Overcharging, tiny portions, and aggressive upselling. Food (3/5) Okay quality, but not enough to offset the negatives. Value (1/5) Ordered a Calpico and asked for ice on the side--server refused, clearly so you get less drink and have to reorder more. The order arrived and it was a tiny glass packed full of ice, probably just holds 1/3 of a can of Calpico--so two sips for $8. Outrageous Service (2/5) Staff constantly push for more orders, making the whole experience feel pressured and uncomfortable. read more

Juban Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

The drinks are on point here! Love the lychee drinks, so yummy. Service is great, staff goes above and beyond. Food is very tasty and got that umami. Sushi is fresh and cute decor. It's a lovely spot for a more intimate get together with friends. read more

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I recently got to try Juban, a Japanese izakaya spot, for dinner with a friend. We made a reservation for a saturday night and were promptly seated upon arrival. The waiters were super attentive and friendly. The interior was spacious with a good amount of tables. The menu had a wide variety of options. We ended up ordering: - fried shishito - chicken kara age + mayo - tsukune skewers - kurobuta pork sausage skewers - fatty tuna sashimi (their special) - spicy salmon rolls - 2 cocktails Overall, the food was delicious, especially the chicken kara age with mayo!!! It was perfectly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The sushi was fresh, and the fried shishitos were also oiled perfectly. I wasn't a big fan of the tsukune skewers, although everything else was great. The portions were small and everything added up quickly. Our bill ended up being close to $200 for the two of us. tldr- yummy izakaya but small portions & is pricey. would return for bites and drinks but maybe not for a feast. read more

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4.5 / 5.0 - I don't know how I never knew about Juban until now! It is an authentic Japanese izakaya with excellent food and drinks. It's quite cozy, with a bar counter and some seating in the back, where we were lead into. We ordered several dishes to share and everything was delicious: - Mizuna Jako Salad ($18+) - Snow Crab Cheese Roll ($14+) - Panko Brussel Sprouts with Spicy Miso ($13+) - Tsukune = chicken meatballs ($12+) - Tuna Avocado Roll ($13+) - Yellowtail Scallion ($12+) - Matcha Cake ($14+) Mizuna Jako Salad is a very Japanese dish and I really enjoyed it. I would also highly recommend the Snow Crab Cheese Roll and Panko Brussel Sprouts. For drinks, I tried the Yuzu Bubble ($17+), which combined 2 of my favorites--prosecco and yuzu. I think the only downside was the dessert. We ordered the matcha "lava" cake, as our server had explained to us, but there was nothing flowing out from inside. It was good, but it was a plain matcha cake. They have a minimum spend of $30 per person, but you can easily spend over $100 for a couple of drinks and food. At the end of our meal, the manager or owner, who was Japanese, came by our table. He was friendly and we chatted for a bit. Looking forward to dining again :) read more

Juban Izakaya - Matcha Cake (14+) - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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I wouldn't recommend this place. There were four of us, and the total bill exceeded $400, including tips. The portions were tiny, forcing us to order multiple dishes. The prices were shocking--two Roku gin cost $36, and two orders of the "5 kinds of sushi" totaled $110. These items alone felt like a complete rip-off! Don't be misled by the $$ price rating--when portions are this small, it's easy to be caught off guard by the final bill. To make matters worse, the owner repeatedly responded to my review. In the most recent reply, they even claimed to know who I dined with, which felt creepy--borderline online stalking. read more

Juban Izakaya - Replied by the business owner - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Loved this spot. The food was delicious. Service was prompt. They do have a $30 minimum per person. It's easy to hit if you decide to sample a few items and share. The mochi was my favorite. Cold, soft and creamy. It's a quiet dim snug restaurant. Truly a gem. I'll be back very soon. read more

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What others have said here - bad energy mixed with mediocre food. They have very tiny portions and they get upset and bark at you if you don't order the amount of dishes they push you to order. The owner is a tall man with a big ego in a very small space who seems more concerned with him image than the food. There are plenty of better options in town, would not recommend. read more

Used to be a really great, cosy, neighborhood place. Food was quite nice. Came back last month. Absolutely no substantial veggie options, prices are unreasonably high and service has become very very unfriendly. I hope it gets better, but i'd honestly avoid. read more

I'm a huge fan of Izakayas and have been to many in Manhattan so I was really excited to try Juban. We made a reservation for 5:30 which was right before the dinner rush. The restaurant was still relatively empty so they allowed us to choose where we wanted to sit. The ambiance is nice and dim, so a great place to just drink and relax. The server was attentive and service was great. We had a few drinks and ordered a good amount of food. For the price, I was expecting to like the food a lot more. The flavors weren't extraordinary but I will say that the Hamachi Kama was one of the best I've had. It was grilled perfectly and the fish melted in your mouth. I think it was a good experience but probably not a spot I will seek out frequently. read more

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It's sad that this is called a restaurant if you leave hungry and pay over $100. They should just call this a bar. It's also bullshit that the cost is $$. They charge you 20 dollars for one hand rolled sushi which I can eat in one bite and I weigh 160lb not really a big man. This should be $$$$ in respect to the portion. read more

Used to love it here, became a neighborhood spot for me and my friends. My favorite dish was the mushroom noodle on the specials and the kobe beef/crispy Garlic Rice. However after noticing the push to recommend items with prices that were ridiculous puts a sour taste. Do not order without inquiring the prices of the items they are recommending. The staff can be pushy but the owner is obnoxious - which is the main reason I wont be returning, could care less about the patrons just more interested in squeezing everything they can. read more

Overall excellent service and ambiance 100%. The food was overall good-ish. Some dishes were pretty good like the udon special and the chicken thigh skewers were tender and juicy, but a lot of the dishes were just ok, decent but nothing special. Nice ambiance and friendly staff though. No complaints there!! read more

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Juban is a nice Japanese Izakaya type of restaurant in Chelsea. The two people booths are a bit cramped - especially if someone sitting in the next booth has long hair that could go onto your table if they sat all the way back. The food is good, but a bit overpriced for what you get. We ordered the Tsukune - Chicken Meatball ($12 for two), the Grilled Shishito Pepper ($10 for two), Spicy Pickled Cucumber ($9) and the Kobe Beef with Crispy Garlic Rice ($38). Tskune is my favorite type of Izakaya skewer and I enjoyed Juban's! The shishito pepper was standard, the spicy cucumber was addicting I could have had another order of this. The Kobe beef with crispy garlic rice was overpriced - for $38 it came in a mini skillet with not much rice, some tender beef on top, two shishito peppers and a little slice of shiitake mushroom. For the price, I think the portion of the rice could have been doubled. It was good for sure, but I don't think the portion warrants the price. The Ginger Martini ($19) was good - made with Wódka Vodka, fresh muddled ginger and house made lemonade - could have been a bit stronger but I liked the fresh ginger in there. Overall a good spot to dine! read more

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Great service, warm cozy vibes, great for late dinner bites as well. The tuna onigiri is wildly good.... As is basically everything. It's got all the intimate Izakaya vibes you could want with excellent food. Came close to 10pm on a Friday night and there weee still a lot of people but no wait. read more

come for yakitori. most other dishes are very small portion including sushi. staff is very friendly read more

Avoid this restaurant at ALL costs. You have to pay $2 EXTRA for a tiny plate of mayonnaise to come with the tastless chicken karaage, which doesn't come with any kind of dressing in the first place. The chicken itself is extremely dry and tastes like it has been sitting for a long time. The california roll was by far the worst I've ever had in any restaurant in the U.S.. The crab meat tasted funny and did not taste like real crab meat, which it says on the menu. The roll fell apart immediately when we try to pick it up with chopsticks. It took a long time for our food to arrive, which we figured because the menu literally asks the customers to "BE PATIENT." The $2 mayonnaise isn't even the worst thing coming from this restaurant. On the menu, it literally says "$30 MINIMUM of food/drink per person." On top of that, the server didn't give us a friendly vibe and slam dunked our plates on the table multiple times. Overall, if you come to this restaurant, expect to pay a premium for supermarket-level quality food and cold service. Please check the other 1 star reviews before visiting. read more

The food here was good, but nothing super special. The waiters however, were very nice and super attentive! I enjoyed their chicken skewers here, but I do feel like they are very much overpriced for such a small portion. The vibes are nice with interesting murals and decorations on the wall! read more

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Juban is awesome! All our food was delicious, and the vibe/music was very chill. Sushi was very fresh and tasty. Super friendly staff we, will definitely be back! read more

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Speaking from a very spoiled perspective for izakayas in Hawaii, this place was just fine. The food was solid, the sake selection good, and service solicitous. They accommodated our big group in a semi private room in the back. They have a course menu which worked great and tons of food. The surprising part was the price - not sure if it was the bottles of sake or if the course menu is pricy but it ended up being over 200 per person which is not really worth it in my opinion. Oh well it's NY and not Hawaii and definitely not Japan. read more

I'm convinced that there is no way this place is as highly rated as these reviews depict. This is exactly the kind of restaurant you hope you never end up in, as we did by accident: Rude waitstaff that roll their eyes when you can't hear what they're saying. Astonishingly overpriced and laughable food. Mind bogglingly slow service for sushi that was at par with a grocery store roll. Watery drinks. We left $300 lighter still hungry and in awe of the glacial pace and entitled waitstaff. We were almost happy we went, if only to have the story of having eaten at such a bad restaurant. We should have known when we sat down and saw the menu, written with reminders like a petty, terrorizing roommate: Be patient, exceed the $30 per person minimum, don't ask for a sake bomb, order enough because the plates are small. When the table next to us received their anemic sushi roll for something like $20, and wanted to order another, we heard them ask the waiter: "If we order another, how long will it take?" read more

The ambiance is cozy and intimate while the fish is fresh and fabulous. Juban is a perfect spot for dinner after viewing some art galleries around Chelsea. I recommend a cup of ginger tea to sip along some sushi rolls. read more

Juban Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

The place is nicely decorated and has a good vibe. However the food is a little bit expensive and a little bit too small of portions. 1. had the pork and kimchi $16 for about half a cup of food 2. 2 pieces Chicken skewers for $9 and short rib for $16 3. Tuna and avocado maki for $12 but it had chopped up tuna and almost no flavor 4. Yellowtail and scallion maki again with no flavor 5.) the chicken karaage for $16 was dry and overcooked. Also why charge an extra $2 for mayonnaise? read more

Juban Izakaya - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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5 starts on food, service, vibes and everything! I'd come back when I'm in the neighborhood for sure! Congrats on marking 10th year anniversary! read more

Amazing service. Staff recommendations were excellent! Sashimi, hand rolls, and skewers were perfectly prepared and the yuzu cocktails were delicious. read more

Juban Izakaya - Mackerel Special - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

It used to be amazing. The story behind it and the change of ownership is really inspiring. But the subtle, delicate way the food used to be prepared has been replaced with heavy handed seasoning. Food was overly sweetened, with wayyyyy too much salt (to the point where our throats burned) and a general sense that the quality and care had really suffered. The saltiness was particularly heavy. We may in fact not return if we don't notice an improvement to what has been a habitual visit. Hope they pay attention. Honestly- the salmon roe even felt a bit off. :( Now it's only 9:30pm and they're washing the bar with chlorine bleach as we eat. The smell is unbearable. read more

Juban Izakaya - Chicken skewers - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Such a great find. My husband found this spot which is right by the high line and Basquiat exhibit. It's an intimate restaurant traditionally decorated with a lot of wood and tapestry designs. It's dimly lit and sets a great mood whether eating by self or on a date night. They had a few specials that night so I ordered the udon mushroom dish along with the house sake, edamame, gyoza, and chicken teriyaki skewers. Everything was delicious. The udon noodles had an amazing creaminess to it with about four different kinds of mushrooms. The little bit of citrus added created the best umami flavor. The portion of this dish was smaller than I'd expect for a main dish, as were the gyoza. Both our waiter and server were very pleasant and excited to have us as they usually get regulars. This place is in an older building so not wheelchair accessible unfortunately. The bathrooms are clean and made from stone which was a cool feature. I definitely recommend coming here for Japanese food. read more

Juban Izakaya - Special of the day: udon noodles with mushroom - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Food: 3.4 Service: 4 Ambiance: 5 This is a nice restaurant, the staffs are friendly. The food is about average. The specials are very pricey whilst not offering much. read more

Juban is an amazing izakaya-style Japanese restaurant in Chelsea. Start with great cocktails move on to a wonderful selection of saki and end the evening with a nice selection of Japanese whiskey. The food is equally good and wide ranging. From unique seaweed salads to sushi to tempura to udan, there is a full selection of Japanese cuisine and all well done. A great choice when you are crazy a good Japanese meal. read more

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As a neighborhood local this place is a gem. A true Izakaya with fantastic food, an unpretentious, cozy atmosphere, and a staff that's been around for years. The crowd's a great mix of locals and newcomers, and the atmosphere is always relaxed but full of energy. I'd recommend a favorite dish - but honestly, everything is fantastic! read more

Truly amazed that this dive survived covid, it's actually remarkable that they would have a single repeat customer. Without a doubt the worst sushi and Japanese food I've had in... I don't even know how long... maybe ever? Way overpriced and the service is just as terrible as the gross food. Skip this compost bin and hit up Whole Foods, Trader Joe's or even a gas station would have a better bang for you buck. Stay away! read more

After a recommendation from a friend who I went with, I got the chance to enjoy authentic Japanese cuisine. I also got to try sake for the first time. Everything was delicious and it was a peaceful experience especially during a rainy day. read more

Juban Izakaya - Kobe beef with crispy garlic rice - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

This little izakaya place is a great find in nyc. One thing to note is the portion is small because they are tapas like dishes meant to be shared. Amazing staffs and great tasting food here. The best dish was definitely the wagyu steak and garlic fried rice. The pork sausages and the octopus are great appetizers. I wouldn't recommend the sushi here, we got 2 pieces of tuna and it was like 14 dollars... They have a good selection of sakes! read more

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We ordered a few rolls, skewers, and dishes to split. The momo (chicken thigh) skewer was tender but the flavor wasn't too strong and didn't feel worth $9 to me. The shishito skewers were decent too. The seaweed salad was super delicious and the sesame dressing paired well. I assumed it would be that sort of green, more wet seaweed salad but instead it was 3 different types of salad that you could eat with the dressing. The rolls were decent and didn't have that much rice which was nice. My favorite was probably the octopus kara age - it was super tender and I was pleasantly surprised!! One thing to note that there is a $30 minimum per person and they do try to enforce it, so make sure you want to order that much before going! If you get a drink you can reach half the amount, so it shouldn't be a huge issue but just for awareness!!! read more

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What a place!! I wish I had the words to truly do this place justice, I will fall short but you should go!! Being a veg I stuck with just the veg options, all I had was a winner bit that fried rice was unreal. I will be back!!! read more

The food was great! Service was good. A cute date spot or dinner with friends. Id recommend

The sushi tasted amazing and was of very high quality. The staff was also super-friendly! read more

Juban Izakaya - Spicy Tuna Avocado Roll, Real Crab California Roll, Salmon Avocado Roll and O-toro Sashimi - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

At best, the food was ordinary and overpriced. It was a horrible experience. My boyfriend had a medical emergency instead of showing compassion, the owner was more focused on having us pay for a seat cushion which he claimed was $50. It was a thin square foam cushion that you can buy on Amazon for $7. Bear in mind that my boyfriend recently had surgery and had significant bleeding that went through a wound dressing and 3 layers of clothing. We paid him off in protest so we can attend to the medical issue and the owner while having the money in his hands continued to harass us outside of the establishment. His actions were deplorable. read more

My friend and I decided to try Juban out after visiting a few galleries in the nearby area. We made a reservation prior for indoor dining. One thing I do want to point out is there is a minimum order of $30.00 per person - this shouldn't be hard to hit since the prices aren't exactly the cheapest. We ordered: Panko Brussels Sprouts with Spicy Miso ($8.00): this is basically brussels sprouts tempura. I never had it this way before so it was definitely something new. I would say the flavor is kind of bland but not bad when paired with spicy miso. Homemade White Sesame Tofu Agedashi ($14.00): despite the hefty price point for tofu... I HIGHLY recommend this! The tofu was silky and soft and literally melts in your mouth. You can really taste the sesame flavor too! Buta Kimchee ($14.00): this was basically pork belly with kimchee and it was really good! A little too spicy for me but if you like pork belly and kimchee, I would highly recommend it! Mentaiko (Spicy Cod Roe) Udon ($18.00): not your typical udon noodles... these came in thin noodles and I actually really liked it! Sushi: we got the scallop, sea urchin, and tuna! For a restaurant that is not known for omakase, I was SO HAPPY with all three pieces! The quality is high and the price is very reasonable! Overall, the service + quality of food is high here! If you can splurge a little, I would recommend! COVID-related: -all tables were at least 6 feet apart with acrylic barriers in between -all employees wore a mask and gloves -temperature checks prior to being seated read more

Amazing food and a great atmosphere to get a nice dinner with friends, definitely a bit pricy- but it's for good quality food so I'm not complaining. read more

I must conclude that these guys are purchasing or creating fake reviews. Do yourself a favor and look at the lowest ratings first before stepping foot in this place. Avoid! This was my first time here. I took my date here on September 14, 2024. I am a big fan of small plates, which was exactly what I was in the mood for. We sampled various dishes, including Brussels sprouts, chicken thighs, sushi, and more. The food is tasteless, underwhelming, uniformly ordinary, and generally bad. Add to that that it is way overpriced for what it is. Our tab was about $250. There is also a strange foul odor that permeates the place. Okay, so the place is bad, and I don't go back. That's what I would typically do. But.. The nightmare began when I got up to go to the bathroom. My date noticed that my pants and shirt were heavily bloodstained. A few days before our visit, I had surgery on my lower back. Evidently, the wound opened somehow, and I was bleeding badly. When I got to the bathroom, I was alarmed by the sheer amount of blood. I'm not one to get panicked or queasy at the sight of blood, but the amount of it was cause for concern. I'll add that I was having an awful day and was in pain, which has nothing to do with this establishment. I add that only for context. As I returned to my seat, I noticed that the blood also made a spot on the seat cushion, which are those ordinary square cushions that you see on wood chairs to make them more comfortable. I was embarrassed, yet I felt the proper thing to do was to advise the waiter about the blood stain on the seat cushion so that they could replace it. I mean, imagine the next patron coming in with white pants on, sitting down, and getting my blood on them. As a small business owner myself, I also thought about the liability the owner would face by a potentially litigious patron who came in contact with my blood while eating. What if I had a dangerous disease? I figured I was doing the right thing here. Upon notifying the staff, the owner approached me and inquired about what had taken place. I thought he was concerned about my well-being and was offering his assistance or something of that nature; I explained that I had just recently had surgery and that my wound may have opened or something. Embarrassed, in pain, and feeling awful, I apologized to the owner about the blood stain on his cushion. I'm now getting ready to leave, and he is standing there looking at me. Much to my dismay, he didn't do what I'd expect from any reasonable and decent human being, such as try to assuage my embarrassment and ask me if there was any way he could help. There was just an awkward silence. At this point, I apologized again and said, "Do you want me to pay you for the seat cushion?" I 100% expected that he would say no. Instead, he said, "You must pay for the seat cushion." I couldn't believe my ears. Could he be that callous? This square foam seat cushion with a common checkerboard pattern can be purchased at Walmart for about $5 or $10. Between the awful pain I was experiencing, the concern about the amount of blood I was losing and having dropped $about $250.00 on a crappy dinner, I was livid. I reached into my pocket, pulled out a wad of cash, and said, "Really? How much do you want?" I figured $10 or $20. He said, "$50.00". At this point, I'm downright furious. I had some choice words for him, and we started walking out. My dinner date was trying valiantly to calm me down, and instead of taking his $50 and calling it a day, he followed me out of the restaurant, trying to justify taking my money. At this point, my date and I told him he had better step away from us. He and the waiter continued to try to justify their disgusting behavior while we were waiting for our ride. Whether you agree with me in thinking that this owner was wrong for asking me to pay for his seat cushion, I'd advise anyone to steer clear of this overpriced, poor excuse for a restaurant for the lousy food alone. And yes, I did offer to pay for the seat cushion. But I am virtually certain that he was going to ask me to pay for it if I didn't. Despicable! read more