Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Juban Izakaya

    4.0 (285 reviews)
    Closed Closed
    Updated 3 months ago

    Juban Izakaya Photos

    JUBAN IZAKAYA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Good for groups

    You might also consider

    More like Juban Izakaya

    Recommended Reviews - Juban Izakaya

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Matcha Cake (14+)
    Sawako Y.

    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 :)

    Replied by the business owner
    Smeeth W.

    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.

    Waheda I.

    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.

    Tsukune Skewers
    Nancy Y.

    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.

    Forget me not gin yuzu shiso
    Cassidy H.

    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!!

    Tsukune - Chicken Meatball ($12 for two)
    Risa H.

    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!

    Chicken thighs
    Avivi W.

    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!

    Jack M.

    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!

    Christina S.

    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.

    See all

    11 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 2
    Photo of May M.
    2471
    588
    2937

    8 months ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 3
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Business owner information

    Photo of Ashwin B.

    Ashwin B.

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 2
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Nir E.
    109
    1
    0

    11 months ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 3
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of SJ P.
    31
    274
    64

    3 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 months ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of N P.
    0
    4
    0

    9 months ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Wes F.
    0
    35
    0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    1 year ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 4
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2
    Photo of Jack M.
    0
    21
    15

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Myred W.
    2
    170
    144

    3 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 2
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of K M.
    0
    6
    1

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Iris H.
    486
    583
    1099

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Frank A.
    1458
    1398
    6878

    4 years ago

    Helpful 9
    Thanks 0
    Love this 6
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Woody W.
    368
    181
    117

    5 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 2

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 1

    7 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of MT M.
    28
    35
    10

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

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

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sean H.
    4
    39
    19

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of M M.
    0
    10
    0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 2
    Love this 1
    Oh no 1

    Page 1 of 8

    Ask the Community - Juban Izakaya

    You might also consider

    Momoya

    Momoya

    4.1(899 reviews)
    0.5 miChelsea
    $$

    I had been to Momoya on the Upper West Side before, but this was my first visit to the Chelsea…read morelocation. The atmosphere here was a bit more lively and crowded compared to the more relaxed vibe of the UWS spot. I enjoyed my meal even more this time around. I started with the beet salad, which was delicious and offered great value given the generous portion size. it featured sliced beets, arugula, goat cheese, and walnuts. I also had my eye on the hijiki soybean salad--which is a bit smaller and reportedly homemade--so I may try that next time, along with the warm mushroom salad which looked very tasty. The edamame was standard but served as a nice starter. For my main rolls, I chose the salmon avocado and the yellowtail scallion. Both were very fresh and definitely worth ordering again. The salmon avocado roll had a nice touch of sesame seeds on the rice, while the yellowtail scallion was prepared with the seaweed on the outside. My boyfriend's sushi entree looked excellent, so I am considering that or the sushi-sashimi combo for my next visit. The entrees provide a substantial amount of food, and I especially appreciate that they allow you to choose which roll comes with your meal.

    Honestly, I'm surprised this restaurant has a four-star rating. While the service was excellent,…read morethe food was consistently disappointing. We started with a lychee martini that tasted overwhelmingly of vodka, with barely any lychee flavor. Of the appetizers--the seaweed salad, cucumber salad, and edamame dumplings--the cucumber salad was the best. The seaweed salad tasted like a standard prepackaged version, while the dumplings had an unusual, unpleasant flavor and tasted as though they had come straight from the freezer. For our main dishes, we ordered the chicken teriyaki bento box and udon with tempura. The udon was acceptable, but the tempura was excessively oily, lacking the light, crisp texture you would expect. Even the chicken teriyaki was underwhelming; it tasted more like a reheated, prepared meal than something freshly cooked. The sushi was another letdown, with an odd flavor and appearance. The dynamite roll was especially disappointing, with an unpleasant texture and very little flavor beyond a touch of heat. The staff deserves credit for their attentive, friendly service, but unfortunately, that couldn't make up for the quality of the meal. We left feeling genuinely disappointed.

    Photos
    Momoya - Inside

    Inside

    Momoya - Chirashi Lunch

    Chirashi Lunch

    Momoya - Dessert

    See all

    Dessert

    Sanyuu West

    Sanyuu West

    4.5(169 reviews)
    0.5 miChelsea
    $$$$

    After trying a dozen of sushi/omakase places in New York I can definitively the best I've had…read more The omakase at Sanyuu West is honestly unbeatable. Every single fish is very high quality I find many places like the skimp out on the less popular fish but not Sanyuu West. I think the omakase is also at a very good price for the quality and amount you get though I know it is more expensive than maybe the average omakase spot right now. I also find that other spots usually underdeliver. I wish I could save more detail but honestly I have nothing more to say other than the fact that Sanyuu Weat amazing. The restaurant itself is also more spacious than I expected. Besides the main bar there are two sitting areas near the window as well as seats lined up to the bathroom to make yourself comfortable two things that I think are a rare find now in many places. A lot of thought is put into this restaurant layout and I think you can tell. The service was also great I found myself never lacking in water or waiting too long for my next piece. In fact, I had started to apologize about drinking so much water because I felt like the hostess was constantly at my side refilling my cup and she just turned to me and said, "don't apologize. Drinking water is very important." So true!!!! I'm very picky abt my recommendations to friends, I'll review any place I go to and give my thoughts but a real recommendation? I only have around a dozen or so. And Sanyuu West is definitely now part of that dozen.

    price - $87 per person pre tax…read more food - 5/5 service - 5/5 ambiance - 5/5 I got the chance to try out Sanyuu West for my birthday and I had such an amazing time! from the moment I stepped into the restaurant, the waiters were super sweet and attentive to my friend and I. the courses kept coming out and each piece was super tender and bursting with flavor! my favorite was definitely the uni, toro, and wagyu on milk bread course! I love how the flavors mix so well together, I felt like I was in heaven! the service was amazing, like the never left my water cup empty!!! (props to them) the ambiance inside was also super calm and vibey. overall, I had such an amazing time and I would love to go again soon

    Photos
    Sanyuu West
    Sanyuu West - (@joeynht)

    (@joeynht)

    Sanyuu West - (@joeynht)

    See all

    (@joeynht)

    Mikado

    Mikado

    4.4(208 reviews)
    0.8 miChelsea

    Unbelievable happy hour prices for beers, cocktails and food - as cheap as $1 for a bowl of…read moreedamame. Great portion size, the fish tacos were super tasty (comes with 3 per serving), the sushi is fresh and contains minimal rice in each roll.

    Reviewing location in Chelsea - The food is pretty good and there is definitely an existing…read morestandard leaning towards quality, but the service! Now, having said that although the food was decent, there were a couple of questionable choices in the overall presentation and plating and the sauces that accompany the black cod bento box I ordered, which did not actually come in a box. Everything is brought out piecemeal so you don't get an actual meal before you, but a lot of little plates brought out at different times, kinda like the Japanese equivalent of Tapas. We have been to this location twice, hoping the first time was a fluke, and trying to give them a chance only for the second time to be worse. The waitstaff is entirely disengaged from the customers. They rush you through the order process and don't explain any of the menu offerings, such as what is the difference between the different platter options. When they do come over, you are greeted with the sweetness and warmth of an unemotionally flat "What do you want?" After you get your food, no one comes over to refill water and cups are initially filled halfway with too much ice. No one comes over to remove plates afterward, and they definitely show no interest in finding out if you are enjoying your meal in the least. The booth we were sat at had not been cleaned after the last party's use so there was sauce all over, and it got on the back of my pants, which I later discovered while walking home...the joy. After eating comes the best part, they come over with these tablets outlining your check on the screen. Meanwhile, the tablets are strapped to their bodies the entire time. They don't allow you to scrutinize the charges in peace, no, they stand there impatiently for the duration either swerving from side to side of tapping their foot signaling discomfort that you're taking way too long. The funny part is the straps have clips to remove the tablets so it's not like it's impossible to leave the tablet and come back shortly. The whole process feels very rushed and pressurized for you to tip with one of the predetermined button selections, which start at 25%. Ummm, service sucked so no, we're definitely NOT starting there. I guess now we're both disappointed. Eventually, you get no paper receipt for your records even if you ask for it to be printed. And the whole time, the waitstaff is with you judging you on your tipping and not even being graceful enough to restrain their reaction. So no, not going back, and definitely would not recommend as a place to have a good time. Now, if you're looking for an uncomfortable experience served by someone that completely ignores you during your entire time there and expects an exorbitant tip to boot, then yes, this is the place for you!

    Photos
    Mikado - Indoor decor

    Indoor decor

    Mikado - Happy hour taco $5 comes with 3 tacos

    Happy hour taco $5 comes with 3 tacos

    Mikado - Inside large table

    See all

    Inside large table

    Umami Sushi - Delicious coursed out hand rolls

    Umami Sushi

    4.3(289 reviews)
    0.8 miWest Village
    $$

    Stopped here for dinner on a Saturday on a whim and was so happy with our choice! We walked in and…read morewere seated right away. It is a really small place with around 6-8 tables so it probably gets busy at times and there may be a wait. One of the best parts of their menu here is that you can order sushi by the piece. My mom doesn't always have the biggest appetite so for her to be able to order only a few pieces instead of an entire roll was a huge plus! I had to crispy tuna rice appetizer and the dragon roll. Literally so good. I was seriously craving crispy rice and these were perfect. I would order this again and again. The sushi was fresh and taste great as well. Super glad we decided to come here!

    This evening we were going to a jazz club where a friend of our son works at, but they don't serve…read morefood, so we had to find a place in the area of where the club is at. Do of course I use Yelp to find something that catches my eye close by where we need to be. I found umami Sushi. We usually can't go wrong with Japanese food or sushi. We had no problems finding the place. The description said it was a small restaurant and as we entered the dining area was very small. Our hotel room was probably bigger. That doesn't bother me especially if we get there, there tables for us to sit comfortably. I also trust my judgment when I find a place that seems to be popular by the locals. The restaurant was empty when we arrived. We were the only ones there, but for some reason we bring good vibes to the places we eat because not too long after we placed our order, people started coming in, to the point that the small dining room was packed. I love Omakase style Service and what we ordered was a sashimi/sushi platter for three and two special rolls. I thought I got to choose the rolls but even that was chefs choice. I was just a bit worried that they would give us the cheap rolls like spicy tuna or California roll. The platter came out and it was beautifully prepared with a piece of sashimi for each of us and the rolls the chefs chose, ended up being two of my favorite rolls. The types of fish they selected were also great quality fish. We were lucky to have placed our order before the crowd came in our we might have had to wait a while because how they prepared it would have taken some time. The service was just right. Because they got busy right away, the waitress was forced to attend to everyone and couldn't really socialize with us. In fact when we finished our platter we were debating what we wanted for dessert but the waitress didn't even ask us and instead she just brought us the bill, so we said to ourselves, "I guess we're not having dessert here." So we paid the bill and gave an opportunity for someone else to take our table.

    Photos
    Umami Sushi
    Umami Sushi - Salmon handroll (least favorite)

    Salmon handroll (least favorite)

    Umami Sushi - Salmon carpaccio

    See all

    Salmon carpaccio

    Juban Izakaya - japanese - Updated September 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...