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Village Yokocho
Category: Restaurants Japanese Japanese [Edit]
8 Stuyvesant St(between 3rd Ave & 10th St)
New York, NY 10003
Neighborhood: East Village
(212) 598-3041
- Nearest Transit:
-
Astor Pl (4, 6, 6X)
8 St - Nyu (N, R)
3 Av (L)
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
336 reviews for Village Yokocho
Review Highlights
"The fried squid legs (calamari) are to die for."
(in 35 reviews)
"all of the stews & yakitori are great too."
(in 108 reviews)
"This is an east village izakaya staple."
(in 65 reviews)
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336 reviews in English
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Review from Cassava B.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
Izakaya, yakitori and all of those supposedly cheap eats in Japan was always so expensive in the Bay Area in my opinion. (When a pair of grilled chicken skewers cost $10, I think that's a problem.)
These guys prices are amazing: great daikon, shiso and plum salad in a good size bowl for $3.75, grilled kurobuta special with yuzu kosho was around $7.50, and so on so on.
After all, 3 of us were full, had 2 bottles of Yebisu, and the check was $54. I have to say that's a deal in the US, and it's about the right price in Tokyo.
So yes, East Village, I very much approve. -
Review from Paul T.
Staten Island, NY
2/9/2012
Any place that offers cheap eats and is equally delicious is a real find. Village Yokocho is a typical find in Japan, according to my japanese friends. The streets are aligned with these hot spots.
Considered street food to the locals and very casual to say the least, It's one big social gathering where friends and locals gather to eat, drink and enjoy the bounties of life, and to think, we have one right here in the heart of NYCs LES.
I felt as though i was dining in the midwest with its barn yard like interior that was clearly asian inspired. Wooden tables, chairs, booths, floors, and accents, all asian sculpted.
The menu is vast and could be very intimidating at first. After looking over it a few times, you understand the breakdown. If your the impatient type, just ask your server what the best sellers are. Your almost always guaranteed to eat well.
My favorites that stood were the chicken skin skewers. You may be thinking "ewww chicken skin", don't knock it, till you try it. It's as close as you'll get to chicken bacon. It was delicious!!! A couple of the other dishes were the Japanese Pancake (Savory and fried) and the Yaki-Udon (Beef with Noodles). Equally good and very satisfying.
Village Yokocho is great for the lonely or the many. Your likely to make friends and find your next addiction. -
Review from Leslie D.
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Oh God, this is where I ended up at 3 something in the morning this weekend?! I thought they were saying it was called "Village Yoko Ono" or something. Instead it's Yokocho... whoops.
I came here with 3 other Yelpers after an insane amount of drinking because we had to get some food in our bellies. I wanted sushi but of course no place was open so I had to settle for what the other people wanted, haha. Our group of 4 came here within 10 minutes of the kitchen closing and we hastily ordered our food. I ordered an appetizer of sashimi and some ramen soup since they were out of pan fried noodles. The rest of the group got pots of food that looked good but way too exotic for my level of exhaustion. I think I was passing out on the table at one point. From what I had the food was ok. I'm not a huge ramen person but I was told the broth was delicious. All I taste is salt when I eat ramen so I can't tell, haha. I just can't tolerate that much of it.
The service was friendly and fast. Would I return another time at 3 in the morning? Eh, I'd have to think really hard about that one. I think the only reason I really will come back to this place is that Angel's Share is literally right there through a side door. I actually had to use their bathroom that night because the one directly in Yokocho was being occupied by either coke heads or people having sex. I'm still not sure which one. -
Review from Shing Yiing O.
New York, NY
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Erm... I don't really have something special to write about this besides the environment is pretty good.. it feels like Japan... Other than that.. The Yakitori and the Tapas are pretty normal.. It's good but it's a little expensive and overrated.. I think you can get a better deal in other restaurants...
This place is always crowded.. but it's super bowl day and I guess everyone seems busy cheering for Giants?? Perfect time to come here... :)
Oh.. I love the Cocktail Bar next to it.. Angel Share.. :D -
Review from Connie M.
Walnut, CA
2/6/2012
Okay...so i came here with a bunch of friends...and seeing how i'm from sunny socal...i was excited to try some japanese izakaya in nyc...let me just tell you...nothing was super special...
So one of my friends moved to NYC a few years ago for work...and seeing how i was in NYC for a month he showed me and another friend around and took us to eat here. I was excited for a night out on the town...and there was a wait...so i expected the food to be even more delicious...
We ordered a TON of food...but none of it was all that special or super delicious...we ordered some takoyaki, a cheese okonomiyaki, some yakitori, buta kimchi, eggplant, etc...all of it was decent but nothing too memorable. To me...it was all just okay especially in comparison to the great japanese izakaya places in westla or torrance.
Anyway this place is decent...:) fun environment...oh the bathrooms...there is only one for each sex and the girls line seems to always have a long wait! -
Review from Steve D.
Conshohocken, PA
2/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food here was stellar. I went with 2 friends and we split everything, and each dish blew my mind. You really can't go wrong if you're looking for super tasty, well-prepared food.
That said, the prices were a bit steeper than I expected ($21pp), but the flavor journey may have just been worth it.
It's also worth noting that the wait time can be pretty long. It took us about 30 minutes to get seated, which probably felt like longer because we were standing right next to about 6 tables of patrons who were happily nomming their delicious food, and we were within eyeshot of the grill where the staff were expertly preparing even more delicious food. Oh well.
I'd recommend this place for those looking to try lots of different and exquisitely prepared dishes, but I don't think I'd put this on my regular rotation due to prices and wait times. -
Review from Peggy L.
Manhattan, NY
2/5/2012
Ok, first off I am reviewing the service because never got the chance to review the food n u'll see why. Got there n it was crowded of course being it a weekend n close to a crowded area and prob pretty decent food. I was with all Chinese friends and one Japanese friend but not a real native speaker. It was a group of 7 and when we got there, it was 6 somethine n were told we had to wait till 8 to be seated because we were a big party. My jap friend asked the bouncer attitude dud if we can just be spilt in 2 tables like 4 in one n 3 the other.......but of course not, we were all wondering why the heck not. My Jap friend was talking for a long time but no luck, we started to realize what a big racist that bouncer n prob the owner was towards big groups of chinese, ughk.....there was a group of 6 white ppl behind us but somehow they got seated before us. Right ok, the jap friend said alot of these jap restaurants favor more the white ppl bc they tip more, well i just realize this, huh, stupid a hole of a owners n many of the workers prob dont have working papers n are just working students or somethin....
I don't really care about that and I am not fresh off the plane so I know if I get good service I would tip well but heck bc I am chinese n my other friends are, well teh whatever there are tons of jap restaurants that are good n treat all cultures fairly.... -
Review from Giacomo C.
New York, NY
1/13/2012
One of my favorite izakaya spots in the city.
I love their grilled mini skewers (quail eggs are an interesting addition), grilled eel over rice, dumplings, duck, fresh grilled vegetables... There is so much to choose!
Sapporo is cheap and the vibe is cool. It feels like a lot is happening over here... I like sitting at the bar, half inebriated & half intoxicated by fabulous smells, even though sweating is the price to pay for sitting so close to their cooking utensils.
And "Angel Share" next door is a trendy more expensive option if you are needy for a fancy cocktail. -
Review from Alina G.
1/2/2012 2 photos
When given a choice between all the various East Village Japanese spots, I always pick Yokocho. It might be kind of hard to notice unless you know where it is. The stairs to go up to the restaurant are right in between Panya bakery and the elevators that go up to the supermarket. Once you get up to the second floor, I always feel like I'm transported right into Japan.
There is sometimes a wait but it goes by very fast. Its a yakitori spot, so I usually start off with the meat and vegetable combo plates. They have AMAZING fried squid legs for about 7 bucks. Definitely definitely get those. The prices are great, the service is good...there aren't really many complaints. Its perfect for a late night spot. I also recommend getting a mini shochu bottle. I usually get iichiko for 12 bucks and a pitcher of beer.
You can't really go wrong with this choice. If you like a Japanese atmosphere, good food, and fair prices you should give it a try. -
Review from Evan R.
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
I had been here four times for the extracurricular activities, but had never actually sat down to eat. Fortunately, that recently changed.
We started with a bunch of yakitori, which is Japanese for "sex stick." I ended up eating 6 skewers myself.
For dinner, I had dolsot bibimbap, which is sort of like ramen but cooked with rice in a hot stone pot. The combination of meat, rice, egg and vegetables was incredible. I was happy to burn my mouth on both the temperature and extra tablespoon of chili paste that I put in.
Prices are reasonable and they are open very late. I will return, sober or otherwise. -
Review from Thao N.
1/2/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Mister and I wanted to find out what the fuss about Village Yokocho was all about... so we grabbed some seats by the bar and scanned the menu.
The aigamo, pork, and ebi are particularly tasty here.
So is the agedashi tofu.. droool!
....so is the grilled seaweed onigri (your presence can grace my tummy, anytime!)
I am used to getting grilled ebi without its head attached, so I was taken aback when I saw a pair of beady eyes begging for my mercy. I was about to be suckered in, but I ended up devouring it anyway - eyes, head and everything.... and it was gooood. The scent and taste reminded me of dried, salted squid that's grilled.
The grilled seaweed onigri came out a bit burnt, crispy, with bold flavors... and you know what? It's even better that way (for me at least). As I'm writing this review, I can go for another one.. but too bad I don't live in NY. Eating rice with soy sauce will suffice for now.. kinda :/
All in all, I definitely wouldn't mind coming back here. Service was great and the atmosphere was cool. Yay, another yakitori spot added to the list! -
Review from May L.
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Before anyone says squat about my low rating on Village Yokocho, I want you to look carefully at how many of these ratings involve a "late night of drinking". Sorry, I was sober when I was judging this food and really... in a neighborhood of late night Japanese places, you get 2 stars as an encouragement to continue to keep up with the competition.
First, the Ramen... Luckily, I'm not judging you based on the ramen alone. Otherwise, you would get 1 star. That was terrible. If the only thing from the sea in my ramen is seaweed, you can not have that strong of a fishy taste in the broth. Yuck. The ramen noodles used were slightly overcooked and not particularly of meaningful quality to justify the $10 price tag. The other stuff was ok. But you guys are a Japanese place... FOR SHAME!
Agedashe tofu was eh.... The sauce was ok, because of the bowl, the tofu wasn't quite as crisp. It was just eh...but most of it in the city is eh....Still...not good enough to get them 3 stars. The fried mackeral was ok. The fried eggplant, scared me that it was still cooling off and moving like a living option. There is a awesomeness factor to moving food that was missing from the actual taste of the food.
Essentially nothing we ate could really be given more than 2.5 stars.
BUT... the decor is super-duper cute. SO! ... let's say you're not Asian, you have no sense for what this food should taste like, and you want to take your non-Asian date someplace "interesting". Then yes! By all means, go here.
If you're Asian, stone cold sober, and looking for deliciousness, this area is just too densely populated with yumminess for more than 2 stars (btw... yes this means I would give it 3 if it was in the UWS).Listed in: The Great Noodle/Noodle Soup…
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Review from Adam T.
New York, NY
12/25/2011
Great yakitori place that reminds me a lot of Vancouver Canada!
They have a good variety of drinks and dishes and always a lively atmosphere. Generally able to get a seat within 15 mins of showing up, and never had bad service.
Open late, and parking is also easy in that area.
Defiantly a go back to spot that's fair price with great food! -
Review from Michael F.
New York, NY
12/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
Been going to Village Yokocho for awhile now, but not as long as I should have been going. To me it was just the conduit to Angel's Share, which has been a go-to spot for me for ages. It looked pretty nondescript, so I never really bothered with it.
Then, with a friend who is a regular, I discovered the yakitori, but more significantly, the kimchee fried rice, which is something wars are fought over. It is fantastic.
Just about everything I've had here is delicious, but I'll admit that I've barely cracked the menu beyond the yakitori and the dumplings, which are great. They also have a fairly decent selection of sakes, which they'll serve warm or cold.
What used to be a pass-through has become a destination, with the added bonus of having one of the best bars in NY inside of it. -
Review from JERIEL Z.
Brooklyn, NY
1/24/2012
Wildly popular yakatori in the East Village. Been coming here for a long time. Be warned very crowded between 8-11 pm, so you may have to wait for a table to clear up. I come for a cold beer, sake, and the japanese tapas. Nice big menu.
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Review from Athena C.
11/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Unlike other Japanese yakitori places in East Village, Village Yokocho is less crowded and kind of hidden in a sense on the 2nd floor. It took me a while to realize there is a restaurant up there and is actually pretty good.
I came here with 3 other people so we ordered plenty of plates to try. Most of them are quite delicious.
I really enjoy their stir-fry noodles and it is really flavorful and is big enough to share. We also got two plates of ume and sakura skewers sets and they are decent but I was hoping they could expand their set menu to include more exciting items such as bacon wrapped meatballs or asparagus.
Their fried calamari comes with the Japanese mayo and it is definitely one of the strongest dishes here along with their fried tofu.
The grilled sushi triangle here is a rip-off. It has very little stuffing inside. We won't order again. -
Review from george t.
Long Island City, NY
12/12/2011
I come here when I feel like going to a Japanese food binge eating meal.
Its decent japanese drink food at a dirt cheap price, and compared to similar restaurants around the area, the quality isn't bad as well!! -
Review from Kevin W.
12/6/2011
If you're coming for yakitori, you're better off on St marks with the Tai Sho's or that other yakitori place with the annoyinglly loud japanese music (Kenka). The yakitori last few times I've been here are more shriveled and undersized and just didn't taste up to standard.
But for a whole mix of different small Japanese dishes and cheap beer/saku/soju, this is a good spot. And Angel's Share is next door, so u can wait there for a drink (well, if u get in, and if u wanna pay as much for a drink as u would for a food dish here). -
Review from Wing L.
11/9/2011
Not every Japanese restaurant serves sushi and when I want a break from that, I crave Japanese-style tapas.
Food is pretty standard in what you would expect from a yakitori place.
Best bet is to order the set meals for the yakitori so you can sample a bunch. For some reason though, it was served luke-warm? I've been to a few yakitori places in Nippon and almost always had them piping hot, right off the grill. The chicken meatball was good though.
Oh, they also have pretty good fried squid legs, with mayo. 'nuff said.
This place opens late so it's a good place for an after dinner too (if you're still hungry). Decor has a "Japanesey" feel to it and the prices are reasonable. Food was good but don't expect anything that will blow your mind away. -
Review from Heather T.
Brooklyn, NY
1/15/2012
A few years ago a lot of sushi restaurants in the East Village had all their sushi on 50% off. Luckily for us, more than one place still has this amazing deal including the fantastic Village Yokocho in Japan town. We over indulged to point of sleepiness on quality fish and whatnot. Everything was extremely fresh and the shrimp Tempura roll was to die for. We even went for a second order! I can't wait to try the adjacent streets of Thai, Indian and my personal favourite, Ukrainian!
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Review from Raphael D.
Brooklyn, NY
11/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
After a late night scramble to find some post-drunken-revelry grub this place was gracious enough to let us in and quickly order shortly before closing. With a few minutes to spare we ordered several skewers and some grilled eel over rice.
Out of our picks the two must-haves are the scallop with bacon and the chicken skin. The chicken skin is like chicken-flavored cocaine and when paired with the scallops you're gonna be in cholesterol heaven. The eel over rice was very tasty too with the rice being just the right consistency and the eel sweet and delicious.
This place is great either for a light snack while you're out drinking or a full-blown dinner. Gonna have some sake next time too. -
Review from Jillian K.
New York, NY
Until now, I've only known Village Yokocho as "that place I needed to walk through to get to Angel's Share." So I actually only ended up eating here by accident, when the other restaurant I had originally planned to eat at was freaking closed even though it was only 11:30 p.m. on a Friday. (I know, right? Darn restaurant employees and their need to "sleep" and spend some time with their "families" blah blah blah. Don't they know that midnight on a Friday is when we need to get our munch on? My food needs should be everyone's first priority. Sheesh.)
But it turned out to be a blessing in disguise because Village Yokocho. is. awesome.
My boyfriend and I had just spent most of the afternoon at the IKEA in Brooklyn, which, as spending an afternoon at IKEA always does, naturally left us full of hunger and despair. So we decided to eat our feelings and ordered deep fried spinach dumplings, pan fried shrimp dumplings, yakisoba noodles (without pork), nabeyaki udon, a few chicken meatball yakitori skewers, and a tuna sashimi salad.
Everything was damn delicious (even the spinach dumplings, which I had honestly kind of expected to suck.) The nabeyaki udon was the real standout of the meal, with very flavorful broth and a perfectly poached egg nestled right in the middle of thick, chewy noodles. Another favorite was the tuna salad, which had a fantastic vinaigrette drizzled over greens and very high-quality tuna.
The great food, combined with the fun atmosphere and good service, ensures that I'll be back very soon.
Well, that and the fact that they don't close early like some weaksauce restaurants I could name. FIVE STARS!Listed in: Making Me Fat
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Review from Eri S.
1/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Inhaled some bacon wrapped asparagus, yakisoba, shiitake mushroom, and I forget what else... We were drunk. They were good! But everything tastes amazing when you're drunk :( I just remember looking longingly at every damn plate that came out of the kitchen and wishing it was ours cause we were so hungry :( ended up paying $20 each. Kinda pricey!
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Review from Vicky L.
11/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Delicious cozy izakaya that hides Angel's Share. Hubs and I came here during our NYC trip when we were headed to Angel's Share to drink. Finished our cocktails and wandered out. The food here smelled delicious so we took an unexpected detour and stopped for Yakitori. I originally bookmarked Yakitori Taisho since it had higher star ratings.
We sat down and gorged ourselves on all sorts of goodies..
Ika geso karaage (fried squid legs). These were DA BOMB. OMG. They were so good!
Yakitori:
Beef Tongue
Chicken Cartilage
Pork
Chicken Gizzards
Asparagus and Bacon
Bacon wrapped Enoki
Beef
Chicken Breast
*sigh*
The prices here are competitive and cheap, especially when compared to the yakitori joints out here in California.
Service here was prompt and the food was delicious. Loved sitting at the bar and watching the chefs work!
The best part is that this place is open until some ungodly hour in the middle of the night.
We made a promise to not go to the same place twice during our trip so we could try out everything NYC had to offer. Village Yokocho made us break that since the delicious-ness here did not trump the curiosity I had for trying other places! -
Review from james c.
Manhattan, NY
11/3/2011
Not a bad place for a quick meal or hangout with a couple of friends. I've been coming for a couple of years, and there are a few standards that I always go back for. Due to price pressures I have noticed that they have been trying to keep prices constant but the portions have been shrinking.
The service is okay, expected from a Yakatori place, but I would NOT suggest Fridays prime hours. Service is pretty lack luster and due to the volume of people the food isnt that great. I would go during the week, or sunday around 6:30.
Here are the dishes that I always find myself going back to:
Sashimi bowl - fish is fresh and the price is right
Fried Squid Legs - Its super deep fried and with that mayo dipping sauce, what else is there?
Seaweed salad - refreshing
Octopus and Mackarl daikon salad- i like that vinegary, salty and sweet combo from these elements
Spicy Tuna ball- I like to eat that with the sashimi bowl -
Review from Laurinda U.
Medford, MA
10/28/2011
This place was yummy! This is a great place to get lots of small Japanese style dishes to share. Between my friend and I, we tried several yakitori ranging from $2.50 - $3 each dish. Be advised, yakitori is definitely tiny tapas/appetizers style, so you'll need a good bunch to be full.
We ordered the chicken heart, chicken livers, chicken skins, and bacon wrapped asparagus. Best of the bunch was surely the chicken skins!
We also ordered the salmon rice balls and the seafood pancake. There is a lot of rice in the rice balls and while I find them tasty, I probably wouldn't order them again. The pancake though was excellent with shrimp, bacon, and eggs.
I would definitely come back! -
Review from Ron S.
Jersey City, NJ
11/25/2011
My default place for an izakaya.
Super good food, reasonable price, authentic Japanese waiters hahaha... -
Review from Mr. Met s.
Stony Brook, NY
11/11/2011
Spicy tuna bowl lots of tuna for 5 bucks soft well mixed with scallions . Soft and mushy but palatable.
Nothing great about the yakatori. Ordered the 'take' which includes duck, fish ball, beef, chicken, and pork. Cold, and pretty much dull.
Yakisoba - decent, nothing great. Possibly microwaved, but most likely came out the fridge and reheated on the pan.
Best thing was the fried squid legs(calamari), at least it was warm, crunchy, and delightful. Comes with japanese mayo.
I'm sure people come here because it's mad chill, especially after hours. When you're drunk all food taste good. -
Review from Claire F.
New York, NY
This place rocks! good polite service, and everything on the menu has been amazing so far. did I mention the portions are fit for fighters??
I had their bibimbop, pretty authentic for a Japanese place. Kim chi fried rice, all their yakitori stuff, and yakisoba, fried oysters....everything is super Japanese. And I'm Japanese. this might be the best spot in the East Village. Can't wait to come back!! -
Review from Jessica D.
Brooklyn, NY
10/18/2011 4 photos
The visit and experience at Village Yokocho was quite ironic. First, my boyfriend, friends, and I couldn't find the restaurant since it was someone else planning the dinner and it turned out that the restaurant was a hole-in-the-wall. It sure was quite hard to find.
When we finally reached the restaurant, it was a full house and there were two parties ahead of us and we gave the host one of our names and to call us in case there was an availability. The host told us we would have to wait for more than hour, so we were deciding whether to stay and wait or choose another restaurant since we were in East Village. Furthermore, after the two parties that were ahead of us had vanished, the restaurant later gave us a call to say our table was ready. I was quite intrigued.
We started off with some appetizers. It's been a long while since I last had takoyaki which is literally a fried or grilled octopus ball-shaped Japanese dumpling. The texture of the takoyaki ball was soft and delicate. The ball I had was smothered with yummy mayonaise and the takoyaki sauce. It was so moist, sweet, and filled with creamy goodness.
My best friend ordered the famous Korean dish Bi Bim Bap. For visual appeal, the vegetables are often placed so that adjacent colors complement each other. The bibimbap was delciious and I especially loved the crusty parts of the rice towards the bottom of the pot. The way the chefs served the egg was interesting - sunny side-up! Bibimbap is a great comfort food on wintry days, it's sure to warm you up!
Overall, the experience at Village Yokocho was an astounding one and although it's probably majorly packed on weekend nights, it's worth the wait. It looks like my wish came true the night we had this dinner because I was telling my friends, "I hope the wait is worth it, especially for the food." And, it was! We ordered a good amount of dishes and the total came out to $88.20 which isn't bad for six people and an enormous amount of food. I don't care how long the wait is next time, I want to come back here!
For a more in-depth review, please check: http://artandcraftofgo.../ -
Review from Danny C.
Jersey City, NJ
12/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
Don't waste your money and time here. This restaurant is below average. I'll not go back again since east village has so many other good japanese restaurants.
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Review from Josh W.
10/14/2011
This is a solid place to grab a beer and get some good yakitori. The skewers here are very good. The fried squid legs were very good and the portion was decently sized. I also had a sashimi platter that had uni on for about $10, which I thought was a very good deal.
Overall, a solid izakaya, I'll definitely be back again. -
Review from alysa b.
New York, NY
1/1/2012
The bim bim bop with a fried egg on top is magical. Went with a friend after a long day of drinking and split some yakitori and fried squid legs. The price was right and the food quite satisfying.
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Review from Rossana S.
Manhattan, NY
12/21/2011
Pretty good but I lived in Osaka so the food was not hot enough and the service was very Americanized... I really wanted authentic! :(
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Review from Monica J.
Manhattan, NY
1/24/2012
As a Japanese, I don't call this place "great", but this is a decent casual Japanese Izakaya you can find in New York. Service is average, variety of decent food, and reasonable. I enjoy Buta-kimuchi here.
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Review from Teddy B.
New York, NY
10/29/2011 6 Check-ins Here
A favorite spot! the small dished are great.
-fried kambocha is excellent
-yakitori- amazing
-spinach dishes- thumbs up
-buta kimchi- my fave
-you cant really go wrong if you know how to order here! -
Review from Jonathan E.
Brooklyn, NY
8/22/2011
I've only lived in NY for a year and within that time frame have not at all sought out izakaya fare at all - so I'm nowhere near an authority as to the ranking of the place in terms of "best."
That said, I did spend 12 years in L.A. with Japanese roomies and this place nailed the basics when it came to some of my fave eateries there.
It's frentic, youthful, informal, very Japanese, and has a huge menu that is friendly on the wallet for students, or can equally be pricy if you want to get overindulgent.
This isn't a sushi place. It's "other" Japanese fare. If you want a California roll, go somewhere else. If you want a skewer of yummy pork, a scallop wrapped in bacon, or a shrimp grilled in its shell, then head to this place and order a giant beer. There are safe bets like shrimp or beef, plus more exotic like organ meats or chicken skin or feet.
Most of the grilled treats are only $2-3 a pop. And the chicken skin is the best thing to order. Again, I'm not an expert as to this place being the mecca of similar fare - but it hits the spot. -
Review from Ilan M.
Manhattan, NY
9/13/2011
I'm a really big fan of this place. It's my third visit this year, and that says a lot given the multitude of Japanese restaurants within a few blocks. Admittedly, we came here after realizing that there was no way we were waiting in the Ippudo line up. This also happened to be my first visit where I wasn't drunk/in the processing of becoming drunk (they have a very extensive drink menu).
I had the kimchi fried rice, my favorite dish here I think. Don't get me wrong, the skewers are great because of their variety (chicken balls, quail, shrimp, pork, asparagus wrapped in bacon...) and they have a plethora of interesting dishes (beef intestine and tripe stew with side of steamed rice, which my friend had and enjoyed - this coming from an Asian immigrant, lending some credence to it). But the kimchi fried rice, for $12, is a massive, non-greasy, satiating, spicy and salty dish that is easy to eat, yet difficult to finish alone (it's huge).
The service is friendly (they offered me water while I waited for my friend), prices are cheap (for this area), and the restaurant is large enough to accomodate most parties, without long line ups, yet it still busy enough to provide for a fun atmosphere. Also, there's a speakeasy-ish bar on the side. This place is a winner. -
Review from Sam C.
New York, NY
9/24/2011
My favorite reliable Japanese place for late nite munchies! The price is right and the food is always reliable.
Great place for a meal after a night on the town. -
Review from James S.
Manhattan, NY
12/13/2011
This place is alright, but I think I need to try again. The seaweed salad was pretty disappointing, it seemed really dry and rubbery. The meet on a stick was ok, but not too memorable. The mackeral was good, they give you a full size fish. And the fried tofu soup was decent. This is a good izakaya, but nothing really stands out and I like the menu at saki hagi better. At least it was cheap and has a very inviting interior. Also, it's right next to Angel's Share bar, which is a good post meal drink.
