Jewel Bako
Categories: Sushi Bars, Japanese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Manhattan/East Village239 E 5th St
(between 2nd Ave & Cooper Sq)
New York, NY 10003 (212) 979-1012
5 reviews
New York, NY
"This is always the highlight of our stay in New York! We've tried the Greenwich Village and the Chelsea Market tours (loved the Greenwich…" read more »
27 Reviews for Jewel Bako
Sushi Quality is fresh but comes at a premium. Fish is supposedly flown in daily from Tsukiji market @ Tokyo. Proactively run by Jack and Grace Lamb, this establishment is overseen by perfectionists who will stop at nothing to ensure the best quality fish and dining experience. Even after the $95 omakase, you may have to order more or leave hungry so beware.
Decor: trendy, classy.
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The best freaking sashimi of my life...
Maybe it was the freshly grated wasabi, but the Japanese Red Snapper...brought me to tears. I'm not even kidding.
And for freaking $6 a piece it had better! Heh. No, really. It was fantastic.
My sweetie and I ordered edamame, the trio of tartar's, the large roll tasting menu, and three types of sashimi, all to share. The large roll tasting menu came with miso soup and a small dessert with a green tea ice cream profiterole, a chocolate flan-ish type pastry square, and red bean paste. They also gave us hot green tea.
Yes it was expensive, but all of the fresh fish was exquisite. The best I've ever had. And you have never lived if you've not had fresh wasabi. Don't believe the people who say the portions are tiny. 70% of people would not be able to finish the $90 tasting menu. (Our friends got a mini-version and could barely finish).
If you know me then you'll know it's saying a lot that I could have eaten a meal completely composed of sashimi at Jewel Bako and been completely satisfied.
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While Yelpers have been friendly to this place, I've seen more than a few unhappy reviews elsewhere over the last few years. According to some, Jewel was one of the best in town, then the chef left, and then everything went to straight to hell. I can't comment on this, never having been here during that golden era. I also can't compare Jewel to NYC's finest, never having been to NOBU or Yasuda or Masa or anywhere else that lofty. But I can say that I had a great meal here last week, possibly the best Sushi experience I've ever had.
The fish was perfect. The otoro might the best piece of fish I've had, making a stronger impression than anything I tried at Le Bernardin. And some of the others, including one that was part of their daily selection flown in from Tokyo, was especially interesting. The sushi preparation was beautiful, and it was obvious how much attention had been paid to the seasoning. The rice was perfect. If I had to bitch about anything, it would be that some of the rolls were a bit heavy on the wasabi. I love wasabi, and this was a rare chance to have the real stuff, but with fish this good, I think any strong seasonings need be used with a delicate touch. I want to taste the fish.
The space is beautiful. The atmosphere strikes a good mix of ceremonial and casual. The servers treated us like special guests, without ever seeming stiff or suffocating. They were eager to make suggestions (and offer samples of sake) and also knew when to give us space. It seemed ok that they were wearing suits while we lounged in standard East Village slacker-ware.
Next time I want to sit at the bar. And I want to save up for a full omakase meal. I'm sure this the way to get the best out of this place. And I like to watch. The sushi chefs here are more fun than usual to watch, since the bar gives an easy view of the work area and the chefs' methodical, precise movements. And all that amazing fish.
Fab service. Fab food. SOOOOOOO good!
I always get the sashimi platter. Great variety, very fresh. I'm a sushi nut and know my raw fish, and this place is amazing. Plus, they're super nice.
The place is a tiny gem of a restaurant and I felt like I was dining in a spaceship because of the curved wood panels on the sides of the walls. I loved it.
I had the omakase and my friend ordered a la carte. For several of my courses, they brought out 2 portions anyways which I thought was very sweet. We started out with their newest sake (summer...something...) which was a chilled fruity sake. Very smooth and yummy.
The omakase was really more food than I could ever eat but here goes:
-palette teaser: seared hamachi with radishes and miso paste
-appetizer course: monkfish pate in ponzu, spicy tuna torte cups, snow crab spring roll
-sashimi course: a variety of fresh fish (the striped yellowtail and salmon melted in my mouth)
-entree course: king salmon baked in paper (the white creamy sauce on top and crusty brown sauce on the bottom was delicious)
-sushi course: 8 pieces of nigiri sushi and 3 maki roll pieces (the seared toro with cracked pepper was my favorite)
-dessert: green tea ice cream profiterole and chocolate ganache bar
Who says sushi isn't filling? I rolled out of there like a rice ball.
The service is amazing; I especially loved how all our servers were so animated and friendly. We actually bumped into our waiter and the host later in the evening at PDT. Only in NYC would that happen. Lovely place to eat.
i had a very good experience here with the sushi.the decor is pretty also.i really liked the tasmanian sea trout.
I will admit that I am quite the sushi snob. It takes a lot to impress me, and Jewel Bako did just that. Everything here is so fresh. I would probably regular this place if my wallet was a little larger but I am a broke college student so this place is reserved for special occasions only.
The decor is modern and sexy. The bamboo arched panels as you enter give the place an earthy feel. The lighting is dim. I definitely recommend this place for an intimate date night.
After reading the reviews and seeing the place featured on Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern, this place jumped straight to the top of my must try list. After finally dining there tonight, I came home completely underwhelmed. I love good sushi. And I trust my fellow Yelpers completely. BUT - this place just really left something to be desired.
The decor was ultramodern as you can see in the picture above. But as we were led to our table, I couldn't stop getting the eerie feeling that I was stepping into Kubrick's Space Odyssey 2001.
First came drinks. I ordered a draft Sapporo but what showed up to our table was a child's sized glass with flowers etched on the side. At first I was a bit confused, but then the waiter brought my Sapporo in a bottle and poured it into my kiddie cup. Is this how the Japanese of the future take their beers in Neo Tokyo? I became simultaneously annoyed at my baby beer but excited at how the sushi will be.
We ordered the trio of tartares, the sushi and the sashimi dinners, and then asked our maitre'd for his recommendation on a large roll (they categorize their rolls in large and small) to which he promptly responded with "I always recommend the king crab roll". The plating of the tartares were exquisite and even came with deep fried yam chips delicately stacked next to the fish. The sushi and sashimi dinners were elegantly prepared with generous portions of fresh, beautifully prepared fish. And the large roll was...well, large.
Let me start by saying that I will never order a king crab roll again in my entire life. What a pretentious dish! This was merely a California roll that's been stuffed with king crab and three times as expensive. BARF!
The trio of salmon, yellow tail, and seared tuna tartares was just as unremarkable. I thought that of the three, one would REALLY make me wet myself. Unfortunately the yam chips were the only thing memorable food item on that plate. The dish looked great, the fish was fresh, but after I tasted it, it just made me kinda sad. What I thought would be Paris Hilton turned out to be just Nicole Richie with a slutty garnish.
With our dinner entrees I have no complaints. However, not finding fault didn't equate a homerun either. Jewel Bako is the poor man's Nobu. Except at the price points they're charging, it's like you're going to one of the top sushi restaurants in NYC... except you're not.
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Jewel Bako is a perennial favorite of mine. My girlfriend recommended me this wonderful boutique sushi house and I am in love with it.
Definitely do as others say. Try the chef's sushi or special omakase, preferably at the bar...and definitely do it when Yoshi is around. Try the marinated blue-fin tuna, fresh sea-water uni, tanzanian wild salmon and japanese yellowtail. You will not be disappointed.
Try Degustation next door, as well. See my review of that.
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One of my all time favorite sushi place in America. Very very fresh fishes, lobster, shellfish, etc..You're probably going to have to go catch them yourself or go to Japan for fresher fish and shellfish. How fresh you ask? Well the lobster, clams, and geoduck was still alive and the chef prepared it in front of us after we put in a order for some. So I recommend getting those along with the Toro and salmon.
They say their fishes are straight from the fish markets in Japan. And after trying this place out, I do believe them.
Just FYI, Jewel Bako is on the pricey side and portions are not huge, but it is definitely worth coming here to dine. One of the best sushi places you'll try.
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Pretty good fish, nice service. Too trendy and so it's damn expensive, but I guess by New York standards still not so bad.
My photo of the uni is from Jewel Bako when Masato was still the head sushi chef there. This place used to be one of my favorite sushi spots. I would have a smile on my face all week if I had a reservation. Uni on a spoon, barracuda, ika-uni, anago "both ways," mmmmmm... I know it's overpriced, but for me it was worth it because of the overall experience. It's a nice treat every now and then. Masato is an awesome chef, and you can't get Jack's personality anywhere else.
However... I'm holding on to one star because my last experience there wasn't too great. Our waitress started using our wine bottle to serve other glasses and when we questioned her, she first denied it and then came back with a new bottle with an attitude as if she was doing us a favor. (This was over a year ago, so hopefully she's not there anymore. I was a regular at the time, and she was new, so it was just disappointing) I told Jack who was apologetic, but it just left a bad taste in my mouth. Then when I found out Masato left, I just never went back. I'm thinking about going back again though...
P.S. Masato is now at 15 East.
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i love this place for sushi. why?
1) you can get reservations easily, sometimes day of.
2) i usually don't care about where sushi is flown in from, but when it tastes this good, i'm a believer. the normally filler salmon piece was the best of my meal last night
3) service is royal. super attentive without being annoying. they always take your jacket like you're at someone's home. they drop the napkin in your lap. the owner comes by to give you the nod. they bring multiple servers so everyone gets their food at once.
4) the regular sushi selection (around 35 bucks) is omakase in any other restaurant. i've had the most expensive serving here and the most inexpensive. if you want a show at the bar, do that (the live moving lobster is cool, but not enough taste for me), but if you want a good meal for your regular sushi cravings, the regular sushi selection is top notch. the selections is "a-la-cart-esque" with spanish tuna, scallop, botan ebi, etc. order a uni handroll on the side and you're straight.
5) lastly, the owner looks like the bad guy from The Incredibles!
6) one negative, the sake is kinda pricey there.
Jewel Bako is by far my favorite sushi restaurant in New York!!! Try the omakase, you will not be disappointed. The fish is extremely fresh. Although it is moderately expensive, it is well worth it. The design is pretty cool, the walls are covered with bamboo pole panels and the lighting is warm and inviting.
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I went here for V-day with my man. I wasen't blown away. It's trendy, the food is aright, the service is satisfactory. Just kinda forgettable. Infact, I aready forgot what we ordered.
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The place is my new favorite place for fish. It reminded me a lot of Blue Ribbon Sushi in SoHo, small and cramped yet with excellent food. Our host offered us a free drink because the new girl had us waiting in the coffin of a foyer for about a half an hour. Otherwise, this place would get better marks.
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I LOVE THIS PLACE.
A small, yet intimate space, Jewel Bako really is a gem.
Luckily, I was able to snag a reservation the day before for just me. When I arrived, my seat was awaiting for me at the sushi bar in the back. Little did I know I got the best seat in the house. I really didn't know what to order, so I ordered the chef's tasting menu and a bottle of sake. The sushi chef was right in front of me, working quickly but with such precision. I really didn't know what to do as this was my first time dining by myself at a Japanese restaurant, so I kept watching the chef work his magic. It was amazing watching him take live shrimp out of a bowl, place its' head on ice (stunning it), and then snap it in two. He would then serve the body of the shrimp on one end of the plate, the head on the other (with the antennae still twitching). Sounds gross but it was delicious! He told me that all of their fish are flown in from Japan on the same day they are caught. I don't think the fish were dead for more than 24 hours.
The owner, Jack Lamb, personally presented each dish to me with smile. This is the only place I've been to where the owner of the restaurant would serve a single, non-high roller customer each dish. He was all over the place that night, making sure everyone was happy with their dining experience.
On my left sat two women who appeared to be having a girls night out. On my right sat a couple who were celebrating the husband's birthday. We struck up a conversation and ended up talking for a good 2-3 hours. Apparently regulars of Jewel Bako, I got hooked up with extra sake and sushi. They were fantastic and really interesting people.
Yes, this place is pricey, but it was worth the $120 I spent! And it made me feel that in such a large city as New York, people here are really friendly.
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top dog, jewel bako. a wondrous environment. little long caverns. wonderful staff. good sake recommendations. sweet sushi chef.
all the omakase sushi and sashimi was full of subtle tastes, a little hot here, some mint there, soft and sweet and rich, piece after piece after piece, all the exotic fish you never get in the regular sushi dinners, like a night of first class one-acts for an hour. it makes you feel like a king.
way to go!
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my second favorite sushi restaurant in new york. get the omakase, take in the atmosphere of jack lamb's personality, ...which happens to be bigger than the entire restaurant (even after expansion)., and enjoy.
the desserts are also fantastic, if minutian.
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For the best and freshest sushi around! The owners may be a bit eccentric, but ignore them and everything else and put yourself in the hands of the capable chefs. The whole experience is enhanced by ordering the omakase. Dish after dish of the chef's choices for you are brought out, each one more spectacular, both visually and on the palate, as the one before. The tartare trio was fabulous. The sushi was incredile. The place itself is on the small side, but beautifully decorated with bamboo arches.
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There are so many great sushi places in the city that's a hard to pick a favoritie, but Jewel Bako ranks high up there. Its a great date place. The fish is flown in daily from Tokyo and it couldn't be fresher or of higher quality. The omakase is the way to go and I believe the chefs specialty is their eel (let me know if I'm wrong Jack). It's a little pricey but worth the splurge. It also comes with a nice sake list. :)
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Tiny place, great food. The sake is killer.
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I couldn't be more underwhelmed by this supposedly chic Sushi spot. The portions are outrageously minute (as in "is this a joke?"), the space is cramped, and the service, though polite, is intrusive, disorganized and slow, especially seeing that they had five waiters plus for less than 10 tables. For a party of four, we spent (without booze) over $400! C'mon! No one should be able to charge $12 for a desert that is less than an inch an a half wide and two inches tall. I am not a glutton (I love food yes) but when you leave that kind of money on the table you expect ot leave the restaurant full or at least satisfied. And no, we didn't get the most expensive thing on the menu.
I can appreciate what Jewel is trying to do. They are a very enterprising group, however, they miss by a long shot. Yes, the sushi is fresh, but you can get the same fresh factor, better portions, and better service all packaged in a more convenient location at Mizu in the Flat Iron area. Please note: I am not saying that the food is bad, but you don't get what you overpay for.
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For sushi connoisseurs, it doesn't get much better than Jewel Bako. The chef's omakase (tasting) menu offers melt-in-your mouth fresh sushi and sashimi, flown in daily from Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market. You can really taste the difference - it's hard to find better sushi in the city (though if you're prepared for pay more than three times as much for a meal at Masa, you could). If you're not a sushi expert, the friendly chefs will whip out a comprehensive book (with pictures) to show you exactly what part of what fish you're eating. Service is impeccable, and there are plenty of nice little touches to complement your meal, like the delicious plum wine between courses. The host and hostess, Jack and Grace Lamb, have created a welcoming environment that takes its cues from traditional Japanese hospitality. What's more, Jack is very entertaining, especially when serving the house specialty "live" lobster. If you need space to spread out, the restaurant might be a bit claustrophobic. Try eating at the sushi counter - it's usually a better bet in the best sushi restaurants anyhow, and watching the chefs work their magic enhances the experience.
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even though the place gets hecktic, the place will treat you good if you love and appreciate food. i cant get enough of their tuna tartare and the amazing sashimi...i love their plum-sake for dessert..the place got bigger during last year and they accomodate more people now, and ofcourse, it still remains to be beautiful as its name.
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walking in to the places is like stepping into a finely rolled piece of sushi. a small tight space - beautifully simple, yet full of taste. we had a to wait for the table, but the owner was more than accommodating throughout the evening. our waiter confidently made a few excellent suggestions. i enjoyed every bite and washed it down with a 40 dollar bottle of unfiltered sake. next time, i'd love to try the chef's tasting menu!
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Cool, relaxing environment and high-quality if unexciting sushi. Menu is standard basic sushi fare but prices are outrageous ($60+/person omakase without appetizers?) and portions are alot smaller than you would expect at other top-tier sushi places. For the same price, you can eat a lot better (and leave a lot fuller) at Nobu!
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