BEST JAPANESE IN NEW YORK-VARIOUS STYLES

[foodlovergeneral]

I have loved Japanese food in New York for decades now. I am blown away by the quality when I go. Here's some of my faves, and would love to hear others:

SUSHI:
KURUMASUSHI-Super expensive, but the fish is flown in several times a week from Tsukuji. Very authentic with real wasabi (not the powered stuff), and incredible soy sauce. The chef will help you understand which one to use when. Many types of toro, not just from tuna, and incredible fish from around the globe. Worth it from time to time, but big bucks cost.
KYOYA: Very authentic and beautiful kaiseki meal. Many courses that are not way over the top. You don't get a food hangover as I have from similar multicourse meals in western style food (Per Se).
KAJITSU: Amazing vegeterrean kaiseki in temple Shojin style. This is a must do. Used to be easy to get in. Good price for such a high end meal. Tea ceremony style tea at the end of dinner. 2 star michelin.
SAGAKURA: 100s of sakes (or so it seems) in this hideaway in the basement of an office building. Used to be mostly Japanese, but more of us westerners now. Great tapas in this Izakaya style place.
SUSHI GARI: Much more worthwhile for fusion style omikase then Masa at a much better price (not as snooty, and great quality). Both Masa and Gari much better than Nobu.
TORI SHIN: 1 star michelin for this yakitori place upper east side. Really amazing.
OMEN: WOnderful feel good comfort food Japanese style.
DONGURI: Great comfort food and many very interesting small plates. Try the Matiaki mushroom tempura, or the braised pork belly.
IPPUDO: Great ramen.

I can keep going, but this is enough. What else am I missing?

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Sakagura
211 East 43rd Street, New York, NY 10017

Donguri
309 E 83rd St, New York, NY 10028

Gari
370 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024

Kyo Ya
94 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009

Ippudo
65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003

Kurumazushi
7 E 47th St, New York, NY 10017

Kajitsu
414 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009

Omen
113 Thompson St, New York, NY 10012

[fooder]

Why is there no good teppanyaki in NYC?

[Lau]

no there's not unless you want to go to benihana

there used to be a great place in midtown, but unfortunately it closed down many years ago

[foodlovergeneral]

Since we are talking about Kaiseki, which has substantial roots in Tea cermony of Sen Rikyu, who knows where they have Japanese tea ceremony in New York? Where can you get high quality Japanese and Chinese teas and Chinese "gongfu cha".

Here's a few things I know:

KAJITSU: The chef himself served a bowl of "matcha" at the end of the meal. I noticed he was using a similar technique to one of the major schools of tea ceremony, and he confirmed that. IT was a very light version of matcha.
CHA-AN: I have heard they have Japanese tea ceremony. Has anyone tried it?
MANDARIN'S TEA ROOM: Tim Hsu is a tea importer of amazing Chinese teas, and by appointment will offer tastings of those teas. He sells those teas in his tea room as well.
ITO EN: Used to be on Madison and have great teas from Uji and other places. Closed now. No matcha.

Anyone have much to add?

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Cha-An
230 E 9th St, New York, NY 10003

Kajitsu
414 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009

[Cheeryvisage]

For Chinese teas, maybe look into Radiance too. They do afternoon tea tastings.

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Radiance
158 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

[Tommy D.]

You can get tea confections at Minamoto Kitchoan. I believe that they also serve green tea but I'm not sure if it's the traditional ceremony that you're seeking.

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Minamoto Kitchoan
608 5th Ave, New York, NY 10020

[Silverjay]

Personally, I've never been into sitting on my knees drinking tea from a bowl, but uh, anyway there is a public tea ceremony club on the UES that does events, holds classes, etc. I can't remember the name. Japan Society does stuff and everytime there is a Japan related festival, usually in the spring, there are public events.

Edit: Here is the place on UES- http://www.urasenkeny.org/ .

[foodlovergeneral]

Silverjay has shared some very interesting and unusual places with us. A "pig foot" specialist, a "kyoto izakaya", a yakiniku restaurant that serves most imaginable parts of the cow for barbecue. Wow. What a find. Anything we are missing here? What a great list; I will put them all together and make a list for everyone sometime soon.

[Lau]

i thought hakubai in the kitano hotel does it, but id check to make sure

http://www.yelp.com/biz/hakubai-new-y...

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Hakubai
66 Park Ave, New York, NY 10016

[foodlovergeneral]

I don't think so. They have good Kaiseki, though it's been many years since I partook. Last time, about 6 years ago, they offered us fugu, which was quite amazing. I think their chef has moved on to Kyo Ya if I am not mistaken.

This string is great with Silverjay and others sharing great knowlege about the incredible offerings of Japanese food in New York. I am excited to come back to New York in January; now my challenge is to figure out where to go! I am only there from Jan 3-Jan 8. I am really curious about so many that have been described here.

[mjl242]

I thoroughly enjoy Japanese cuisine. Could someone briefly explain the nuances of the cuisine types listed? Like "Kyoto style" was explained by Silverjay.

Kaiseki
Izakaya style
Tonsoku Izakaya
Yakiniku
Yakitori
Robatayaki

[Lau]

kaiseki - it's basically a multi course tasting menu type of thing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiseki

izakaya - its a place where you eat alot of small dishes and drink, so sort a drinking food type of place http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Izakaya

tonsoku - this is pig's feet, they were referring to hakata ton ton who specializes in tonsoku

takiniku -its the japanese version of korean bbq, which is bbq which you grill at your table in case you haven't been http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakiniku

yakitori - this is various meat and vegetable skewers which are grilled http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakitori

robatayaki - its a form of eating where there is a central grill and then the customer points to what they want, here's what it looks like: http://www.tonychor.com/archive/00072...

[mjl242]

Thanks everyone for the clarifications. I wikipedia'ed some of these terms as well, but as Silverjay said, it's not always correct. I've been to Kajitsu, so I have an idea of kaiseki. Also, I've been to Raku in Las Vegas, a popular robatayaki place, especially with chefs, but there's no real pointing of foods.

This article (linked by Vegas food critic, John Curtas) calls robatayaki the grilling of skewers over charcoal. So I got confused between that and yakitori. That's why I asked for the definitions/nuances.
http://www.ciaprochef.com/WOF2005/rob...

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Kajitsu
414 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009

[Silverjay]

Technically, yakitori is a type of robatayaki. It doesn't necessarily mean skewers, just means grilled on an open fire. The nuance of yakitori is that it is usually just skewers or just grilled stuff and served informally to you while you drink. Places that deliberately call themself "robatayaki" aim for a little bit more of a rustic grilling "performance" dining experience. They tend to be expensive.

I'm not sure this would all come up in wiki or google articles. I'm just conveying the implied nuance.

[mjl242]

>> I'm not sure this would all come up in wiki or google articles. I'm just conveying the implied nuance.

Which is why I love CH. Thanks for all the info, Silverjay.

[Silverjay]

Kaiseki- expensive multi-course seasonal tasting menu that highlights different cooking techniques
Izakaya style- Japanese small plates pub or tavern or think tapas
Tonsoku Izakaya- tonsoku means pig's trotters
Yakiniku- DIY Korean style grilled meat
Yakitori- grilled chicken, usually skewers
Robatayaki- Various grilled items served to you

[foodlovergeneral]

Thanks everyone. Kaiseki has a number of permutations, but decends from the Tea ceremony meals of the 16th century. You will see that in Wikipedia. That still exists and is quite nice, and hard to find. Kajitsu serves Shojin style Kaiseki which is from Zen temples related to a form of eating called oryoki. Oryoki is a style of eating in which stacked bowls are remove from a cloth wrapping. It is vegeterrean. There are levels of multicourse meals, from very elegant meals for banquets, or very exquisite meals served in specialized "inns" called "ryokan" in Japan to lower level multi course meals. The emphasis is balance and elegance.

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Kajitsu
414 East 9th Street, New York, NY 10009

[Silverjay]

There are several origins from kaiseki, besides tea ceremony, that have now combined and then been riffed off of in modern times. Wiki articles covering Japanese topics are notoriously incorrect or incomplete. And "ryokan" really just means generically "traveler's inn" and are not necessarily places to enjoy kaiseki cuisine.

[foodlovergeneral]

Thanks for the clarification. Do you have some experience with the great ryokan meals I have heard and read about that you have a moment to share?

[Silverjay]

Ryokan meals you usually get a big spread all laid out in front of you at one time in your room. I've posted some experiences on the Japan board. These days when I travel in Japan, I tend to stay at regular hotels so I can explore the local restaurant scene.

[snaporaz]

I know En doesn't have many fans here, but I've found that if you order wisely it can be quite good, especially for a group. Just went with nine other people who are not japanese food lovers like myself (honestly it wasn't even my choice) on Saturday, as usual ended up doing all the ordering (does this happen to you guys?), and they were thrilled. Got some obanzai (very good, especially the pork belly and lotus root), sashimi moriawase (just ok), fresh scooped tofu (very good), kara age (of course a huge hit, very good), raw tuna and avocado salad (meh - but people liked it), miso marinated black cod (I was trying to stay away from this but people wanted it, good). Asked if they had shirako (for me!) but no dice. Anyway, nothing special, but a dramatic space and a crowd-pleaser of an izakaya, which can be tough when people aren't there just for the food, and don't get the charm of a place like, say, Ariyoshi. So it does have value as something like... "best crowd-pleaser izakaya for a big group".

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En Japanese Brasserie
435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

[foodlovergeneral]

I enjoyed En, for what it is. Not my favorite, but fun. Love their tofu ofcourse.

[uwsister]

I can't even pinpoint why, but I've never liked En. Just doesn't feel right. "Soulless" might be the word I would use for it.

Many good places mentioned here.

One of my favorite things to do though, is to go to Chiyono and eat simply grilled mackarel with rice or chicken cream croquettes (can't find a good one easily.)

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En Japanese Brasserie
435 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

Chiyono
328 E 6th St, New York, NY 10003

[cnr.one]

Aburiya Kinnosuke is 1 of my favorite's in NY. I think you will like it from looking at your list. Really good authentic food and friendly service. They have a wide range of high quality home style dishes and daily specials list. I love the grilled fishes and seafood in general. But, the pot of rice with baby anchovies is the stand out for me.

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Aburiya Kinnosuke
213 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017

[foodlovergeneral]

Arubiya Kinnosuke gets my vote too. I love it. So many different possibilities for meals. Their specials are wonderful and their robata is decent, as Silverjaky said.

[Silverjay]

We actually discussed this pretty recently now that I recall-

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/802458

[Lau]

this is a good list, I'd add in

Soba: cocoron and soba koh; i think they're pretty good

Bohemian: that place is pretty money

And I agree with the other additions people mentioned: yasuda, 15 east, takashi, momokawa, hakata ton ton etc

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SobaKoh
309 E 5th St, New York, NY 10003

Bohemian
57 Great Jones St, New York, NY 10012

Cocoron
61 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002

[Silverjay]

Momokawa for seasonal Kyoto style, Hakata Tonton for tonsoku izakaya, Takashi for yakiniku. Aburiya Kinnosuke for decent robatayaki and other upscale izakaya fare....Ippudo is the best ramen in the city. They make everything there. Santouka has been really inconsistent the last couple of years. I'm thinking they make soup in a central commissary for the other branches around the country....I lived in Tokyo most of my adult life. The top tier sushi places here are good. I've never been to the kaiseki places, but they sound good. Everything else is ok, rather overpriced for what it is...You might be interested in Tsukushi. Not gourmet, but an authentic experience...Gari isn't really Japanese food...And the word you're looking for is omakase, not omikase. Oh-MA-Ka-say.

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Aburiya Kinnosuke
213 E 45th St, New York, NY 10017

Hakata TonTon
61 Grove Street, New York, NY 10014

Tsukushi
300 E 41st St, New York, NY 10017

Ippudo
65 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003

Momokawa
157 E 28th St, New York, NY 10016

Takashi
456 Hudson St, New York, NY 10011

[kathryn]

I think you meant to write Takashi for yakiniku. Not Takahashi?

[Silverjay]

Yep. One's a first name and one's a last name. Edited.

[foodlovergeneral]

That was a wonderful post, thank you. I have been going to Tsukushi for 8 years. It's great. Gari is fusion, as you say. Thanks for the correction. Aburaya is one great restaurant. What is "seasonal Kyoto style"?

[Silverjay]

The menu changes with the season (which every good Japanese restaurant should). They call themselves "Kyoto style". Usually means more traditional fare (less dishes cooked with oil, pickling, salt grilling, white miso, etc.).

[snaporaz]

+1 for Momokawa. IME they also tend to have very good sashimi - much better than any other mid-range place in the city.

[foodlovergeneral]

Anyone aware of good robatayaki that is not so expensive as Aburiya Kinnosuke? Look forward to Momokawa and Hakata Tonton. Sounds Great.

[vidyoh]

Agree with Sushi Gari. here are my other favorites.
1) Blue Ribbon
2) 15 East
3) Sushi Yasuda.

best Ramen in the tri state area is Santoka ramen in the Mitsuawa shopping ctr in Edgewater NJ

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15 East
15 East 15th Street, New York, NY 10003

Sushi Yasuda
204 E 43rd St, New York, NY 10017

Blue Ribbon Sushi
119 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012

[foodlovergeneral]

Santoka ramen was grrreat and inexpensive. How does it compare with Ippudo or with totto ramen in your view?

I was only at Blue Ribon once; I didn't have a good sense of their sushi from that. Is it Americanized (California role), fusion (like Massa, Gari and Nobu), or traditional (like Yasuda, and Kurumasushi). What about 15 east?

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Blue Ribbon Sushi
119 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012

[gutsofsteel]

15 East is terrific. Different league than Yasuda, in my opinion. Better. It is not Americanized. The chef is highlly skilled, very attentive.

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15 East
15 East 15th Street, New York, NY 10003

[kathryn]

Blue Ribbon sushi serves both Americanized/creative rolls as well as nigiri sushi. Their nigiri have been decent but not definitely as good as other (proper sushi) places whenever I've had them. Sometimes the knife technique is a little sloppy, too.

I'd rather walk over to Ushiwakamaru if I'm in that neighborhood.

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Blue Ribbon Sushi
119 Sullivan St, New York, NY 10012

Ushiwakamaru
136 W Houston St, New York, NY 10012

[Silverjay]

Blue Ribbon is one or two tiers below 15 East and Yasuda. I would never go there if I didn't have to.

[vidyoh]

Santoka+ Better noodles, better broth (more complex) and better pork belly. Spicy Miso Ramen is the go to dish. Blue Ribbon has one of the best and most affordable Omakase meals in the city.

[kosmose7]

I agee. I always liked Santoka in Japan and Hong Kong, and I am glad that Mitsuwa has one too. Whenever I go to Mitsuwa, I try to have a bowl of their spicy miso ramen and chashu don combo. It is, in my opinion, better than most other ramen shops in Manhattan.

[Lau]

15 East and Yasuda are great, but blue ribbon is pretty mediocre, its basically just as expensive as any of the good places except that its like 2 notched below quality wise

[KA1555]

Brushstroke.

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Brushstroke
30 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013

[foodlovergeneral]

I will try that, but I am worried; is it an elegant ryokan style kaiseki that is authentically Japanese, or is it more Americanized. I am not sure, but I think Sugiyama seemed that way to me. Brushtroke sounds like it certainly has the right chefs, but do they try to stick to the true Japanese style? That is my preference (When in NY, eat as the Japanese do). Have you compared them to Kajitsu or Kyo Ya?

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Sugiyama
251 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019

Brushstroke
30 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013

[gutsofsteel]

I was not impressed by Brushstroke.

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Brushstroke
30 Hudson St, New York, NY 10013

[foodlovergeneral]

What was it that you didn't like? What other Kaiseki places did you like?