday.
A rare treat. -
Review from Cassy S.
Brooklyn, NY
Hello Jewel Bako, fancy dining here again. I see you haven't changed much. Still keeping it simple and extremely fresh. Still serving each dish with a smile. Please don't ever change...because my heart will break into a million pieces. Love always, Cassy.
I've always admired what they've done to this small space - efficient and very tasteful. It's like being inside a large wooden fish. You'll understand what I'm saying once you witness it. Aesthetic and ambiance wise, this place beats a lot other sushi places I've been to. So yes, take a your in-laws there. Heck, take a date there! Impressive is what it absolutely is.
We had the sashimi omakase and an addition of trio of tartare. The omakase started of with a bite of braised radish and yuzu mousse topping. Next came was miso soup which was rich and packed with more flavor than other ones I've had. The trio of tartare which consists of salmon, yellowtail and tuna lightly torched with a side of sweet potato chips were lovely. Our sashimi omakase came with an ample amount of pieces and the wasabi was made fresh right in front of us. Awesome! Some of the items we had were Hiramasa Yellowtail, King Salmon, Aji, Mirugai (geoduck), Botan Ebi, Bafun Uni, Kona Kanpachi and a number other things. They were all fresh and some of the best I've ever had. Some items were shipped from Tsukiji. How can you go wrong with that?
The servers were knowledgeable, hospitable and unobtrusive. We were satisfied with our sake selection and were thankful for the complimentary dessert. All in all, this was a wonderful and enjoyable meal. I definitely recommend.Listed in: Best Date Spots, I'm Turning Japanese
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
2/12/2010
Jewel Bako has everything covered - from decor, ambiance, service to food. The sashimi here is one… Read more »
-
-
Review from Peter K.
12/9/2010 1 Check-in Here
Tonight I voraciously ate a Makimono Omakase and a Sashimi Omakase. I'm a stuffed turkey.
Chic, cavernous decor and warm ambiance, attentive service, coupled with beautiful plating presentation. Oh uni, toro, amber jack, yellow jack... So fresh and so clean tasting. I wish I could say something more eloquent but I may have to upchuck due to overindulgence. The end.
Yes you are paying a premium, but you get what you pay for. Next time, I'm going to sit at the bar and prohibit my eyes from doing all the eating. #poorwallet
IFHTP 1Listed in: Pedro Yelp Map, Pedro's Best of Yelp
-
Review from Victor L.
Bridgewater, NJ
12/13/2011
thee 13 sashimi pieces at the sushi bar were awesome!
-
Review from John K.
New York, NY
1/21/2011
awesome experience. Had the Omakase...appetizer was inventive and interesting....fish live, oyster, salmon etc. Main course was unreal...every piece better than the next.
THe best part about the experience the staff. the service was excellent but also casual and friendly. We all felt very welcome and I felt like the staff took joy in sharing their food with us. -
Review from Cynthia L.
Houston, TX
2/26/2011
Yummy sushi joint with excellent service.
One tip: sit at the bar, order Omakase and just be pleasantly surprised by the chef.
I like how the chef meticulously prepares the fish and garnish each piece of fish with a splash of yuzu, a teeny dollop of ginger paste, or a sprinkle of grated lime skin. -
Review from Robert S.
Brooklyn, NY
12/7/2011
This place will blow your mind.
-
Review from Angie K.
Los Angeles, CA
4/5/2011
I expected more from a Michelin star-ed restaurant. I don't get the hype. It was good enough sushi, but I've had better at Jewel Bako's price point.
Worth noting were the high sloped walls that make it an entertaining place to dine. The ambience wasn't really modern or chic though. so I didn't really get the point of the sloped walls for interior decor when everything else looked traditional.
The rolls were also forgettable. I'd write more, but nothing else seemed to stand out. -
Review from Sherry L.
1/16/2011 5 photos
Came in as a walk in on a Saturday evening and luckily, they had a spot for us! I've been to Jewel Bako a few years before, but didn't like it as much. But I decided to give it another try... now that I can actually afford their good stuff.
Like other good sushi places in the city, Jewel Bako definitely stands in the same league with Yasuda, Gari, and Sasabune!
We went straight for the omakase... didn't even look at the other stuff. There are 11 pieces and half a roll to the sushi omakase, a great value at a price of $55! Two pieces included the daily special, usually flown from Japan overnight.
Highlights:
1) Ohhh the TORO. It was so smooth and melted in my mouth. I don't think I've had such good toro anywhere!!
2) Chopped mackerel and shiso. I really like shiso with my sushi... gives it a fresh flavor. Mackerel tends to be slightly fishy sometimes, but with the shiso, I only tasted the deliciousness of the fish!
3) Scallop. Oh I love a good fresh scallop. I saved it for last! So yummy!
We also got a scallop roll with avocado and yuzu zest. It was the most appetizing roll on the menu. But I was slightly disappointed, though. It wasn't a bad roll... but the avocado was really overpowering and I couldn't taste the scallop at all. Also, I expected/wanted more yuzu. Oh well...
All in all, Jewel Bako is a great sushi bar to go to.. Definitely not too pricey and you get the very best fish. The service was courteous and prompt as well. The only complaint I have is that it's crowded. But it's a cheap penny to pay for great food, for sure!Listed in: Sushi that makes you think…
-
Review from Vanessa K.
Washington, DC
Came here because of a recommendation as well as the outstanding yelp reviews. Eh. Was no big deal, maybe too high expectations.
Got the Omakase - it was a little overpriced and the portions small, wanted to go get a burger afterwards. My boyfriend and friends ordered the Eel and snow crab rolls and they were pretty good actually. I had to give it to them that It was indeed fresh though and the service was fantastic. The manager and waiters were super attentive and nice. Don't know if I'll be going back anytime soon but it's worth a visit if you are willing to put so dolla dolla bills out on the table - especially for a date! -
Review from Karol S.
8/18/2011
I liked (but not loved) Degustation so I thought I would enjoy Jewel Bako. Incorrect assumption. The food was below average and I ended up embarrassed for having suggesting it to my friends. The space is cute and the service was good but the food just didn't live up to any expectations.
-
Review from Parisa A.
12/28/2010
After years of meaning to check this place out, I finally made it. And I left wondering why I'd wanted to go for so long.
I don't understand the hype. And I'm a sushi snob who knows fresh fish. Yes, the fish here is fresh, but not any fresher than a lot of great sushi restaurants I've been to in this city. I ordered the sushi omakase, got some interesting fish I've never had before (barracuda, anyone?), and walked away $100 poorer and generally underwhelmed. At least their champagne and yuzu cocktail is tasty...
Boring atmosphere (I didn't sit at the bar), crowded with tables that are practically on top of each other, and service that is meh. I honestly think Kanoyama just up the street is a much better experience and half the price.
Overhyped for sure.Listed in: Overhyped
-
Review from Kim L.
New York, NY
11/6/2010 3 photos
My boyfriend and I saw this restaurant featured on the Food Network for their lobster sashimi. Of course, we got reeled in by this and wanted to try it for ourselves. Unfortunately, they didn't have any on the night we went so we went all out and ordered three omakase. We had the chef's omakase tasting menu, sushi, and sashimi omakase. The chef's tasting included cooked items like the exotic Japanese mushrooms "En Papillote" steamed In sake and yuzu. There's a variety of Japanese mushrooms in this. Very good. I recommend it. I think it came with edamame too, but I could care less about that. Also, came with a shrimp head soup, tempura, and an assortment of sushi. We probably could have done without the cooked items.
What makes this place stand out is the sushi. Jewel Bako had fish straight from the Tsukiji fish market. How many other places in NYC can you get fish straight from the Tsukiji fish market?! I only know a handful. So of course we gorged on this. We ended up stuffing ourselves on this because it was so good and we didn't want to waste any of it. And at last, we had to order uni... our favorite! It was so buttery and fresh tasting! I do have to mention the wasabi, too. Here we did not get the cheap wasabi/hot mustard paste... instead, we had a guy come up to us with a WASABI ROOT grinding it at our table. I don't know how it can get any better than this. I give props to this for excellent food and service. Highly recommended for those that are true sushi lovers and can fork out a couple bills for some delicious goodness.Listed in: Top Restaurants
-
Review from Suzanne S.
Boston, MA
7/21/2010
I went to Jewel Bako last night and was extremely disappointed, especially after having read all the glowing reviews on Yelp and NY Magazine. I sat at the corner of the bar and was initially ignored by the waitstaff, then continuously brushed up against by waiters coming and going from the back.
As we were ordering the waitress paid more attention to what was going on at one of the tables in the tube than she paid to me and my friend (she actually turned her back and walked away from us mid-sentence at one point - I've never had that happen anywhere!).
When asked for advice on selecting a bottle of sake she pulled two bottles out of the fridge, put them in front of us and essentially said "you can have this one or that one" with no description of what the bottles were or how they differed until pressed by us. To her credit, she at least offered to let us try one of them (which we did) - but regardless, this is not the kind of service that I would be happy about at any place, let alone at an upscale and rather pricey restaurant.
The food itself was OK, but unfortunately nothing more than that. I had the sashimi omakase, my friend went with the makimono omakase. While the sizing of my omakase was quite generous the quality of the fish was nowhere close to what I had anticipated. Highlights were the salmon and the yellowtail but out of the ~15 or so pieces total maybe 3 or 4 were very good, the majority were completely average (I can get better quality fish at Fugakyu or Oishii in Boston any day) and another 3 or 4 were just not good.
The decor is nice but nowhere as beautiful as some of the reviews had made me assume, the space is tiny and makes you (or at least tall people) feel somewhat claustrophobic and the lighting at the bar is too bright for my taste.
We walked away with a bill of ~$180 for 2 including tip which I'd be more than happy to pay in place where the food is truly enjoyable, but in this case it felt like a serious waste of money. I definitely will not be coming back, and would love to understand how this place got awarded a Michelin star. -
Review from Cindy C.
New York, NY
8/16/2010
I went because I saw an episode of Bizarre Foods a while back. Andrew Z had all these "live" seafood, flown from Japan... looked amazing! and super interesting... so we went for that... 2 years after the episode aired, but hey... who was counting.
Upon arrival and ordering, the very hot looking waiter had no idea what I was asking for and then told me they don't serve any of the stuff I saw on the show =(
Got a sashimi tasting along with a yummy yuzu cocktail. The fish was fresh and good but nothing to rave about... BUT the sweet shrimp came with all the good stuff from the head dug out and placed on the delicately sweet flesh... yummm that bite alone was worth it! creamy, sweet, oceany...
For photos and full review please visit my blog.
