Sakagura
211 E 43rd St
Basement #1
(between 2nd Ave & 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10017 (212) 953-7253
- Nearest Transit:
Grand Central (4, 5, 6, 7, S)
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: No
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Alcohol: Full Bar
92 reviews
Neighborhood: Manhattan/West Village
"There is so much good Japanese food beyond sushi, and it's too bad most people don't explore outside that range. EN Japanese Brasserie is a…" read more »
92 Reviews for Sakagura
Sakagura is a thoroughly solid entry for izakaya (Japanese tapas) food. In Japan, maybe I would only give this a 4 star, since nothing reached above expectations and really surprised me. This is still the best izakaya I've been to in New York, though, and if you're new to izakaya food, you're really in for a treat.
The entrance is distinctly hard to find, in the back of a nondescript high-rise that you take a flight of stairs or elevator down to. Once inside though, the interior space is marvelous. I also got a real kick out of the hidden bathrooms.
Oy, i ate so much when i went here last weekend. The dishes are tiny, but deceptively filling. Or maybe we just ordered a lot. It's japanese small plates essentially, and accordingly I recommend going with a group to get to taste a bunch of the dishes.
LOVES: the agedashi tofu melts in your mouth. the cold soba is perfectly cooked. Hirame Carpaccio - the fluke, roe and shiso combo is magical. Kimchee sashimi rice bowl - one of the more filling options and i can't say no to kimchee, ever. Spinach - delicious but teeny tiny. Black Sesame Cream Brulee - great sesame crunch.
SO-SOS: the eggplant 3 styles - I tried two of them: LOVED one and the other was just ok. Mashed Potato in Donut Batter - conceptually super exciting but didn't taste much like potato and I wished the dip was sugar, not salt.
MEHS: the chocolate dessert special - it was not that good and had some fruit cocktail thrown on top.
Overall, a fantastic meal with a lot to excite the palate. Service was also outstanding. We had a water spill and a server showed up with a dishcloth in literally seconds. They have ESP. What a great find!
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my friends and i fondly refer to sakagura as the "bat cave" with the underground seating and cavernous ambience. we particularly loved the sprinkled salt around the doorway (to keep away unwanted and evil spirits) and the simple decor of japanese izakaya's.
as for the food, we ordered the hirame carpaccio and the maguro tar tar (both excellent), a bowl of the stinkiest natto around and the most memorable cold uni soup i've ever had. my friend said it best when he said, "it's not necessarily the quality of their food that i'm so happy with but the variety of cool dishes!"
we had their dessert sampler which was absolutely delightful~ i actually started clapping my hands when i saw our waitress bring out the dessert tray.
caveats? the entrance is a 'bit hard to find. their signs are a little obscure but i think if anything, that adds to the allure. sakagura is most definitely one of the best kept secrets of nyc, and quite literally part of the "underground" restaurant scene.
i used to go to sushi yasuda (right down the street) quite often but with difficulties in making reservations and the near impossibilities of walk-ins, sakagura offers a nice alternative to an otherwise spoiled evening.
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As my boy Flavor Flav would say..."Wow, wow, WOOOOOOW"!! This is truly a Japanese experience. The food here was ABSOLUTELY delicious. This was a fantastic surprise which we owe to Yelp. There is NO WAY IN HELL that we would have ever found this place without the help of our trusted and true Yelp.
When you first come upon the address you become a little leery, "is there a restaurant here"? You walk into the lobby of some sort of educational facility, there's a guard sitting there you ask, "restaurant", he says "downstairs", you begin to head down. The whole time we are walking down we are going "ok, this is strange". But once you get there you are transported to Tokyo. Just about everyone who works here is Japanese expect for a couple of bus boys and I would say 85% of the people eating there were Japanese! A very GOOD SIGN.
The food here is OUTSTANDING, we were absolutely blown away by two dishes in particular the duck appetizer and the egg plant tasting menu dish. All our dishes we enjoyed very much and they have a huge sake selection. I could go on and on but to sum it all up!! The food, the drink, the service...OUTSTANDING. We will most definitely be coming back to Sakagura next time we are in Manhattan!
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This was such an amazing dining experience! Well worth the money, every single dish on the menu is fantastic and pretty good sized. The kakuni was amazing! And their desserts were wonderful too, the sesami creme brulee was yummmy and the homemade truffles come in 3 different flavors (green tea, chocolate, strawberry)
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As my list of Sakagura favorites grows, I feel that I must rework my review. What is on this list? Please, to read:
In Tokyo, I had a dish called Oyako Don, and try as I did, I could not find anything like it at "authentic" Japanese restaurants here. Most places just fry a chicken cutlet , throw it on a bed of rice and crack an egg over it. Horror. My search was becoming desperate.
Sakagura prepares Oyako Don exactly the way I had it in Tokyo: tender chunks of organic chicken with a tasty mix of onions and egg over rice. That was my introduction to Saka. A couple of luncheons later, a friend turned me on to Sake Ikura Don, salmon slices with salmon roe, steeped in sake, over rice, Tori Tsukune, chicken meatballs, and then today, the vegetable tempura, which was unlike any other tempura I've ever had before: fresh vegetables, lightly breaded, not too greasy. I have stuck to my first two standards for a very long time with only one or two meanderings, but today, I tried the Kamo Nanban Soba, noodles (they are known for their homemade noodles) with slices of roast duck in a hot broth. The broth was not salty and instead, very smooth and comforting.
For dessert, I love the pear millefuille, the black sesame creme brule, and the chocolate "lava" cake with raspberry sauce. Delicious! A new dessert item has been added recently, which I sampled today, a buckwheat "Mochi" filled with azuki, red beans. To drink, I had a new item, buckwheat beer. It is worth mentioning that this beer is touted as a great source of protein and vitamin B12, not to mention, very low in calories. You may want to search for this item in your favorite Asian market. I know I will.
The portions are very much to my satisfaction, and can sometimes be too much to finish! The dessert menu is excellent, and made in typical Japanese style: with care, almost to perfection. The sake selection is also excellent, and the waitstaff is very knowledgeable about their wares. The owner also owns Decibel, so they have to be. The staff are very nice, patient, courteous, and don't have an attitude even though they know they can fill their restaurant to capacity every day. I used to be able to just walk in with my crew, but as of late, I've had to make reservations. Lunch prices are reasonable.
I had dinner there only once so far, and this is where the meal gets pricey. Still very much worth it, though. Dinner there unwittingly put me on a lay away plan (not the restaurants) that took me approximately 5 months to pay off. However, I don't regret it one bit. I was with amazing company, and the food and sake was equally stellar. Wouldn't you rather spend your money on great food, great times and getting very elegantly liquored-up than buying some status symbol that you can carry around to make others think you are hot shit? I would.
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You can't miss the big 211 sign on east 43rd street between 2nd and 3rd Ave, but if you're not paying attention, you might miss the entrance to this hidden restaurant. It's a converted office building, so you enter a huge lobby area and look for the sign to direct you down about two flights of stairs into the depths of the basement. Once inside Sakagura, it's like you're transported into a whole different place.
The food is abolutely delicious and service is impeccable. For appetizers, we tried:
- nasu dengaku (grilled eggplant with 3 kinds of miso sauce) - i love eggplant! it's grilled perfectly, not too mushy
- buta kakuni (sakagura's special stewed pork) - yummy melts in your mouth pork
- hirame carpaccio (sliced fluke w/ salmon roe, plum paste, shiso leaf and olive oil) - the fish was very fresh, they served this dish first so it wasn't overpowered by our more savory options
For my main dish - I ordered a kimchee sashimi rice bowl - it was refreshing and satisfying. The kimchee was not super strong, so it didn't overpower the fish. The rice bowl also comes with miso soup, which I found to be too salty, but otherwise, it was a really good meal.
I don't remember the name of the dessert - but it had earl grey ice cream, pears, and other assorted goodies in a pretty assembly.
This place is quite spacious and good for groups, but it's a good idea to always call ahead (even on a week night). Sakagura is apparently related to Decibel (the sake bar in the east village). Since it was a weeknight, we didn't try any of the sake at Sakagura, but the restaurant has their own specialty sakes, so I would go back and try the different varieties.
Overall, two thumbs up for the quality of food, service and ambience.
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One of my favorite places in all of New York. The term hidden-gem gets bandied about too often on Yelp - but it's well deserved when it comes to Sakagura --it's literally hidden.
Go for their extensive and excellent sake collection, their impeccable service, the menu which covers a wide range of perfectly prepared Japanese cuisine (Japanese doesn't just mean sushi), and finally, go for their chocolate souffle -- which is outstanding.
If you're looking for a place to impress a date -- you just found it.
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My 100th review--hmm, no pressure here, really.
I've loved Sakagura for years--great food (one friend swears the soba there is the best he's had since Japan, and I'm addicted to the onigiri), an incredible sake list, and an amazingly serene atmosphere that drops your blood pressure by 20 points just by walking in. Not to mention the occasional, Insane sake tastings (think the -entire- bar lined with bottles). Plus it's owned by the same people who run Decibel (love!) and the quickly-defunct Megadecibel. They added an outstanding pastry chef a couple of years ago as well, so now it's even more full of win.
Plus the coolest entrance ever. It never fails to amuse me to bring a new person there--their expression is all 'Umm, you're leading me down the icky basement stairs? Great....' then they walk in the door. It and Decibel are like Japanese speakeasies, only with excellent sake instead of bathtub hooch, and no police raids.
My only complaint? Now there's the big sign outside the entrance, and everyone else knows about it too. *laugh*
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Absolutely delicious.
The walk down to the basement can be misleading. It smelled funky (basements have a smell!), and looked unpromising. However, once you get in, it looks like a hidden treasure, tucked away in secret, a heaven for your taste buds.
Warning: the portions are undeniably small. Go for dessert somewhere else (to get that feeling of - aaahhhhh, now I'm full).
Speciality: a wonderful array of sake. I've never seen a thicker, more extensive sake menu. They sure live up to their name (Sakagura means Sake Cellar).
So one day my brother and I were walking with my dad in midtown when he asked us if we wanted to see something cool. He led us to a nondescript corporate building and headed into the stairs leading to a basement. Confuzzled, my brother and I gave each other looks that said "Dad is out of his mind." Turns out, not so much.
Since then, we've been intrigued and dying to go to Sakagura to try the sake and the food. Primarily a sake bar, the food is tapas style- smaller portions but talk about delicious. We had the Saiya Sake sampler, which was a great trio of smooth, fragrant sakes. We also had the seasonal sashimi, grilled squid, grilled chicken, steamed egg custard, agedashi tofu, deep fried soft shell crab and the specialty steamed/braised pork...all were oishi (translation: delicious!) Dessert was equally good- we got the chocolate souffle, black sesame creme brulee and the coffee jell-o (though this was not that great, the other two were super tasty).
Great hidden gem in New York- so cliched, I know, but totally worthy of the term.
And the bathroom is apparently awesome.
What a great spot! My friend, Sarah, took me here for lunch today and I was thoroughly impressed with the food, ambiance and especially the dessert!
I ordered a curry samba noodle soup that was excellent. Sarah opted for the daily lunch special.
For dessert she had the creme brulee and I ordered the chocoloate souffle- both were excellent!
I will certainly be coming back here with Matt. Great location since it is so close to Grand Central!
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This little restaurant introduced me to the concept of "Japanese Cuisine" as opposed to mere Japanese food. They also boast a great sake selection that I one day hope to properly appreciate.
The entrance: makes you wonder if you're in the right place. You have to walk into what looks like an office/residential building. But walk a little further and you hear the clatter of dishes.
The decor: a little quaint for my tastes, but not a bad atmosphere.
The waitstaff: didn't blow my mind, but no problem
The drink selection: excellent if you like sake
The food: certainly interesting. I'm still not sure I'm 100% sold though. Basically it all tasted fantastic but not... special. Like when your $13 or so plate of eel omelet comes with pureed mountain radish on the side and it just tastes like someone threw a radish in a blender. Or when you order a plate of fancy edamame for $10 and you get -- well -- edamame. Some of their cooked meat dishes were outstanding, however, so overall I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner.
The bill: steep but won't give you a heart attack.
Insider's tip - get on their mailing list; they have periodic sake tastings.
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Subterranean Sakagura is a sake lovers dream come true. The decor here is one of the best in the city and will "wow "first time visitors. The sake selection is the biggest in NYC and you will find items at all price points. With the addition of the new sake sommelier, Sakagura is better than ever. I had a blast sitting at the bar and trying new sakes based upon her recommendations. The sake is always served in beautiful glassware that varies based upon what you order. Don't overlook the food because it is terrific. Japanese bar food is a perfect compliment to high quality cold sake. Service is always gracious and punctual, just like you would get in the old country. This is probably my favorite bar in NYC with its sister sake bar Decibel second.
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Hidden in the bowls of an anonymous midtown office building, this Japanese sake bar and restaurant has a peaceful ambiance. The entrance, in the building lobby, is unmarked save for a small gold sign pointing down a nondescript stairwell.
The space inside is surprisingly large and minimally decorated with bamboo and rice paper. Although it feels more like a restaurant than a bar or lounge, the focus is very much on the sake. They've got reams of sake to go with the izakaya menu. They've also got some interesting desserts.
Another one of the coveted places that make you forget you're in the middle of NYC.
Beautiful authentic decor...in a dungeon under an office building? Yes, you are reading correctly. This hidden gem opens at 6pm and gets packed to the gills. Be greeted with a plethora of sake barrels by the entrance and sake bottles in the backdrop of the prep area. The food here is very consistent and is served izakaya style. They only have maine uni which isn't as sweet as california uni but I won't hold that vs. them. The sampling of many dishes leaves you walking out satiated. This place hosts sake tastings on occassion as well. I have been here 5x to date.
Must get: black sesame creme brulee, 3 kinds of truffle (green tea, strawberry, goma)
Notes: They remember your name in their system via your phone number. Fresh wasabi
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When out of town visitors come to New York, I bring them here because it's so unlike most restaurants you find in the US.
The food is well above par, but it's not for everyone. As mentioned, dishes are small and not cheap. However, they are delicious and beautiful. If you really like something and you feel you didn't get enough, you can always order a second round. Basically, these are Japanese tapas. I have not been to Japan so I can't vouch for authenticity, but can tell you that none of my guests have complained so far.
The space itself is damn cool: enter a nondescript lobby. Look for the sign. Go down the stairs. Have a little faith.
I don't know much about sake so I always ask for advice or defer to my vistors if they have preferences. About the sake menu: it's vast and makes me wish I knew more about it. In addition to sake, I recommend the lychee martini.
I have also been here with larger parties (about 8) and the service was excellent: unhurried yet attentiive.
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A Japanese friend took me here and it was fantastic. The closest thing to having amazing Japanese food in Tokyo right here in NYC. I had hot soba and it was scrumptious.
PS Bring your JAL mileage card for free sake!!!!
This place is a hidden gem. It's located inside an office building in the basement. Unless someone took you there, you probably wouldn't know to go there...
This place is really authentic Japanese food, evidenced by the fact that most of the patrons there are Japanese businessmen. Always a good sign...
The dishes are small, appetizer-sized.. but really delicious and flavorful. You have to try the dessert...black sesame creme brulee...it's really really good. Everytime I go to Sakagura, I make sure I leave room for it.
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I am giving 5 stars because I generally like places like this. The appetizers were pretty good. I think I had one so-so dish but overall, I give it two thumbs up. My boyfriend and I tried couple different sakes. We haven't been to their sake tasting but we are planning to go to one soon. Want something different, check this place out. Kinda like Japanese tapas, sorta...I also really like the ladies room :)
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This past Monday, my college buddy and I ended up at Sakagura after we couldn't get reservations at Nobu (at a decent hour) and Paper Moon.. was apparently no more - both places I've never been to. A lot of effort just to eat.. however our back up back up plan, Sakagura, turned out to be a real gem.
Sakagura is hidden in the depths of a non-descript office building off 43rd St., a short jaunt from work. Upon first entrance, you start off by walking down a brightly lit white corridor, turn the corner through some seemingly random door, down a flight of sketchy stairs, and enter magnificent Sakagura. First thing my friend told me, "Hey, check out the bathrooms". Uh.. ok. They're shaped like large wooden sake fermentation vats! Seriously, if the bathrooms are inspired by sake, you know they're not playing around.
The restaurant is gorgeous. It was like running through a forest and stumbling into the secret village of the elves in the most unlikely place. Tables are set inside wooden building facades, as if you are looking down an old village neighborhood. At the center, a long sake bar decked out in sake you haven't even dreamed of yet.
We were seated immediately. Our hostess was quite friendly and chatty. The extensive sake list was a bit overwhelming, largely because it was very detailed and much of it written in Japanese. It took us awhile to figure out the various menus. I must admit, in the end, my friend chatted directly with the waitress in Japanese and ordered everything for us. My only input, "Go for it. I'll try anything".. famous last words?
For drinks, my friend had the plum wine. It was golden and tasted sweet, almost like a muscadel. I had a tasting sake sampler which featured two super premium and one regular sake shots set on a little tray. You could really note the stark changes in smoothness and taste between the three tastings.
As for the food, I can only describe. The first dish was spinach with sesame and a little brown sugar. Honestly, the sesame and brown sugar reminded me of a Korean songpyun, only with spinach. The waitress brought out a salad of lettuce, tomatoes, and soft tofu next. It seemed more like a palate cleanser. There wasn't much flavor going on, even with the dressing. Next up, chicken! Fried to Japanese perfection that is. The skin was crisp and a rich tawny brown color. The flesh was warm and succulent. One of my favorites. Then on the waitress' recommendation, we had shrimp wrapped in fried flour skins (mandu wrap?). The dipping sauce seemed to consist of miso sauce with a little hot pepper paste mixed in. Warm and crispy with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. Definitely can't go wrong there. Our shrimp wraps were followed up with a bowl of sweet sauce. In the middle, a piece of pork sat marinating, the meat and fat still clinging together in a delicate little square. The rich fat imbued the whole dish, but didn't leave a greasy film upon tasting. It was a little sweet and a lot savory with the meat falling apart with the slightest effort. As a finale, the waitress brought a tuna tartar, half covered in cavier and the other half flying fish roe with yuzu. The tuna was fresh and clean tasting. I expected the cavier to make the dish a bit salty, but it wasn't at all. The yuzu I couldn't really taste until I let the flying fish roe roll around my tongue a bit and then the citrus taste just popped in a bold way that said "Hey! I was here the entire time".
Dessert: We ordered two, a Black Sesame Creme Brulee served with ice cream and a black sesame wafer and a Chocolate Souffle' served with raspberry sauce and vanilla ice cream. The Chocolate Souffle' was hot to the touch and steamed when the spoon broke through the decadent, chocolately surface. Rich, vibrant, chocolate! The ice cream was a great balance, cool and calming. As for the Creme Brulee, I've never met a creme brulee I didn't like. The black sesame was an interesting take. A more modest sweetness with a sugary crunchiness. Very good.
Overall, the food was a bit sweeter than normal from what I understand. Still, it was pretty good and each dish was beautifully presented.
Just like when wandering into a fairy tale village, it is quite easy to lose track of time in underground Sakagura. We started dinner at 7:30pm and I still ended up missing my 1am bus back home. (I hate it when I do that..) But, there's an intangible comfort in talking and catching up with an old friend at a place like Sakagura.
review 4/17/2008
I.M.Y.
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Damn! Damn! Damn! I wish I hadn't had so much damn scotch previous to going to Sakagura. My friend also was not a sake lover so I didn't sample any sake BUT I WILL BE BACK. And I will sample. And learn. And love.
The food was perfect for what I wanted. But, yes, no sushi. Come for the udon and soba and pork belly and fried chicken. Actually, we did score a small sushi plate that was a special that evening. The pork belly was awesome (sing that last part). It was so tender and the broth was so tasty. Also had the baked Uni, fried pork dumplings, and a few other dishes which I have forgotten in my drunken haze. We sat at the bar and drank beer and relished leaving the stupid event we had just attended at the University Club. Thank you Sakagura for saving my Midtown evening.
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Tough call on rating this place, as it really is a 4.5 star place. The other thing is that it's right across the street from the best sushi in New York, so tough not comparing to that even if it is a different type of food. I liked the location, buried in the basement. It did strike me as being like some of the places I've been to in Japan, where (like Manhattan) the premium on space puts bars and restaurants in all sorts of locations.
The food menu, like any izakaya, is varied, and it will take you a while to figure out what to order there. But then you get to the sake menu, and your best bet unless you are a seriously refined connoisseur is to ask for recommendations from the staff. I didn't get exactly what I was expecting (I asked for a more milky, unfiltered sake), but I still ended up with an excellent drink. Of course, on that note, expect the cost of the sake to be at least half of the cost of your bill, it was for me.
I started with some stewed, battered vegetables, which didn't quite match up to the description on the menu. I was expecting mushrooms, of which there were none. The downside is that it included a pepper, to which I'm allergic and just tossed aside. The taste was decent, not something I'd seek out again.
Next I got the jaga dango, an potato doughnut with an almost mochi-like consistency. I've never had these before, and they were awesome. I think I could come back to this place just for this dish. Dipped in the salt they provided, I was a rather happy man at that point.
Because of the chill outside, I had the ume chazuke next. This was delicious, but that's just my partiality to the dish. Honestly, their version wasn't anything special, no better or worse than any I've had elsewhere, but still a strong dish for me.
I ended with the buta kakuni, a fat steaming lump of pork. If you like pork, it's worth ordering. It pulled apart nicely, fat and all. Not heavenly pork morsels that I have had before, but still a fine dish.
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I went to Sakagura for lunch on a weekday with Maria M and Sean K. I don't leave the village much, so it was definitely a little weird to be surrounded by all these corporate types wearing suits and ties... but I digress.
Sakagura is pretty hard to find if you don't know where it is: it's hidden in the basement of an office building, with just a little sign telling you it's there. But apparently it does not need any more publicity, since the place was packed when we got there. Thankfully, we had a reservation and were seated promptly. The restaurant is actually very large, with a very large and impressive bar along one of the walls. They have a bunch of lunch specials, and I ordered the chirashi, which came with cold soba noodles. It was very tasty, though I think I've had better chirashi before. Still... very good.
And their desserts are not to be missed: as I remember, I got the black sesame creme brulee, and it was just amazing... definitely worth the 6 or 7 bucks that I paid for it.
So... good food, and nice ambiance, but given the location (Midtown East!!), you probably won't see me there too often.
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I love this place because it has a certain "speakeasy" feel to it, in the sense that the restaurant is located in what is essentially the basement of a large office building.
Their sake menu is extensive (I think there were three separate ones!), and each bottle/carafe is presented in such a unique and beautiful display that you expect from the Japanese aesthetic.
As far as the food goes, nothing knocked my socks off as much as the braised piece of pork. To be honest, I don't remember what it's called on the menu. (It might be "braised pork," go figure.) Why did I love it so? The meat and skin are simmered in this unctuous, fatty, almost gravy-like broth, rendering the meat utterly tender. And the skin? Melt-in-your-mouth, almost gelatinous gloriousness. Disregard the diet for a moment and give in to this dish.
We also ordered some kind of fish collar (I forgot which one it was now, but I do know it was neither hamachi nor salmon). The salmon one I had a few nights before was larger, but the one at Sakagura was still pretty good.
I don't really remember much else of what we ordered, but if I can influence you in some way, order these two things:
1. Sake. Their expansive selection is their jewel in the crown. Try different kinds and ask your server for recommendations. Order the sake tasting, if you can. I didn't, but I would if I had the opportunity to go back.
2. The braised pork thing. Seriously. You have no idea.
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Oh man oh man oh man. This is one fantastic restaurant. I love sake and japanese food, and as good as the food was (no sushi except at lunch), the sake list is mind boggling - kind of like that scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark at the end. Just imagine bottle upon bottle of sake to try. Ask your server for help - ours was a certified sake sommelier!
The dinner we had was like going to a tapas bar, only all Japanese. The fish was fresh, the pork belly was incredibly tender; everything was really fantastic. An odd place, since you have to go to the basement of a non-descript office building to enter, but it is really a fantastic meal. I love Nobu for the sushi, but this place had none of the too-cool-for-you NYC crowd that Nobu always has. Highly, highly recommend it!
I feel like this is a more authentic/traditional version of LAN and EN. The food was really good although I may like LAN more. It is in a basement, but really not all that hard to find anymore with all the signs. I don't really think this is a secret anymore, although out of towners may feel like they've discovered something. It has an amazing selection of sake.
the black sesame creme brulee was excellent!
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This profusely decorated basement restaurant feels like a Japanese movie set and serves up authentic, tasty small dishes. The menu humbled me as I blindly picked out a handful of items to sample, leaving me feeling like a foreigner and wishing I did more "homework" on the offerings. Although my choices could have been more informed, everything was at least interesting and, at best, delicious.
When you make a reservation, ask to be seated in the front of the restaurant; you won't regret it.
this place was awesome. It was sort of like Japan. In some strange basement location and totally worth finding. Not cheap, small plates, and 3 menus of sake. I wish I could afford to go here all the time but damn is this joynt good.
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the food is delicious and elegant.
The Sake menu, however, is for experts. There are hundreds of types of Sake and it can be intimidating if you do not know what you are ordering.
Two words: food orgasm
This place is so flippin' fantastic, that during a one week biz trip we went here TWICE! First night and last night, baby. I still dream about the 3 way eggplant and the duck with pesto....
My first time there was a night of firsts: first experience with GOOD ASS SAKE, first time ordering the same dish multiple times (we ordered the eggplant 3 times) and first time with the heated toilet seat. Oh my. I didn't want to leave ;)
Let's just say that this food was so damn good that my boss had to close his eyes and everyone at the table needed a "moment". Don't even get me started on the desserts... black sesame creme brulee, you are my hero.
Oh, shyzzah! Sakagura, can I love you anymore? The service was amazing, but the food. OH THE FOOD. My pocketbook would probably hate you, but you will always have a place in my heart. See you in a few months for more food O's.
RECAP: Go here & except to order a lot & spend a lot.
Standout dishes: NASU DENGAKU (the eggplant), duck with pesto, the soup that comes in the big pot, seaweed salad, pork belly, organic chicken, the SAKE, black sesame creme brulee, pears with earl grey gelato, the dessert with mochi/ green tea/ other colorful things in the glass
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Probably one of the best meals I've had- it is a dining EXPERIENCE, not just dinner. To be honest, I dined here about a few months ago, so I can't really give good descriptions about each dish- off the top of my head, we had the yuba shumai, nasu dengaku, a duck dish, and another dish of rice that came with some kimchi and sashimi on top (my favorite).
Everything was excellent. THe service, the food...perfect. Definitely the most authentic Japanese restaurant I've been to. I love that it's a Japanese restaurant NOT about raw fish.
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Service is impeccable, sake selection is to die for, decor FEELS like you are in a small village in Japan. Oh and the food, truly unmatched anywhere else except Japan. I went with a friend, who is Japanese, and assured me that every small dish we ordered was authentic from the taste to the actual portions to the speed that the dishes were brought out. Can't recommend this place enough...Be sure to finish your dinner with the Blackened Sesame Creme Brulee...WTF...amazing!
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First off, I'd just like to say that the fact that I was able to order my entire meal in Japanese gives this place a true authentic feel - one I have not once felt in NYC (and we go to Japanese restaurants a lot). Now, from the attentive and courteous hostess to our very friendly waitress, even the bus boys - the service was impeccable. After being somewhat taken aback at the size of both the sake and food menus', I knew we were in for something special. We orderded five dishes: the hirame carpaccio (Sliced fluke w/salmon roe, plum paste, shiso leaf & olive oil) - amazing, light, flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth - the salamon roe gives it a tangy aftertaste. Then onto the Agedashi - a super soft, fried tofu, topped with dailokon and hirashi - very hard to pick up with chopsticks but once you get it into your mouth, all the hard work is worth it. The next dish was ishiyaki (basic translation is "rock cook") - this was AMAZING. Six small slices of the most tender, moist, buttery meat we have ever eaten - the dish comes out as a steaming rock and the raw meat. You rub this butter onto the rock (watch out, it steams like mad) then throw three slices of meat on at a time (the waitress shows you how the first time around). In a few minutes, take them off, dip them in the sweet soy sauce and VIOLA - you have the best few slices of meat maybe in NYC (much to my girlfriends dismay, I dropped one on the ground, the hot rock is really slippery - our sullen faces were noticed by the staff). Anyway, the last few dishes we had were the onigiri (translation: rice ball) with tangy plum and the yuba shumai (steamed pork dumplings). Finish it off with the highly recommended black sesame creme' brulee (thanks Atif!) and you have one happy couple. When a somewhat hidden Japanese restaurant in NYC is full of Japanese customers all speaking the language, you know it's gotta be good. I can't wait to take my parents here the next time they are in NY! Loved it loved it loved it....and that is all!
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Easily one of my favorite places to eat. 200+ sakes and an absurdly good lunch deal. Best to make a reservation for dinner. Charming service (incl. the hot towel before & after), good green tea, and very fine food. I would sell friends for an extra scoop of the sea salt chocolate sorbet.
Glad I'm finally in the know about this underground Japanese izakaya/sake bar!
In the basement of a non-descript office building, you have to enter the building and go downstairs to find a lovely, Zen decor that I could say is Tokyo-like but I've never been to Japan.
While they have a wide-ranging Japanese menu (no sushi though), I've just tried the sake (they've got a ton to choose from) and the dessert so far. Liked the sake. Had the green tea truffles and strawberry truffles - both were very good. I'd compare them more to bon-bons than traditional truffles since it was ice cream inside instead of nuts/caramel/wafer/etc. The chocolate souffle with vanilla ice cream and raspberry syrup was fantastic. As Japanese as apple pie - I know - but still really good.
While this place doesn't appear to be a secret - on a Tuesday night it was full and had a number of Caucasians! - it still feels like a find and I dug the vibe. 5 stars...
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Arigato Yelp...
This place is soo good. I heard about this place exclusively through Yelp reviews, and biggups to you all for not letting me down on this one.
The place is awesome. From the ambiance to the food to the sake knowledge, Sakagura is hitting on all cylinders. I'm not a huge sushi fan, which worked perfectly because all they have are small cooked plates and sashimi. They have several sake options and are extremely knowledgeable. Sakagura costs a pretty penny, but it's definitely worth the money.
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