I am absolutely blown away. I have never had a meal like this in my life. Everybody needs to…read moreexperience this. This is such a special way of eating and a magical dinning event. I highly recommend everyone experience this. We walked in and was immediately greeted with such kindness. Everything was set up so special. The chef came out and spoke with us delivered all of the food. Everything was just so absolutely perfect. Every single bite of the food was so divine it had multiple flavors and just one bite and it was just absolutely delicious. There was so much science to the making. Every single thing on the tasting menu was out of this world I was having the best time of my life. The ambience is what makes everything it is so quaint and cool and just intimate and everybody makes friends with each other. It was just this is a very, very special place and if you want to do something special or appreciate someone take them here. This will blow their socks off and I hope it does. I cannot wait to find another reason to come back here chef Louis is a master and every single person who works there is also everyone takes everything with a fine tooth comb. It makes it perfect. I am so grateful the expertise of Louis's talent and team exist. thank you for leveling up a true beautiful dinning experience.

Not the traditional japanese omakase experience. It felt like it was more like fusion between…read moreJapanese and French cuisine and trying to become Michelin experience. The experience was confusing and not to my expectation and what I am used to from omakase. There were too many french touches like soup to omakase, decomposed wagyu with artichoke, sauces on the side with some sauce drip touches, and other. Ambiance was great tho. It had a table with U shape in which the servers serve around it. I think the owner was on shift on that night and was very helpful and provided awesome service and explanation of the dishes. In spite of this, if you like this fusion style food then it is definitely for you. Unfortunately, it wasn't for me...

Delicious hand rolls in greenpoint! We got a mango shrimp and a spicy ahi tuna roll and they were…read moreboth equally delicious! The fish tasted super fresh and the flavors were delicate. Very fulfilling without making us full. The service and ambiance were 10/10, sleek minimal decor and the service was so great. I asked for a cold green tea instead of hot because it was a very hot day and they accommodated it. I really liked this place and would recommend.

I went to Knori for lunch last week with a friend…read more The restaurant is open and clean, with a sushi bar in the back right. There is a lot of seating. Service was good. I was honestly a little hesitant to go because of the sushi push pop thing. They have a lunch special, which I ordered. I tried the following dishes: Scallop Carpaccio (4/5): A good carpaccio. Came with roe on top. No complaints. Salmon Cucumber Hand Roll (4/5): This was a good hand roll. The fish was fresh, and the cucumber was crisp. Knori Bowl (4/5): A little smaller than I thought, but it was a good amount of food. The uni, scallop, and turo were all great. I honestly didn't love the flavor profile of the rice -- maybe a little too sweet for me. Overall, I had a good experience at Knori, and I would return if in the area.

Cute spot. Inconspicuous from the outside. Located next to a post office. When you walk in, you…read morestep in to a little store with japanese bowls and dishes on display. Order your food at the counter, then walk through the curtain to find a seat. Seating is first come first serve. The chicken karage bento box was delicious. The chicken had the perfect crispy texture. The mayo sauce on the chicken had a slight wasabi flavor. The bento box comes with salad, rice, and small appetizers. I also got a matcha latte. Great venue and overall experience.

Super cute shop and solid Japanese lunch options! I love that you can buy little ceramics in the…read moreshop out front. We got the chicken nanban and chicken karaage bentos. The bentos are a bit pricy, but the ingredients taste very fresh and not too heavy. I also got a matcha latte, which was decent. It can be hard to find a seat inside because there are people working on their laptops, but there is some outdoor seating in the back.

I want to start this off with how I loved how laid back this spot is. It only seats about 15…read morepeople. Music was on very low. Was able to speak to my wife softly (love a restaurant that's quiet!) The server & cook were great. The waiter was kind and check on us in a timely manner. The food was amazing. Bigger portions would have been great, but I know that's not the kind of place this is.. so no complaints! Highly recommend this place for a date. We might have to come back again soon. Two thumbs all the way up!

Came here a long time ago bc I heard how good their sushi sets are. If you are a sushi lover and…read morewant something homey you will definitely like Okonomi. It's nonfussy, and although not the cheapest sushi, it's definitely not super expensive/omakase level. It's a small space with a giant bar for seating and maybe a few tables - the owners are definitely passionate about Japanese cuisine and you can definitely feel that as you chat with them a bit. The menu is small, but dedicated to quality, and you will make your choice quite quickly. All the fish was fresh, large pieces, and really really clean tasting. The soup was delightful and paired wonderfully and everything was presented quite nicely. The grilled fish was also tasty and really tender.

This is a gem! Amazing food - when you bit into it you are…read moreWOW! I am not a fan of brunch but was really good. I love this place. Great food and great service.

Late to review but a friend and I had a brunch reservation here back in March when we were visiting…read morefrom out of town. Our reservation was for right when they opened so we were the first few to get seated. The owner was so sweet and made sure to get us inside and out of the cold while we waited. There's a bar at the front of the restaurant and the seating is all in the back. I loved how simple and modern and warm it felt while we were dining there. To share, we ordered the Japanese Breakfast Set ($29) and Miso Ricotta Mushroom Toast ($19). All the components of the breakfast set were curated so well and with intention. The toast was absolutely amazing and so flavorful. I'd love to come back and try their Apple Tart Tatin Pancakes!

Great local spot in the Ridgewood/ Bushwick area…read more Stopped in for lunch on my way home. Had their spicy cauliflower dry rub katsu sandwich. This sandwich rested on a sweet glazed bun. And the cauliflower was battered in this American style dry rub katsu. Not to mention, it was the size of my palm. I needed two hand to eat. The cauliflower was fresh cooked as the florets were soft and steaming with every bite. The flavor of the battered crust was jam-packed. And the pickle that gently sat on top was a great addition. Will definitely come when in the area.

This spot being called a mini mart is quite accurate because true to its name, it's quite the…read moreminiscule spot, and they don't really pack the shelves like bodegas and other mini marts of similar size do. What they do carry are some basic Japanese pantry staples, like mirin, Japacurry paste, furikake, potato chips, pocky sticks, and kewpie mayo, so it's good if you need to restock on asian condiments and some snacks in a pinch. There's a short menu of food items and a small heated food section with dishes like oyakodon and onigiri. I had high hopes for this food, but it wasn't great. In particular, the $18 spicy salmon bowl used canned salmon, which had such a metallic and fishy flavor I didn't want to finish it. It was served with very plain rice and microgreens, and was overall a very bland and lackluster bowl for the price. The onigiri was similarly bland. It's great that Ridgewood has a spot for Japanese snacks and bites right in the neighborhood, but if I lived here and had the time I would absolutely venture farther for my fix of Japanese snacks.

4.5 and rounded up. A birthday was the occasion I arrived…read morewith a party of three on a Saturday evening in May, there's a lot of buzz around this restaurant so reservations are recommended, I was fortunate to snag ours a couple days in advance on Resy for 8pm, that was the only available time for a party of our size left. Arriving to the restaurant, the outside is subtle and minimalist, a single door with a single glass pane window showing the front interior. Walking into the foyer hallway is where the theme begins, you're transported to a Victorian meets Japanese vibe, like you're entering the abode of a well-traveled citizen of the world, walls covered with memorabilia, maps and decorative elements. Inside along the front section of the restaurant, the walls are lined with shelves of "personal effects," as if you were dining in Mr. Moto's study--a top hat, gloves, time pieces, books, maps and other classically European decor like miniature bronze busts, clocks and miniature ship model. On back left or a handful of booths that comfortably seat four, on back right a luxurious bar area rounds out the space. Curiously a fancy bell board is affixed above the bar, (the type that large mansions used to ring for servants, the old version using a system of ropes and pulleys,) I learned this is where a bell rings when you press the button at your table. After consuming most of the Kaisen don the staff will bring ochazuke fish broth simmering for 60 hours to pour over your rice and fish, as a savory and soupy way to end the meal. I'll say it in advance before getting to the rest of the food--that broth is delicious! We ordered to drink: - Peach Sake "Miwaku no Momo" 魅惑の桃 light, refreshing with juicy peach $60 per bottle: juicy indeed. Pretty dangerous stuff you could drink the whole bottle like juice lol. The following Kaisen don bowls came in Standard or Premium editions the latter being a $7 upcharge which included a heap of snow crab, crab claw, uni, extra nori sheets. I dunno if I'd call it a "heap" these days though it was a nice touch. - Aka Bowl (Premium $44): spicy salmon with cucumber, oshinko, uni and ikura. Served with sides of hamachi, soy sauce, egg yolk and oshinko. - Signature Bowl (Premium $46): tuna tartare with scallops, squid, surf clams, yuzu tobiko, cucumber, takuan, uni and ikura. Served with sides of hamachi, soy sauce, egg yolk and oshinko. - Chirashi Bowl (Premium $45): bluefin tuna, toro, scallops, salmon, and seabream sashimi slices with ikura and tamago. Served with sides of hamachi, soy sauce, and oshinko. All the fish was fresh and tender, from the three pieces of hamachi on the side to all the fish used in the Kaisen don. We collectively enjoyed and can recommend! If there is one thing I'd suggest is to order a couple apps, the kaisen don was a fair size though I would've preferred a little more food in hindsight. For dessert, we ordered both the Hojicha Pannacotta $10 and Matcha Tiramisu $12. The textures of both were terrific, and not too sweet. The panna cotta was smooth, silky, creamy, since it was a hojicha syrup poured over, most of the flavor of the hojicha ended up concentrated towards the bottom, I would've appreciated a stronger tea taste though it was yummy for sure. The tiramisu was super light and fluffy, I almost wanted a little more bite from it though flavor-wise I enjoyed the amount of matcha. The energy of different staff members varied between enthusiastic and energetic to calm and collected, though overall I can say they were friendly and knowledgeable. The bathroom is noteworthy in that it's hidden behind a bookshelf, they do a good job continuing the theme even in there too!

This place checked all the boxes - the vibe, the atmosphere, the food and the service…read more We started off with the Uni shooter which to be honest wasn't my favorite because it felt like I drank a cup of soy sauce. Then came the presentable chirashi bowl which was absolutely delicious. We got one premium and one standard and the difference was uni and crab meat. The meal was so good wrapped in nori but the cost to add more nori was not worth it. We ended up saving some of our bowl for the seaweed broth towards the end which was so warming and different. We ended the night with the Hojicha panna cotta which was the highlight of the meal! At first lick, the hojicha taste was so good that I wanted second before I even finished. I wanted to pack one to go but they said this dessert was to be enjoyed in house only.

We were quite happy that this place was open when shalom Japan was not (they are sister…read morerestaurants) Ordering surprisingly hard. Perhaps the cashier was tired. Ordered karaage and miso soup. Oth were delicious so we ordered another round. The soup has chunks of vegetables that were non traditional Japanese and very good Cute ambiance.

I got delivery and I tried the egg sando, the daily bento, and the matzo ball ramen kit. I thought…read morethe best item by far was the daily bento. They had such great variety and I was impressed with the number of components that made up the dish. I would definitely order this again. Next, we have the matzoh ball ramen kit and I thought it was just OK. I added a lot of other Ramen toppings to it, but without that, it would've felt a bit lackluster. There were only two small pieces of chicken and while the matzoh ball was good it just felt really heavy with carb on carb. I felt like I needed a bit more protein to balance the dish out. Finally, the egg sando was the least favorite thing I had, I think that it's a cute idea in theory, but the rye bread with ketchup and egg and cheese did not feel super successful as a fusion concept. Overall, I am glad to have tried it!