Izakaya in New York
May 3, 2013 2:12 PM Subscribe
I will be traveling to Manhattan this weekend. I would appreciate recommendation for izakaya or other Japanese eating/drinking establishments of note.
Happenstance takes me to Manhattan this weekend. I will be arriving on Saturday night. I would like to visit an izakaya or other Japanese drinking and eating establishment. If it is a place full of Japanese staff and customers and you can barely order without speaking Japanese, that is exactly the place I am looking for. I came across this review of NYC izakaya but I cannot discern from the page which shops might be up my alley. The more informal and earthy, the better. Midtown would be preferable if at all possible.
Any local MeFites are welcome to join me, I might add. Thank you very much.
Happenstance takes me to Manhattan this weekend. I will be arriving on Saturday night. I would like to visit an izakaya or other Japanese drinking and eating establishment. If it is a place full of Japanese staff and customers and you can barely order without speaking Japanese, that is exactly the place I am looking for. I came across this review of NYC izakaya but I cannot discern from the page which shops might be up my alley. The more informal and earthy, the better. Midtown would be preferable if at all possible.
Any local MeFites are welcome to join me, I might add. Thank you very much.
Best answer: Hagi on 49th Street east of 7th Ave is full of Japanese and very casual, but it can be crowded after work. Three plump juicy frog legs for $6!
posted by nicwolff at 2:27 PM on May 3, 2013
posted by nicwolff at 2:27 PM on May 3, 2013
OK... so it's only sort of tangential to the question... the part where you say "other Japanese eating/drinking establishments of note," but the newish (one year) and even more recently relocated Kajitsu is reviewed in the Village Voice this week.
posted by Jahaza at 2:27 PM on May 3, 2013
posted by Jahaza at 2:27 PM on May 3, 2013
Best answer: oof - there are some actively bad places on that list, and some places that are aggressively inauthentic. And some places I like.
If we can group Yakitori in the list? Totto and Tori Shin are two I like. Aburya Kinnosuke is quite good robata for NYC.
I do not think Rockemeisha should be on your list as its not very good - which bums me out as I live very close to it.
W/O passing judgment I would warn you off of Blue Ribbon and Chez Sardine as being hopelessly american.
I would add to that list: Yopporai (really a sake place), Hakata TonTon (whcih has become an Izakaya by stealth and is one of my most favorite places to go)
Sakagura is good, but is often filled with American investment bankers.
But - If you are a japanese speaker I'm guessing you can do better, especially in Midtown. In Midtown East there is a whole swath of hole in the wall places that focus on the expat community, and are sort of intentionally off the radar of Americans. I can't really help you there.
posted by JPD at 2:50 PM on May 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
If we can group Yakitori in the list? Totto and Tori Shin are two I like. Aburya Kinnosuke is quite good robata for NYC.
I do not think Rockemeisha should be on your list as its not very good - which bums me out as I live very close to it.
W/O passing judgment I would warn you off of Blue Ribbon and Chez Sardine as being hopelessly american.
I would add to that list: Yopporai (really a sake place), Hakata TonTon (whcih has become an Izakaya by stealth and is one of my most favorite places to go)
Sakagura is good, but is often filled with American investment bankers.
But - If you are a japanese speaker I'm guessing you can do better, especially in Midtown. In Midtown East there is a whole swath of hole in the wall places that focus on the expat community, and are sort of intentionally off the radar of Americans. I can't really help you there.
posted by JPD at 2:50 PM on May 3, 2013 [3 favorites]
I loved the food and crowd at Izakaya Ten but I have to be honest with you: it's not one of the aforementioned "hole in the wall places that focus on the expat community" and are "intentionally off the radar of Americans." There are lots of Japanese staff and customers but you wouldn't have any problems ordering in English. So . . . maybe not super-duper-authentic but damn good food and a good time.
posted by jason's_planet at 4:40 PM on May 3, 2013
posted by jason's_planet at 4:40 PM on May 3, 2013
Response by poster: I should add - it would be a bonus if any recommendations had a bar where I could eat and drink since I may be solo. Thank you very much.
posted by Tanizaki at 6:13 PM on May 3, 2013
posted by Tanizaki at 6:13 PM on May 3, 2013
Riki, on 45th on the East side. Very conducive to solo hanging.
posted by fingers_of_fire at 10:20 PM on May 3, 2013
posted by fingers_of_fire at 10:20 PM on May 3, 2013
Response by poster: I appreciate all of the answers that I received in this AskMeFi. I marked those that listed Hagi as a suggestion because that is where I ultimately went. I have marked this thread and plan to visit the other suggested shops during future trips to Manhattan. I also would like to thank MeFite Jahaza for joining me. Unfortunately, now that he has seen my face, his days are numbered.
FWIW, Mrs. Tanizaki and I also visited Donburiya on E. 47th and were very pleased with it. It seemed to be full of expatriates. recommend it to those who enjoy izakaya.
Thank you very much for all of your answers, and thanks again to Jahaza for sharing his company!
posted by Tanizaki at 1:55 PM on May 6, 2013
FWIW, Mrs. Tanizaki and I also visited Donburiya on E. 47th and were very pleased with it. It seemed to be full of expatriates. recommend it to those who enjoy izakaya.
Thank you very much for all of your answers, and thanks again to Jahaza for sharing his company!
posted by Tanizaki at 1:55 PM on May 6, 2013
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My favorite restaurant in Manhattan is Uminoie.
posted by minervous at 2:24 PM on May 3, 2013