LeeLee S.

We went for dinner. What a cute place! It's on the smaller side so we had to wait for a table on a Friday night. Wasn't a long wait. The decor is really cute, lanterns are hung on the ceiling and posters are from One Piece. (I wouldn't have known that but my husband did) We ordered Pork Gyoza, Veggie Kara-age, Pork Menchi Katsu and Yakiniku. Everything was delicious. They accidentally gave us Shishamo which are fish skewers, we thought it was complimentary but they made a mistake. I'm trying to eat more sea food so I took a bite of one, it was super fishy and oceany, I did not like it at all. My husband didn't find it to be that bad, he was surprised that you eat the entire thing, bones and all. He had Sake and I had 2 Classic Highballs which were very good. Reminded me of Mike's Hard Lemonade which I used to pound when I was in college. Service was a little slow but it seemed like there was one waiter for all the tables. That's the only reason for 4 stars. We know in Japan you have to call the waiters over when you want something, we weren't sure if that was the case here as well. We didn't want to be rude but we thought maybe they were giving us an authentic Japanese experience! We will definitely be back.

Ellen C.

Hustling and bustling just like a izakaya should be. Friday night was packed and luckily we made reservations. Didn't realize they have happy hour for cocktails and yakitori. Service is a little slow since it was packed. The server was nice enough to extend HH for us since he couldn't get to us in time. Drinks and food are all delicious. Fun place to hang out. We were a party of 7. Gave us a great table (thank u) but definitely very tight quarters. Happy we made reservations and they could accommodate us.

Iris C.

Randomly decided to stumble in here for a small bite and was nicely surprised! My husband and I tried a variety of skewers and small bites. I think I got the strawberry blitz- it was good but a little too sweet for me. The skewers had a nice char and good flavor. I'd come back and would want to try their nabe and other dishes! Need to take advantage of their happy hour next time!

Salena P.

The food was delicious & the ambiance was beautiful- but the service was best. David was amazing, very efficient and kind. Thank you so much! Pictured: Kani salad, shrimp udon, chicken karage, potato croquette

Larry N.

A night cap in BAYSIDE... It was a Thursday night around 10 pm, decided to do Japanese with a friend. Check on yelp to see whats around and sure enough it lead us here. When I got to this joint, you take the stairs up and pass all these cool drawings. Open the door and was greeted with big welcome. Was seated right away, waiter handed us the menu and gave us a moment. He came back with water, and we placed our orders. I took a moment to look around and the vibe was just right, felt like I was trap in an anime movie lol. There was people talking but not loud. Food was on our table before we knew it and everything was right :)

Jackson Y.

Bell Blvd in Bayside is a great destination for culinary variety. We dropped by last night after a Mets game and were pleasantly surprised by what was available. Ambience: located on the second floor up a flight of stairs, the dining room is consistent with most other ramen shops ... meaning plenty of wood furniture. Food: we ordered Skewers - get the pork belly. Yum. 5/5 Fried oysters - crunchy batter, squishy inside. 4/5 Spicy Miso Ramen - good and hearty. 4/5

Phyu T.

I liked the rice bowl I had! It was better than the ramen. In terms of flavor, the pork ramen wasn't my favorite. But the potato croquette was star! I was not even going to try it but once I took a bite, it was hard to stop. The wasabi octopus was ok. The service was stellar- we had a very friendly waitress who served us with complimentary macaron at the end! Ambiance was nice for casual hang out with friends. I give 5 start overall because of service but food is 4.5.

Eric K.

Had 3 yakitoris to start thinking I'd have to room to order and try the Yakiniki. Boy was I wrong they were bigger than I expected so that's all I had to eat along with 5 pints of Sapporo. Food was great, service was extra polite the ambiance reminded me of a typical small cozy but busy Izakaya spot!

Mike S.

Up the stairs from Tamashii Gold, hovering above Bell Blvd sits Izakaya Haru. The anime/manga and sake bottles themed smallish space is good place to enjoy some drinks along with Japanese snacks and dishes. We were welcomed immediately upon arrival and seated. The efficient and attentive one man server provided great services from start to finish. We ordered drinks - Sapporo draft for me and non-alcoholic Blue jays for my partner in crime. I enjoyed the ankimo (monkfish liver) which was served more like a salad to cut the richness of ankimo. It was a good version and enjoyed the flavor. If the quality isn't good it tastes to me what I imagine cat food tastes like - fishy and mushy, but not here. Worth the get if you like ankimo. The crab croquettes were a bit of a disappointment - more like crab wontons you get from Chinese take out places it was all cream cheese with a crispy coating. Wouldn't get again. The mentaiko cheese pork gyoza had an interest presentation making it a cheesy dumpling pancake. These were alright, but didn't think the cheese with mentaiko added much flavor, but maybe get shrimp gyoza next time. The spicy hot kai was a large pot of clams- small little manila ones which are delicate and tasty. This has a kick reminiscent of shin ramen (did they use the season packets?...hmm) it builds and catches up to you. I'm not always a huge fan of spicy because it can be one note - this a good dish to share with a group to avoid tastebud fatigue. Cash discount (or credit card penalty depending on your POV) as most places do nowadays. They have a daily happy hour from 4-7pm so check that out. Will return to check out other dishes.

Breanna N.

This place was a hidden gem for us! Randomly decided to try this spot because the weather was horrible and needed a detour place. Inside they're completely anime themed and my bf was in heaven. There were pictures, anime's, and drawings on the wall from one piece and other anime's. The wait staff was nice but didn't hover, sometimes you had to flag them down when you needed something. Note to anyone sitting near the kitchen like we did, you will walk out smelling like whatever was cooked. The Yakitori was delicious! The short rib was perfectly tender and the pork belly was soft and flavorful. I got the Yakiniku and it was more onions than anything else, which I didn't expect, but it was good (it also didn't come with rice). The chicken Yaki was definitely worth it because you actually get rice with it and was properly proportionate. We'll be back for more Yakitori and to get other items from the menu!!

Sam Y.

Izakaya is located upstairs, next to Tamashii Gold, though they now have separate management. It is neatly decorated with lots of One Piece art and figures. There are a few tables, but better for smaller groups Attentive and polite service. The waiter announced every dish when he came by. He refilled our water and tea whenever they saw it low. The Ankimo (monkfish liver) sits atop a jalapeno, radish and cucumber slice, and topped with red onions and a yuzu sauce. Great flavor, though the jalapeno overpowered the flavors a little (I guess we happened to get extra spicy jalapenos!). Everything was fresh though, so would recommend if you enjoy ankimo. The Mentaiko Cheese Gyoza (pork - can get pork, shrimp or veggie) had lovely charred cheese, and porky flavor. The flavors went well together, though I would try the shrimp next time to add to the mentaiko flavor. The Crab Croquettes had a very light puree inside, and a nicely fried exterior. It was tasty with the sauces. Personally, not a fan of the texture of the puree, so would not get again. The Spicy Hot Kai (Clams) had lots of fresh clams and bean sprouts, and a very good kick like Shin Ramen kind of spicy. Great dish to share. The Blue Jays (mocktail) had lovely fruity flavors topped with a few frozen blueberries. It was not too sweet. At the end of the meal, we got half of mochi ice cream on the house. It was a sweet way to end the meal! There is a cash discount, so remember to bring cash! I would come back during happy hour (everyday from 4PM-7PM) to try out their skewers!

Lilian N.

Did you just come back from Japan and have Japan fever? I sure do! This place is as close as it gets to the vibes of an izakaya in Japan. Cute decor with lots of animation posters and toys hanging from the ceilings. While I only got the strawberry blitz drink, I didn't get a straight sake but I'll be sure to next time. They have a wonderful happy hour from 5-7 even on weekends that includes cocktails, mocktails and skewers. Our dishes were pretty spot on. The skewers were very flavorful though I felt the gizzard was a little burnt. The shisito pepper skewer and chicken with scallions skewers were fragrant and juicy. The short rib was good but due to the price I wouldn't get it again compared to the other ones. My favorite dish was probably the monkfish liver appetizer. Not a common food to eat but I had it once at another Japanese spot and it's just so good! This one was refreshing with the radish; yuzu, red onions and cucumbers. I also enjoyed the onomiyaki with the flakes on top. It had a good amount of seafood and not too doughy. The grilled squid was also good and very fresh. Not too chewy nor burnt like some places. I can't wait to come back with my family! For people wondering if it's kid friendly, I'd say yes because of the variety of food but make a reservation ahead of time and note there is no changing room.

A L.

Wonderful Japanese restaurant and terrific food. It's on the second floor and very lively the night we went. Outstanding pork belly yakitori, inoki mushroom yakitori. Avoid the beef yakitori - not tender. The beef in my udon soup was blah and not tender so I would avoid unless they change the cut of beef they use. The broth, though, was fantastic. The octopus balls were delish. The decor was fun and cute.