Ambiance (5/5): Super cute and trendy on the inside. The vibes are very welcoming, chill, no noise…read more The establishment is quite small and can be very tight on seating. The wait was around 30 minutes for 4 on at 1:30p on a Sunday. By the time our meal ended, there were several empty tables. Service (4/5): Timing of the dishes was not in sync with the table (not that that bad, just noticeable). Ordering wasn't as smooth as we hoped but all in all corrected (order was wrong but was corrected when we were asked to re-confirm the order). By the time we sat, the food was out within 20 min and then the pancakes came out another 20 min after the first dish. Food (5/5): The food was outstanding! Seriously like everything from the pancakes, ramen, to the lemonade. Lunch special of Tan Tan ramen (special May 2026) and Pork Cha-Shu Bowl. Tan Tan was spectacular and was def better than the bowl. The broth had so much flavor with richness, spice, spicy level, half seasoned egg. The noodles were also a lovely bouncy chew. The pork was pretty standard with about 5 thin slices spread over a soy sauce based sauce. Omurice was very silky. The egg was nice and runny. I liked that the sauce wasn't too ketchup-flavor forward. I enjoyed the rice which had bits of meat which gave it more flavor too. Crème Anglaise Souffle Pancake - my only wish was that there was more of it because it was so good. The cream that was on top was not too heavy and the zest flavors blended surprisingly well. It comes with a little side of fresh fruit. The cake was not overly egg-y in flavor either. Lavender Lemonade - Not too tart and not too sweet. I liked the forward lavender taste.

Were the first ones in the door, with a reservation, on a random Tuesday morning. We were ignored…read morefor half an hour by all the waitstaff. The place filled up by 12:30pm. Everyone's order was taken but ours. Once we finally got to place our order, we watched everyone finish their meal, while getting morning. Not a drink, not a coffee, not an appetizer. The service was horrendous. We waited for almost an hour to get our meal. Felt bad for the only two sweet women working the entire restaurant--serving, bussing, cleaning, doing everything. Is management out of their mind? Only two people working the entire space, that's packed to the gills? Unacceptable. The two ladies did best they could. Felt bad. The vibes are pretty and are the only reason people flock to this place. AC was out of control--everyone was shivering and there was nothing that could be done. I don't remember ever being so uncomfortable at a restaurant and wishing for to leave after traveling over an hour one way to dine here. $6 Hot Matcha latte & $6.50 hot rose matcha lattes were probably the highlights of our experience, which is sad. Drinks are ludicrously expensive, at $20 a small pop. Hipster prices, hipster experience. $20 chocolate old fashioned was good, but I wouldn't return for it. We got the $19 salty (classic) ramen and the $19 soy (sho-yu) ramen and both were the worst we've ever had. Who wrote all these good reviews for ramen here?? Instant packaged ramen tastes better. The broth was off--tasted of old meat, especially the classic ramen. Noodles were instant pre packed kind. The three time sad pieces of pork tasted of nothing. This was super disappointing. The salmon ikura bowls were nothing to write home about. $16 matcha soufflé pancakes were undercooked inside. Had no taste, but the matcha sauce was sweet and added some light flavor. Overall, would not return. Parking around is nonexistent. Trains are tough. This spot is in the middle of nowhere and so not worth the track.

Located in LIC, this beautifully decorated izakaya serves an array of different items such as…read moretempura, hot entrees, yakitori, and sushi and sashimi so we had to try a little bit of everything. The yakitori here is very tasty. We loved the veggie skewers (okra and shishito peppers. The salmon belly is actually just salmon pieces and not the belly party. The enoki beef was little too salty. The squid, beef and scallops were very tasty. The veggies tempura were freshly fried and delicious. Could have been drained a little better. Salmon crispy rice was a hit but the star of the show was the sushi and sashimi deluxe and the blue Toro roll. Amazingly fresh. The passion toro was a little too sweet and fishy for us and had no passion fruit taste. Service here is amazing. The server actually gifted us the desserts of matcha creme brûlée and homemade green tea mochi ice cream. So sweet of him!

Hidden gem in LIC!! Review is from my first visit, but have gone back a few more times already for…read moretakeout. Value is insane and the fish is so fresh here. Must visit if you are nearby. Interior is spacious and upscale, and staff is so friendly. FOOD: Blue fin tuna tartar (7/10): Fresh tuna with a rice cracker. Fresh and delicious! Cyan Fox Roll (10/10): Insanely good, so much fish and so fresh. Got this 3 times already Truffle Naruto Roll (6/10): Tries to take a unique spin to it with a radish wrapper, but not my favorite. LIC Roll (8/10): Again, huge portions with generous and fresh fish.

TLDR: Small Japanese specialty store in LIC…read more If you're looking for something specific, almost niche Japanese - there's a good chance they'll have it here. Everything from imported dashi, spices, sashimi, wagyu, etc. This was one of the few places I've ever seen that carries my favorite spice mix from Kyoto. Sushi bowls and boxes are definitely above average. Pricier but premium quality. The back there's also wagyu, misos, dashi, etc. A cool spot to check out whether you're looking to get something to eat or cook. They also are one of the few places us civilians can get crown melons at. Although they will set you back quite a bit.

Done well: - Very fresh fish…read more - Chirashi bowl had an interesting assortments of many fish. - Salmon was very fresh. Not a highlight: - Quite expensive; these are the large sizes, but most of the bowl is rice. At $40, the large chirashi bowl is still not enough food to satisfy one person for a meal.

I visited Dashi Okume when I spent the day in Greenpoint last weekend. Dashi Okume dates back to…read more1871 in Japan (it was originally established as a seafood wholesaler), but this shop in Greenpoint makes quality Japanese products, especially dashi, more accessible than ever. Dashi Okume sells ... you guessed it ... dashi. They sell several kinds, and you can taste all of them there in the shop before deciding which to take home with you (I tried them all and went home with one bag of vegetable dashi and one bag of sweet shellfish dashi). They also make custom-made dashi. You can choose from around 30 ingredients - dried fish, seaweed, mushrooms, and vegetables. They grind it up and put into individual bags for you. Such a fun idea, but I thought I should try some of their pre-made dashi options before creating mine own. They also sell miso, rice, noodles, rice seasoning, seaweed, tea, and other items. I picked up some Japanese mustard, seaweed, and rice seasoning to take home with my dashi. Beyond being a great shop, they also have a cafe area where they offer a teishoku set meal - you pick your fish, which comes with tea, rice, miso soup, pickles, and sides. They also offer an omakase popup. The shop is beautiful, and the service was very friendly and helpful. I'll certainly return for more shopping but next time I plan to make a meal of it and try their teishoku set.

Stopped in at Dashi Okume on a random Saturday afternoon and sat down with a spread of white rice,…read morebluefish, miso soup, squash, and mushroom. Simple and satisfying on the food front, for the 2 of us, the cost was about $110. So not a cheap meal, but good food. The vibe though was a little different from what I was expecting. I went in thinking restaurant and what I got was more of a market atmosphere. While you are eating, people are walking around shopping and browsing, and there are products displayed and sold throughout the space. Not exactly my ideal setting for a sit down meal, but it works well enough for a casual weekend afternoon stop. One of the highlights beyond the food were the soup broths and dried flake samples they had available to try at Dashi Okume. We worked our way through most of them and they were genuinely delicious. My wife liked them enough to buy one to use as a miso soup base at home, which says a lot. They also carry items for cats, which was a fun little surprise. As for the place itself, Dashi Okume is located on Norman Avenue and operates as a collective, meaning it is not one single business but rather a shared space where multiple different vendors and businesses come together under one roof. That explains the market within a restaurant feeling. Overall Dashi Okume is a worthwhile stop, especially if you enjoy exploring and sampling along the way. Just go in knowing it is more of a hybrid experience than a traditional sit down meal.

Hibino is one of my favourite restaurants in LIC. I love that they offer their lunch specials even…read moreon weekends. I always order their "obento box", which comes with a choice of an entrée from their daily-rotating list (so cute how they write them on a few chalkboards that they move around the restaurant for whoever's ordering). Everything I've ordered has always been delicious, from the various fish dishes (salmon / arctic char are particular favourites), the stir-fried pork, and their sushi rolls. The salad is invariably so fresh, and the small side of obanzai is always a treat :) Price point is unparalleled -- I think the bento was priced at $12 when I first came a few years ago, and it's still $12 now. Such a lovely cute restaurant -- service is fast and friendly, and the interior, while a bit small, is definitely very cosy and has that unique rustic Japanese aesthetic to it (including a lot of their tableware). This is definitely a must-try in the area, and I will no doubt be back very soon!

The food here was ok, but not spectacular. Great service, and the place itself was quite…read morenice...but we won't got back. The teriyaki chicken was ok, but nothing special. The sushi was also nothing special or good.

I had a great experience at this sushi restaurant. The fish was fresh, the rolls were flavorful,…read moreand everything was nicely presented. The atmosphere was calm and inviting, and the service was friendly and quick.I'd definitely come back

Hidden gem. Great happy hour, very affordable along with fantastic service & yummy drinks…read more Loved the passionfruit martinis & sushi rolls. We'll be back for sure.

Came here for dinner with a friend, and didn't need a reservation on the weekend. We got the…read morechicken thigh and pork belly skewers to share, both of which were very delicious. The chicken thigh was coated in this sweet teriyaki sauce, and the pork belly was quite peppery. For entrees, we got the spicy yakisoba and chicken teriyaki don - I think the yakisoba wasn't anything special, ans the grilled chicken was pretty dry but a very good portion for the price. Overall a good affordable neighborhood spot, and the ambiance and service are great.

So yummy! We stopped by on a Sunday afternoon and it was already pretty busy but got packed after…read morewe sat down. Plenty of seating can be a little tight but not uncomfy. Smelled so good once we walked in. Spicy cucumbers were great, nice chili oil. Ube tempura was so crispy n with the sauce it was giving crab rangoon vibes. The special curry was great, good egg texture and flavorful curry. The mentaiko was also so good. Our waitress recommended the udon over the pasta and it was great texture & flavor 10/10

I believe this spot is known for their omakase. I didn't go there for the omakase instead went for…read moretheir sashimi and ramen. Also tried the karrage and the crispy rice. I wasn't a fan of their crispy rice. The spicy ramen wasn't that great either. But I doubt that's what they specialize in so Ill give them a benefit of the doubt. The service was great and this place seems like where people in the neighborhood all gather to hangout. They take pictures with the chef and staff. No one seems to be in a rush to leave after their meal is done. We stayed until it closed as well.

One of my favorite go to omakase places in Queens. Service…read moreis great. Chef and waitress are very kind. They are people of few words but kind nonetheless. Never busy whenever I go. It's still a restaurant but has a bar in the back for you to have omakase. I have been doing the omakase for 2 (14 pieces with appetizers and ice cream ) and I always leave feeling full.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! I would make the trek to come back here…read more Everything in the set meal was so good and the portion size was perfect. Lovely ambiance as well. Please visit. I'm coming back here for sure. Finally a place that is both Instagram worthy AND yummy!!

Honzen was very hyped up on TikTok, which usually means that it's not worth it or as good as it…read moreseems on video. However, after the first time trying it, my partner and I were blown away by the quality of the meal. The portions we got were way more than any other Japanese set meal restaurant in NYC, and for under $40 you can't really get any better than Honzen. Each set includes miso soup, fresh sashimi of the day, uni topped tofu custard, pickled vegetables, eggplant, pickles, and your main dish. Our favorite has to be the katsu, it's probably the best value item on the menu. The miso cod was also excellent, super buttery and tasty while not being too expensive. Both options are available under $40. I would also recommend just ordering the standard Japanese rice, since it's already very filling as it is and we've never needed any of the rice with additions. Service can be a bit slow if you come later in the evening, which is understandable as it gets busier with all the set meals coming out. Ambiance is super cozy, with a sit down area that has cushions and a low table. Can't really go wrong with any spot in the restaurant. We come back here all the time when we're craving something homey and filling, would recommend Honzen!

We really loved the Matsunori in Boston and was exciting learning that there was an NYC location…read more They took reservations and it was easy to book, even for a Friday evening. The service was attentive, serving the handrolls one-by-one and coming back to take our next order. It was very well-paced. The standout handrolls were the spicy scallop and the miso butter cod. Perfect spot for a date night and would be coming back again to fulfill the sushi/handroll craving!

Cozy and ambient interior, great for catching up with friends or date…read more Impressed with the fish to rice ratio, it felt like 70:30 which really allows you to taste the fish youre eating. Rolls aren't very filling and kind of expensive. I had 4 rolls and was still hungry at the end so take that as you will. Service was kind and efficient.