Soy feels like a warm hug. It's the kind of place where food is served with such care that it restores your faith in the world. At Soy, patience is essential (signs throughout remind you not to rush), but Etsko serves such well-crafted dishes that makes it worthwhile. The Hiya Yakko and Niku Jaga were standout favorites. After dining at several upscale restaurants during our Woodstock getaway, my wife declared the Niku Jaga as her most satisfying bite. For such a small establishment, Etsko offers an impressively curated sake selection. When weather permits, the back porch seating creates the perfect dining atmosphere. The restaurant has its quirks (walk-ins aren't encourage) so calling ahead is essential. But the deeply satisfying food makes the effort worth it. read more

Rosendale does it again for personality, genuine flavor and small-town feel. I especially liked the kimchi dumpling special app.

Food was great. Very authentic and cooked with care. Only downside is the overall dining experience will take longer than most are used to. They have a sketch book my colleague drew Soy in! The owner is also the hostess, waitress, bus girl, custodian, sous chef, and executive chef. Very impressive! read more

SOY Rosendale - Soy Rosendale street view. - Japanese Near Me - Rosendale, New York

Last time I visited, food was amazing, service was ABYSMAL, but I ignored the quirkiness. My second time back here around 6PM on a Wednesday was very quiet (only one other couple at a table was present). I was eager to show the restaurant to my friend. However, we were greeted coldly, the server/owner plainly annoyed we were there. After waiting for 5 minutes, she dropped the menus off, didn't say a thing, and disappeared downstairs to the kitchen never to show back up again. We waited another 5 minutes, but decided to leave. She never came back upstairs. I'm perplexed that a place with such a talented chef and great menu can have some of the worst service I've ever experienced. Maybe it was a bad day for them. read more

SOY Rosendale - Japanese Near Me - Rosendale, New York

What a unique and amazing experience! The drinks, appetizers and entrees were all terrific. And I can't say enough about how special this place is where you can play games as your meal is prepared and served by one amazing person! read more

SOY Rosendale - Family night out - Japanese Near Me - Rosendale, New York

Small portions. Homestyle japanese food. This is not a sushi bar. Has a nice outdoor seating area

Amazing location! Beautiful garden with koi leading to a creek. Food was DELICIOUS. Fantastic beer/wine/cocktail options. Lovely owner/server/chef. An oasis off the beaten path. Can't wait to come back again. read more

Overall experience was fantastic. Highly highly recommend. Quality of food was great. Will definitely be back!

A true hidden gem. The food is simply perfect and the ambiance is enchanting. There's a surprisingly large Japanese style garden stretching from the restaurant to the river you can enjoy before or after the meal. This place is a one man show run by its owner, so service will naturally be slower. Try to call ahead and let the owner know when and how many will be coming. read more

5/5 across the board! Incredibly peaceful, beautiful ambiance in the garden. Delicious cocktails and the food was so hearty and fresh. You could tell it was cooked with love. read more

We enjoyed everything about this restaurant! From the ambiance, the food, and the owner herself, Etsko who shared with us about her restaurant. It was our 1st time here and was very surprised about how big and peaceful this place was. Eating outside at the back was just simply zen. Hearing the water fountain filled with gold fishes and watching all the birds fly around and how green everything was with the amazing flora! We ordered the Japanese stew and it was so delicious! Well balanced. We love this place and we will come back again and again! read more

See all

Nice authentic Japanese home cooking in Rosendale. Portions a bit small, so make sure you order extra. Got edamame, miso soup, dumplings, salad, stew (which was like a soup) and beef entree. A unique place that is different than what you expect from Japanese food (no sushi). Check it out if you are in town. read more

SOY Rosendale - Beef and veggies over rice - Japanese Near Me - Rosendale, New York

See all

My favorite place! Excellent food, service and vibe despite the sign that says they're short staffed. Love love love and more love!

Very good Japanese homestyle cooking. Friendly and professional. Decent prices. A good time out. read more

Visiting from the city, we made a point of stopping at this new place. I love Soy's spicy raw tuna over rice (I used to visit their city location and that was my go-to). It really hits the spot. Also, their daily soup has a depth of flavor that shows it's homemade. I had a delicious sake which was very reasonably priced. My boyfriend had the beef stew which he enjoyed, although he would have liked a larger portion. They have a bento box which I didn't try, but I will definitely next time. They have a good, well priced beer, wine and sake selection. This is homemade food with heart! read more

This place is consistently great. The owner is lovely. The setting is relaxing and lovely.

Absolutely incredible. The atmosphere is so welcoming. The food is must be made with love. Beautiful blend of flavors. Sitting down to eat at Soy feels like having dinner at someone's home. Love love love. read more

SOY Rosendale - Tofu Steak - Japanese Near Me - Rosendale, New York

This place was great. We were a large group looking for some soup and appetizers on a cold day. The outdoor space is lovely. Koi pond, lots of green, and a lovely deck. We ordered miso soups, dumplings, edamame and a couple of bowls. All great. read more

Cool eclectic space with delicious home cooked Japanese food. Great drinks and friendly service. The owner was very nice and knowledgeable about the area. read more

Holy god I came here just to try her curry. I got. To go. It is AMAZING!! What a phenomenal cook! I'll be back. Don't miss her cooking, one of the best. read more

The homestyle Japanese cooking was pretty tasty and her pickled ginger and tsukemono (or was it namazuke, I forget) were really delicious. I enjoyed my hayashi rice, but wished it was a little hotter. My family liked their meals, as well. The kids had "Japanese breakfast," but we lamented that no protein was included (my favorite part of Japanese breakfast). Prices can be a little high. $9 for 5 gyozas made my brain explode. They were tasty, but for $9 I want homemade skins and giant gyozas. The bento box meal was good, but around twice the price of what something similar generally runs at most Japanese cafes in N America and Japan. I feel like it's crazy Manhattan prices in small town NY, which is a bit of a disconnect for me. I wish the owner had done a little bit of a makeover to the space before opening, as it seems to look exactly like the space's previous incarnation. Even just a new coat of paint and a few extra lights would be great. I wanted to absolutely love this place, because it could fill the Japanese-cafe-shaped hole in my heart. Bottom line is that it's too pricey for me to be a regular. And yes, I'm a local. And yes, good Japanese food is my favorite. I hope the owner makes a few tweaks to suit the local market better, because I really want her to do well. read more

I love this restaurant. I was a regular at Etsko's original location in NYC and was delighted to recently eat at her relocated restaurant in Rosendale. The food is always delicious, healthy and so satisfying. Her homemade gyoza are flavorful and delicate to name but one standout. Everything she serves is so good. She is creative and talented in so many ways - I love her tiny clay sculptures and Taiyo's art on the walls. The garden is peaceful, full of lovely plants and right on the river. I am always well fed and happy after a trip to Soy. read more

Awesome food at a very reasonable price. It's a nice change from the typical sushi in most Japanese restaurants. With a name like soy, I was afraid it would be all vegan, but it was not. The meat and potato dish was fantastic. Loved the appetizer dumplings and salad. The homemade ginger dressing was great. read more

I am reading the other reviews and wondering if I caught SOY on a off night. SOY is by far the worst restaurant I have ever eaten at !!! And at 62 years old I have eaten at a lot of them throughout the world... no wonder we were the only people eating there on a Friday night ????? The bartender was also the wait staff ??? Sorry I don't but that. Not charming at all. When the food did arrive from the basement kitchen, it looked like it came out of a can, or frozen plastic bag. The white rice tasted like overcooked "Uncle Bens". Not only did the food suck, but the portion was small. In fact my lady friend I had to stop off and eat again before going home. Not being cruel, but if SOY does not improve their food and service they are just going to be another empty storefront along Main Street. read more

Lovely space with a garden in the back. High quality Japanese home cooking. Limited menu means fresh food. This is the real thing.

SOY brings a much needed home cooked Asian flair to Rosendale. Japanese owned with a revolving menu, SOY provides a plethora of tantalizing flavors. My wife and I are Asian cuisine enthusiasts and we were not disappointed. We were immediately impressed by the warm attentive service. We started with the special of kimchi and tuna spring rolls. The kimchi was perfectly spiced and went nicely with the sushi grade tuna. For our entrees my wife ordered Niku Jaga which is a hearty potatoes and beef dish with a light gravy sauce. Flavors were light and subtle, tasty but not overpowering. I got the spicy Tuna Avocado bowl. The accompanying sushi rice was fantastic, the tuna was once again on spot and perfect. We kept marveling on how fresh and nice everything tasted. As we were about to close out on dinner my wife hadn't finished her beer yet, so we ordered the pork gyoza that we had been eyeing all night. The first thought that came to mind while taking a bite was melt in your mouth good! It was a pleasant way to cap off dinner. Portion sizes while not overly large were enough to satiate. Definitely looking forward to coming back. read more

Stopped by here for lunch on my way to upstate NY. I sat at the patio but the garden is also open for outdoor seating. I had special menu (sardine bowl) and my husband had tofu steak bento. They were both delicious. read more

SOY Rosendale - Garden - Japanese Near Me - Rosendale, New York

My wife and I live in Rosendale. We stopped into SOY a year or so ago after seeing a movie across the street at the Rosendale theater. Then, we weren't so fond of our experience. So last night, we planned to see a movie but this time we went to SOY before the show. We were the first customers for the evening. SOY is a family run restaurant. The wife was sweeping the front sidewalk when we arrived. She greeted and promptly seated us. SOY is a quaint and cozy restaurant. Lots of toys for your children to play with. We ordered sake and dumplings- vegetable, and pork, to sample both. They were yummy. My wife and I both had the chunks of spicy tuna and avocado rice bowl for dinner. It was also quite good. My wife said the portion size was perfect. I'm a pig so I wanted more! The sake was better than we've had in recent sushi restaurants- smoother and not as sweet. While there, other customers entered. They were evidently regulars by the interaction with the owner and when she asked if they wanted "the regular." SOY is healthy food served at a conservative, health conscious portion. The menu is limited but I didn't have a problem with that. The bill was very reasonable for the area- $50 for two (that's not including the sake which bumped the bill up significantly). SOY now has a no tip policy. That's unusual but honorable. We plan to return for other movie nights. read more

Went back and tried their pot roast pork and Hayashi. Highly recommend both of them. We also tried their green tea cheese cake. Next time I will try their ribena soda. read more

See all

Just amazing great place overall you will wait but well worth it food and chef/ owner amazing

Absolutely delicious. Such a cool & special spot -- the music, the art, the vibe. The food was comforting and gorgeous.

Great food, authentic, right-sized potions, nice simple draft beer selection. Outdoor patio awesome in summer. Something for everyone - carnivore to vegan. This is as good as it gets! Can't miss! read more

Soy is the best. The food is incredible and if feels like you're in someones dinning room while they make you a special home-cooked Japanese meal. Best gyoza anywhere! They also currently have an amazing selection of Japanese snacks and kitchen supplies to buy up front. Very safe, distanced Covid dining outside and on the deck. read more

WOW. We were just visiting the Hudson this week, and were lucky enough to stay around the corner from SOY. We swung by our last night, and I couldn't be happier that we did. The restaurant is cozy and inviting, with COVID friendly, socially distanced seating on the back porch. The miso soup was amazing, and the tofu steak is one of the absolute best preparations of tofu I have ever had -- and I've been a vegetarian for over 20 years. Please do support this business! read more

The food's quintessentially Japanese: well-proportioned, beautifully balanced flavors and careful attention to texture and presentation. One may marvel at the smaller portions but don't be deterred; the dishes are truly satisfying and authentic. Head to the back for outdoor seating and treeline/river views. read more

Super nom Japanese food. Silken tofu is excellent, as is the spicy tuna. Excellent dressings on all the food

To put it simply, you'd be hard pressed to find better than SOY. Home cooking in every sense of the word, the food at SOY is so thoughtfully sourced and served that it's difficult to believe you're at a restaurant with one person (the owner, Etsko) in the kitchen making it all happen.. This place is a total gem! read more

As locals, this is our go-to place for homemade, authentic, Japanese "Mama's Food"!! We are lucky to have SOY in Rosendale as of a year ago, up from Manhattan's Lower East Side. Her happy customers return, now good friends; we count ourselves lucky to be among that crowd :-)! Also great artwork of her son Taiyo's, weekend movies and Winter cooking classes. "Arigato, Etsko!" read more

What a great find of a restaurant in the artsy, eclectic town of Rosendale. Very creative menu with some nice, daily specials. Authentic, fresh Japanese cuisine. Not your standard Asian fusion or sushi place. This is the real deal. The owner Etsko is such a nice lady to talk with. Make sure you give this place a try. You'll be glad you did. read more

Soy is the real deal. My favorite is the tuna bowl and the pork and kimchi dumplings are wonderful. Will be back often. Out door seating during the warm months overlooking a garden and the Rondout. A great addition to Rosendale's restaurant selection. read more