Gordon Y.

Cuisine: 7 Service: 8 Decor: 7 Value: 6 Overall: 7 Not a bad late night spot when craving some Japanese izakaya. The space is clean and nicely lit, but tables were somewhat tight. Service was very good and everyone was friendly. As for the food, it's not the best I have had for sure, but not too shabby either. However, prices were definitely on the higher side. A quick snack turned into a $120 bill after tax and tip. My favorite was probably parts of the Uni Hon Maguro Hara Don. Yes, the rice should be warmer and definitely seasoned better, but passable. The seafood was fresh, but the otoro and chutoro were a tad underwhelming. Hokkaido Uni should have been sweeter and creamier. Hamachi sashimi was fine, and so was the Ankimo (though I would have preferred it creamier). Unfortunately, the Sake Clam Miso was overcooked and not enjoyable. I would totally drink that slightly spicy clam broth like a shot though if they sold it that way. Lol Anyway, not on my top to return list, but I would certainly give it another go and try a few more items before making such a conclusion.

Uyen T.

This has been on my bookmark list for a while, so I'm glad I finally got to check it out. The restaurant is long, dimly lit, and has plenty of seating. I ordered the Sukiyaki Udon and the Okinawa No Kaze cocktail. Both were great! The staff was friendly and attentive throughout the meal.

Janice L.

On our very first day in New York, we had some time before taking the Statue of Liberty cruise. We originally had another restaurant in mind, but the timing did not work out, so we searched on Google and found Sozai Japanese Restaurant, which was supposed to be close to our hotel. Google said it was a 10-minute walk. But honestly... was that 10 minutes measured by someone running? It was an extremely hot day in New York, and my family and I were walking there, sweating like we were on a small survival mission. It felt more like 20 minutes or more. By the time we arrived, we were hot, tired, and very hungry. But the moment we opened the door, everything changed. The manager welcomed us with such a bright and warm smile. We told him we did not have a reservation, and he kindly said it was okay and seated us right away. That alone made us feel so much better. As soon as we sat down, we ordered cold beer and highballs. After walking in that heat, that first sip felt like pure happiness. It was exactly what we needed. My sister, my mom, and I each ordered different kinds of donburi, and my daughter ordered tonkatsu. When the food came out, I almost fainted -- in the best way possible. The rice was absolutely amazing. It was perfectly sticky, nutty, soft, and full of flavor. I know this may sound dramatic, but every grain of rice felt like it was dancing gently in my mouth. That was the moment I thought, "This is what good rice should taste like." A good donburi is not only about the toppings. The rice has to be right, and here, it was perfect. The sashimi was incredibly fresh. The texture, the flavor, the quality -- everything was excellent. Every bite made me think, "This place really knows what they are doing." My daughter's tonkatsu was also wonderful. She is a very picky eater, but she kept saying how soft, juicy, and delicious it was, especially with the sauce. When a picky child finishes everything quietly, that is the most honest review you can get. In the end, all four of us completely finished our bowls. Not a little bit. Completely. Clean. Empty. Happy. We told the manager how much we enjoyed the food, and our server was also very kind and explained everything so nicely. The food was excellent, but the warm service made the experience even more memorable. At first, we came here simply because the timing was awkward and it was near our hotel. But by the time we left, we knew we had found a place we would want to visit again. The long, hot walk was absolutely worth it. Sozai Japanese Restaurant gave our family a delicious and happy memory on our first day in New York. If I visit New York again, I will definitely come back.

Fantastic place. Great seating, full of nice private booths and super attentive staff!! Food was all great. Aps - we had Octopus balls (not theirs) super tasty Sake was super nice - we had the hot Gunino(?) Pork Katsu was amazing, great place to crush your own sesame seeds, perfect bbq sauce Tonkotsu Ramon was amazing, perfect flavor and if you want super spicy they give you a side ball of more heat. This is my new go to place for a great meal!!!

Stacy T.

Very clean space with comfortable seating. Fried Squid legs - fried well, would order this if I were in the mood for it. Ube Fried potatoes - fried well with a nice sauce. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pork Katsu - okay, pork was a little dry. Probably would not order this again. Ton Toro Yaki - grilled pork neck. This was very tender and unique. I would order this again. Mentaiko pasta - sphaghetti with spicy cod roe and bacon. This was rich but very tasty. I think this is more of a side, not a main meal. Cold soba green tea - I really liked this for a hot summer day. The noodles were firm and topped with salmon and roe. Again it is more of a side dish and not a main entree. Wafu mushroom - sauteed sphagetti. I didn't really like this one, the flavor was off for me. Sukiyaki beef udon - this has great flavor and had a lot of accoutrements. I would order this again. Great place for quality food. I would return.

Jacky C.

Stumbled upon this modern Izakaya spot looking for dinner. I was seated at the bar as I ate alone. The space is dimly lit, with wooden interior and furniture, and concrete tabletops. I chose to get their Pork Katsu Curry Rice ($27), which overall tasted great. The Pork Katsu is a decent size and thick in the middle, which I would expect since this was very pricey for an unsophisticated dish. Curry was flavorful and pleasant to each with the pork and rice. Service overall was pretty standard. Could work on being a bit more attentive rather than chatting with one another or scrolling on a phone or smart watch.

Len L.

Sozai is my favorite dinner spot for a few days now, the atmosphere and service is amazing. There were a few occasions I did not have any RSVP and I did not mind waiting as the place is packed. They told me I can sit at the bar, the menu is on a QR and just order - Keep in mind some items like Hamachi Kama sells out fast and I had to ask if that item is avail. Second best is the black cod (highly recommend) if Kama is out. Almost everything here is good, I had the ramen $20 - plenty of food for 1. Highly recommend.

Megan C.

Arrived at 10:30pm on a Tuesday night and this place was still poppin, which goes to show just how good the food is here! We ordered the mentaiko pasta and the scallop and tuna carpaccios. All dishes were amazing, would order those over and over. Their ingredients are very fresh. We got seated at the bar within 20 minutes and the food came out relatively fast too. The place has a cute late night vibe. We also saw the actress Tessa Thompson eating here during our dinner, so even the celebrities think this place is the best!

Anh Y.

Had reservations for 3 on a Tuesday afternoon, and were seated at a booth on the left hand side of the izakaya soon after we arrived. (There's regular tables on the right hand side and a bar in the back.) The food and drink menu is available through QR codes at the table. We selected 6 dishes and 3 desserts to share. The Ankimo came with three pieces of monkfish liver and scallions in a ponzu wasabi sauce. It was a nice start to the meal, with its creamy texture and rich flavor. The Age Tofu came with three cubes of fried tofu that had a slightly chewy exterior and a pillowy soft interior. The bonito flakes and dashi broth gave it a punch of flavor. It was my first time ever having Mentaiko Pasta, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was creamy and the spiciness of the cod roe sauce was subtle--it kind of creeps up on you after a few bites and gives the dish a little kick. I felt like the cod roe flavor shone through, and the bacon added another dimension to it. The Hotate Carpaccio came with 6 slices of Hokkaido scallops, ikura, and a mustard soy dressing. It was a delicate dish that I enjoyed, especially after the heavier Mentaiko. The Cold Soba Green Tea was my favorite dish. It was so refreshing. All the ingredients went very well together--the green tea noodles had a good bite, the salmon sashimi was very fresh, the ikura added a nice brininess when you pop them, and the dashi broth provided a nice backdrop to the dish. The sashimi in the Kaisen Don was fresh, and came with salmon, tuna, yellowtail, octopus, and ikura. The dessert menu is found at the end of the drinks menu. We got one of each dessert: the sweet potato balls with hojicha ice cream, cheesecake with yuzu sorbet, and black sesame ice cream with red beans. The sweet potato balls were SOOO GOOD--crispy exterior and chewy interior, with just the right touch of sweetness. The hojicha ice cream was so good. We regret not having ordered an extra set of the sweet potato balls. The cheesecake was a little dry, but had these little rice crispies on top that gave a nice textural change. The yuzu sorbet was a good palate cleanser. The black sesame ice cream was rich and creamy, and the red bean sauce added an extra layer of sweetness. Sozai is a great place to share a few dishes. I definitely want to come back to check out the lunch specials.

Lucille L.

3.5 stars The good: cold green tea soba with salmon and ikura. They used a cold dashi soy sauce based broth and it worked well where I may have to make this at home after a visit to Mitsuwa. Mentaiko don tasted good, but I have had better. Chicken karaage was cooked perfectly and had a delicious aioli with citrus. Tako wasa was fresh and good. HH until 6pm with $10 apps and highball drinks I liked the yuzu highball it was refreshing! The not so good: the fried squid legs and kibinago were both under seasoned. I usually love fried squid legs at all Japanese izakaya style restaurants but this one was really mediocre and I wouldn't order it again. Maybe even a touch more salt could do the trick for both. Also, the place was tight in seating and you may have to sit right next to others. Since there are many other Izakaya spots in the city, I think I can't give a full four stars. It's decent but I've also had better not far from here!

Glenn C.

I was at this Izakaya while walking around a good while ago. They were pretty crowded, so I sat at the bar. The inside was a tad dim, and the bartender was friendly. To drink, I got a pretty reasonably priced highball, one of my typical drinks at izakayas. This was a Chu-Hi, or a highball made with shochu, and it was $14. For the same price or a buck more, there were also options made with whiskey, Toki whiskey, vodka plus yuzu, umeshu, or a paloma with tequila, umami, and grapefruit. Outside of highballs, there was also a pretty sizeable selection of cocktails, sake, and some other drinks, as is typical for an izakaya. My appetizer was the very tasty Hotate Carpaccio for $18, with Hokkaido scallop, ikura, and a mustard soy dressing. This had six relatively large scallop pieces, each topped with a couple of pieces of salmon, and some microgreens for presentation. It was good-quality scallops with a bit of sweetness and a firm texture. The ikura added a pop of fishiness, and the slightly salty and umami-forward soy dressing thankfully did not have too much mustard, which would have overpowered the remaining ingredients. I liked this and would recommend it. The other dish was the Mentaiko Pasta for $17, consisting of spaghetti mixed with creamy spicy cod roe and topped with bacon and seaweed. I have had this wafu pasta dish from a bunch of different places, and this version was alright. Some other spots have more mentaiko, but this spot went the other disappointing way, with the spicy mayo a bit stronger. Therefore, it was a bit less fishy than usual. The pasta was cooked decently, and the bits of bacon were nice and crunchy, but they made the already salty dish saltier. This was fine, but there are several other places where I would recommend this dish much more. The food here was pretty good. It's reasonably priced, at least for Midtown West, and certainly better than many other restaurants in the surrounding area. I would go back here and try some other dishes.

Dulcia C.

Sozai is one of our favorite Japanese restaurants in Manhattan. The food is always fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared, and the drinks are just as good. The service is fast and friendly, making it a great spot for lunch or dinner. It does get a bit loud during peak hours, but that's because it's such a popular place. If you're looking for delicious Japanese food in Manhattan, Sozai is definitely worth a visit!

Gloria L.

The ambiance in this restaurant is so cute with the dim lights and intimate, minimalist design of the booths. Sunny working at the bar was so kind!! I had a really long jacket but the hooks were too low so my jacket would've dragged on the floor. I sat on it instead and he offered to hang my jacket up for me on the hooks near the front. Very attentive staff and the food came out super quick! The seafood is so so so fresh. I was most excited for the cold soba green tea and IT DID NOT DISAPPOINT!!!!!!! The soba was perfectly al dente and the thickness of each piece of salmon sashimi were perfect. The dashi broth was not excessively salty and I loved the addition of the wasabi. It gave a nice kick to each bite The hotate carpaccio was really good as well. I really liked the mustard soy dressing. I've recently been eating more scallops at different establishments and I'm blown away by the presentations each time!! The hamachi Kama is such a staple for me. I remember going to Japanese restaurants with my parents when I was younger and they would always get this. It tasted exactly like how I remember. It was grilled to perfection. The skin was so crispy. Squeeze a little bit of the lemon and add some radish, perfect bite I recommend making a resy, it was packed on a Friday night! They also have happy hour from 2-6pm, who doesn't love happy hour??????