516353 Tue May 06 08:58:43 -0700 2008 14 18 Manhattan 0 3661182 I just got back from a trip to Vancouver and had a really great Izakaya experience at Hapa. Can anyone recommend an Izakaya like or better than Hapa in NYC or Brooklyn? Tue May 06 08:58:45 -0700 2008 189960 ms_kittka 1 3661467 I haven't been to Hapa, but the izakaya scene in Vancouver is a bit better than in NYC. I've always liked Yakitori Totto in upper Midtown. Tue May 06 10:07:24 -0700 2008 3661182 10763 Miss Needle 1 3661813 never been to vancouver, but my friend from there says izakaya is better there (i believe her)...i like yakitori totto as well, i also like restaurant riki (141 45th st; there is also a yakiniku place that is close by the same name) Tue May 06 11:17:55 -0700 2008 3661182 12298 Lau 2 3661998 Yakitori Totto is good and have had some good meals there but am looking for less yakitori style dishes. Thanks for the suggestion though. Tue May 06 12:05:01 -0700 2008 3661813 189960 ms_kittka 3 3662040 try riki then, its definitely an izakaya Tue May 06 12:12:16 -0700 2008 3661998 12298 Lau 4 3666540 Riki is tiny BTW, so there might be a long wait. Wed May 07 17:25:06 -0700 2008 3662040 10936 kathryn 1 3664405 i've been to Hapa -- liked it okay... in NYC, you might try Aburiya Kinnosuke -- it's a bit more upscale and traditional in vibe than Hapa, but the food is excellent, better than Hapa i'd say... other options: Kasadela (many hounds like it, i've found it hit or miss)...Uminoie (very hit or miss foodwise -- but the shochu selection is fantastic and it's a cute place)...there's also Sake Bar Hagi in midtown (more bare bones than Hapa, it's like a random drab place you'd find in any Japanese small town but worth a try if you are in the midtown neighborhood)... Wed May 07 07:43:46 -0700 2008 3661182 11077 Simon 2 3670270 I'd second Aburiya Kinnosuke. Same owners at Yakitori Totto, by the way. http://petercherches.blogspot.com/2007/06/hold-sushi.html Thu May 08 17:44:14 -0700 2008 3664405 10736 Peter Cherches 1 3665972 i've never been to Vancouver (or Japan), but everyone i've taken to Sakegura, including my native Japanese friends, has loved it. it mixes traditional with playful, and has a varied menu. the setting is fun too, as it's in the basement of a non-descript office building, with almost no signage. it's like entering a parallel universe. it's on E 43rd, near the U.N. the menu on the website is only partial and does not do the actual menu justice. http://www.sakagura.com/ alekz Wed May 07 14:34:47 -0700 2008 3661182 25190 charlie_b 1 3666862 havent been to HAPA but ive been to vancouver a few times and an izakaya or two there, not sure which at the moment. i'd think SAKAGURA would probably blow it out of the water, at the very least with the sake selection. or you could try its younger leaning and more fun downtown cousin DECIBEL. Wed May 07 19:19:13 -0700 2008 3661182 11372 mrnyc 2 3667328 i haven't been to Sakagura in at least 2 years, closer to 3...maybe five or six years ago, it was favorite of mine, but then the staff changed dramatically and the service went from very charming to very snide overnight...food was still good though...curious what the vibe is like there now... for the OP, the atmosphere of all these places mentioned is a bit different than Hapa, which had a young, trendy, studenty vibe when i went there...Sakagura is a somewhat older crowd than Hapa, w/ lots of Japanese businessmen and NYC Japanophiles... Wed May 07 23:37:02 -0700 2008 3666862 11077 Simon 3 3667582 I had a very pleasant and helpful bartender at Sakagura recently, who helped me find a sake that I actually liked - of course, now I can't find it anywhere else! Thu May 08 05:33:39 -0700 2008 3667328 10985 MMRuth 2 3667332 i agree w/ mrnyc's suggestion to try decibel too: it's vibe is closer to Hapa than Sakagura's is Wed May 07 23:39:19 -0700 2008 3666862 11077 Simon 3 3670303 yes, the vibe at decibel is definitely more downtownn, young, hip, and party-like. they have some snacks there too that are OK. but the food there is nothing special from the times i have been. the vibe at Sakagura is more grown-up, but it's easy enough for me to not be focusing on the businessmen, so it doesn't bother me. it's a place where it is not difficult to have conversation with your group. it is NOT a bar scene, and it would be challenging to talk to anyone new. back to decibel, it is a place you could hang out, more like a bar, and meet some new people to converse with without seeming out of place. i'm not much interested in meeting new people, and am very interested in delicious food, so i would always pick Sakagura. alekz Thu May 08 17:52:49 -0700 2008 3667332 25190 charlie_b 1 3668490 I can't wait for the weekend, so I can try these places. Thanks and if anyone has anymore suggestions, please keep posting :) Thu May 08 09:52:37 -0700 2008 3661182 189960 ms_kittka