4.0 / 5.0 You can eat Japanese yakiniku! They have a great value lunch set during the weekday lunch hours. They have table seating, semi-private rooms, and sunken kotatsu seating, making it easy to use for business meetings or with children. The toilets were clean, giving you a real Japanese feel. The staff were also friendly, and I'd love to go again! ・Yakiniku Ju (Salad, Soup) read more

Yakiniku Toraji - Barbeque Near Me - New York, New York

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This is an upscale Japanese BBQ restaurant on East 43rd just east of Grand Central. Food (4.25/5) - menu has a mix of fixed price packages or a la carte. Went with a la carte which can get a bit pricey but total pieces in a la carte is twice as much as the package items. Premium Wagyu Kalbi - this was a good Kalbi cut with some nice seasoning - came out nice on the grill. Thick Cut Harami - this one was ok. Marinade was good but cut was a bit fatty. Scallop - these were very good... fresh meaty and great seasoning. Came out really good on the grill. Assorted Vegetables - small mix of fresh veggies... not bad. Service (4.5/5) - Japanese server was friendly and knowledgeable. Other attendants also came by to top up water and clean up dishes. Atmosphere (4.25/5) - bright and vibey music in background. Combination of tables booths and grill side seats. Overall (4.25/5) - pretty solid restaurant overall. Would definitely repeat and recommend. I like Cote best but this one is up there too. read more

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Jamie W and I had just seen the incanscendent Audra McDonald play Mamma Rose in the latest revival of "Gypsy" (review: https://yelp.to/qokmuDk4tc), so we were in the mood for a dinner worthy of that sterling performance. However, after the show, the season's first snow was falling pretty aggressively in Manhattan, so by the time we reached our Midtown East hotel, our dining options were somewhat limited since we didn't want to venture far given the already icy sidewalks. Fortunately, this upscale yakiniku restaurant was open with available tables and only a block away from our hotel. We were seated in a semi-private space with a large circular grill. They offered five variations on their tasting menu with the price point dependent on your appetite and your demand for rarefied carnivery. We were fine with the $98 Standard Course, which provided a series of small plate of appetizers followed by a variety of meats we grilled ourselves. The appetizers consisted of a trio of quality bites - a small plate of homemade assorted kimchi, mostly spicy cabbage and cucumber (Photo 2), a pair of tender A5 Wagyu Sirloin Sushi (Photo 8), and a small bowl of fresh Yukhoe, a Korean version of beef tartare (Photo 6). We also sprung an additional $15 for the Oxtail Soup, which included egg, radish, and scallion along with the beef tail (Photo 4). The meat parade followed soon after with the grill at the ready. It came in waves. The first plate consisted of Prime Beef Tongue, Prawn (ebi), and Tontoro (pork neck) (Photo 7). All were tasty enough with the tongue the standout. For additional variety, we ordered the Chicken Marinated in Toraji Sauce for $14 (Photo 9). Worth the investment to have a brief break from the red meat. The rest of our standard order soon followed with a true protein palooza - Boneless Short Rib, Skirt Steak, and Rib Finger Fillets (Photo 10). This was definitely the most satisfying portion of the meal. The meat parade ended with an unexpected bowl of warm A5 Wagyu Beef Soup which exceeded our capacity for carnivery (Photo 5). Green tea and dessert couldn't have come soon enough as the lack of vegetation started to take a toll on our respective palates. We were served Homemade Almond Pudding with Passionfruit (Photo 3), and it was just the cleanser we needed to brace ourselves for the blizzard outside. FOOD - 4 stars...plenty of high grade meat but not as much variety in flavors and textures AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars...quiet and a sense of privacy SERVICE - 4 stars...polite but almost too unobtrusive TOTAL - 4 stars...yakiniku with a sense of privilege RELATED - Hungry in NYC? Here's my collection of bars and restaurants l've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2YS9ELS read more

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We came by for bday dinner and had a great experience at Japanese BBQ! The service was super friendly and attentive the whole time, which really made the meal even better. We ordered everything a la carte and went with the salt option instead of the sauce, highly recommend if you want to really taste the quality of the meat. The kalbi was a standout, super tender and flavorful. The Toraji Salad was light and refreshing with a nice mix of textures, they even had veggie chips in the mix! We also tried the signature Toraji Cut, it came in four pieces of 4 cuts, which was rich, juicy, and perfect for grilling at the table. They over heard it was one of our birthday and gave us a birthday cheesecake dessert without us even asking! Awesome service! High-quality meat, great service, and a relaxed vibe. Definitely planning to come back and try more next time! read more

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Great place for lunch, good service. Portions are a little on the small side so we ordered 5 sets to share between 3 people. read more

Yakiniku Toraji - Lunch set - 4 kinds of beef - Barbeque Near Me - New York, New York

After 2 years, usually many places' quality goes down. However, this place did better than the previous visit. The meats were super tender, their assorted vegetables were better than the plain cabbages they used to serve. Service got better as well! Still my number 1 yakiniku place in NYC read more

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Last year, my buddy and I went here for yakiniku which was near the hotel that we were staying at. We got the A5 wagyu nakaochi kalbi, regular kalbi(boneless short rib), tontoro(pork neck), chicken marinated with salt, Goma sesame salad, yakinori(toasted seaweed), atsugiri(thick cut beef tongue), and assorted namul. We were thoroughly impressed by the A5 wagyu nakaochi kalbi. The portion was generous and the quality of the meat was exceptional. The meat pretty much melted in our mouths! Other meat cuts were pretty good as well. The decor was very nice and service was good. Definitely will be back for more A5! read more

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TLDR: If you want great yakiniku - Toraji is a solid spot. The original chain is from Ebisu in Tokyo and is still there so you know it's authentic. While you can do the course menus, I find the a la carte is tasty, high quality and not that crazy. Get the signature steak selection, the negi rice and the yukaejang. A chef friend recommended this place many many times but we only recently finally gave it a try. Wow - love it. It's a small spot but you instantly feel like you're back in Tokyo (or if you've never been, this is what a Tokyo resto feels like) sitting down for yakiniku. We splurged on some of the apps the first time. Yukhoe (I can skip personally), wagyu sushi (do not skip). The kimchi platter is good to eat between bites but I prefer the Toraji salad. The negi rice, it's so simple but that egg yolk with all them scallion whites. BOMB. OK, onto the meat. Skirt steak was lovely, nice and beefy, well marbled. The Toraji signature steak selection is great if you want to try the greatest hits. The thick beef tongue (do not miss this please), the filet, wagyu loin, a little bit of everything. It's simple but the cuts are very high quality. We did the yukaejang with the ramen noodles but I think I prefer the soup on its own. Easily one of my favorite places to eat beef going forward. So good we went again a month or two later. They also just opened a location downtown near Chinatown on Bowery if Midtown is too far. read more

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Great find Looking for something different. The beef amazing great salads and nice vibe.

Everything we ordered was absolutely incredible, from the Wagyu tartare to the Wagyu short ribs and the lobsters came with two full tails and the scallops were soft and buttery. Not a single bad thought about the service and food here! read more

Yakiniku Toraji - Wagyu tartare - Barbeque Near Me - New York, New York

Beautiful interior ambiance, very slow service, good quality meats for a high price. We made a reservation for a table of six and were promptly seated after walking in. However, each attempt thereafter to reach a member of the waitstaff--to get water, place orders, or to check on the status of our orders (because they took a while to come out) were ignored on our first attempts, and it took multiple members of our group actively making an effort to reach waitstaff that we were finally addressed. I'm not sure why--it wasn't that busy on the Sunday night that we went, but it will deter me from returning in a city with so many great restaurants. The quality of the meat itself is good! The marbling is prevalent throughout the meat, and the cuts were tender. In particular, the beef tongue was very tender; it had the juicy, melting quality that good beef tongue has. read more

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I loved this experience and found a way to sample a few dishes without breaking the bank. I reco a business dinner but I wanted my mom to try delicious food near Grand Central (ktown was too far with luggage). Delicious oxtail soup, tender bbq chicken & beef, and favorite bibimbap with eel. A sparking sake always hits the spot for a celebration and sweet palate. Amazing ambience, elegant service, complimentary mochi, and no scent. read more

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Great food & service. We ordered a la carte instead of the set courses. A5 wagyu kalbi was fantastic & only $38 which is a steal. Most places charge $50 for 2 small pieces, here they gave you 6 healthy cuts. Beef tongue was our next fav, others stuff were good: pork belly, pork neck, regular kalbi, all kinds of veggie appetizers & Goma sesame salad. The least fav was the chicken, wish they have wings or thigh. See attached video below for better visuals. https://youtube.com/shorts/8zJiLG7Sohs?si=XkagMlGk5nZ1ISzK read more

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We were treated to dinner at Yakiniku Toraji, and they offer both a course menu and a Japanese BBQ a la carte menu. Looking at their premium course set, we noticed that there were some items that we were just not interested intrying (such as the yukhoe and the beef tongue). We decided to do a la carte so we could customize and cater to our taste. We ordered: +the Toraji Assorted A5 Wagyu +the A5 Wagyu Nakaochi Kalbi +and, the Wagyu Sirloin Steak All the pieces were of good cuts and well-marbled. For apps and sides, we tried: +the Assorted Kimchi - includes napa, radish, and cucumber kimchi; kimchi was fermented, but could have been fermented longer +the Goma - Sesame Salad - lettuce and cucumbers mixed in a house sesame dressing +Negi - Spicy Scallion Salad - lettuce and scallions mixed in a house spicy dressing +and, a Bibim men - spicy cold noodles with kimchi, scallions, cucumbers, green salad, and an egg What was a little irksome is that they nickel-and-dime you on the sauces, the banchans, and even on the raw garlic - usually, these come automatically, so it's kind of crazy that you have to dish out $2 for raw garlic to grill, sesame oil with a pepper/salt mixture, gochujang, and ssamjang to enjoy your meats. Service was a slight hit-or-miss, as it was hard to get refills on drinks and get the check at the end. Decor is simple, with the wooden designs and high ceilings. +well-marbled wagyu +nickel-and-dimes you on sauces and banchans +hit-or-miss service read more

Definitely expected this place to be one of those over priced bbq places but boy was it worth it. I only got the standard course but the pacing and order of items made the dining experience way more enjoyable than any other Yakiniku or kbbq place I been too, I felt that the staff was attentive enough to see when we were finishing up our meats and brought the cold noodles just in time to clear our palette and end the hot food portion of our meal on a high note. The meat quality was exceptional, and the shrimp quality definitely surprised me as I usually don't expect cooked shrimp to taste that fresh and well seasoned. The almond pudding was also amazing and not too sweet that I was tempted to order one to go. Overall highly recommend and will definitely be back again to try the wagyu! read more

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Updating my review with photos: My whole family's official favorite Yakiniku choice in NYC, and even top 5 in the city. It's a no-frills restaurant that is still well decorated and elegant without the unnecessary fanfare. The Shimofuri Kalbi - Salt was on par with the meat we eat in Japan and the Scallion Rice was addicting. We also loved the Diamond Cut Karubi. Ending the meal with the Almond Pudding is a must. read more

The quality of the food is really nice J love the thick beef tongue The seasoning is great The service is absolutely awesome But somehow I feel the set I got is with too limited items feel a bit empty after the set I was hoping for more Anyway a good place to try Japanese BBQ read more

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Came here with my husband to eat dinner one day. The interior of this restaurant is so beautiful and had a "zaseki" seating area for customers to take their shoes off and sit comfortably, while enjoying the meal. We decided to order 2 asahi beer first to cheer, then ordered their Toraji course to get the full experience. We started off with the soup, yukke, salad and wagyu beef sushi. They all tasted so good with the beef sushi literally melting in your mouth (cue in the drool). Finally, we started cooking the meat, which we literally finished every single piece in one bite. It was definitely some of the best meat I've ever tasted and would absolutely come here again for a celebratory occasion! read more

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Amazing Japanese BBQ with a trendy atmosphere. We walked in on a Friday night with two people and sat at the bar, but it ended up a cozy and intimate setting for BBQ. We ordered the premium boneless rib. The rib was a perfect combination of lean and fat meat, and after cooking for 20 sec on each side, the fat bursted out in my mouth while the lean meat portion was chewy. One of my favorite dishes was the rice with raw egg yolk and scallion. Don't overlook this dish as a simple combination with fresh ingredient can do the magic. read more

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Decided to check this hidden gem. It was super close to the hotel I'm staying. Boy oh boy! It's absolutely delicious! I decided to try their standard course. Meats cuts were great. I was surprised how filling it would be. I was pretty skeptical at first but kept an open mind about it. Mind you, these pictures are 2 orders of the standard course. Great ambiance but service is pretty slow. The staff were very friendly and soft spoken. read more

Yakiniku Toraji - Assorted Steak cut - Barbeque Near Me - New York, New York

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We are so excited to know this Japanese bbq is opened. We didn't know we need to reserve the tatami private room when I booked so we are sitting at the main dining area next to the window. The food is quite good and the menu has many options to choose from. We order the standard course dinner to try. The standard course comes with salad, pickles rice etc and the marinated Toraji CourseStandard CourseStandard Coursebeef are so tasty! My boy wants to go back again after he had the first bite of beef tongue! It would be better if the service is more attentive. Anyway, we will be back very soon! read more

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Great service and clean Japanese BBQ restaurant. Price is reasonable . Ask their special premium menu , that would worth the experience, actually : read more

Yakiniku Toraji - Barbeque Near Me - New York, New York

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Toraji was highly recommended by a friend of a friend, so we made plans for 6 of us to dine here on a Friday night. Reservations were made on OpenTable and they even sat us about 15 minutes early since our table was free. But it kind of went downhill from there. Our groups trickled in by the time our 8pm reservation hit and then we were promptly ignored for a while. We kept trying to flag someone down to take our drink order and food order. No joke, we were not even offered water while we waited for our whole party. Most places would've came by, offered water, and asked if we wanted drinks while we waited. After making our drink and food order, we had to order water from two separate waiter before they finally brought some. And when they did finally bring water, they were super stingy with the water. They also got our drink order wrong. Then after a while, food starts coming. We all opted to do the Toraji 2022 set. Wagyu sushi was very good, as was the beef tartare. The first round of meats were cooked by our waiter and they were excellent. He was great. The last round of meats were cooked on our own - I'm not sure if that was meant to be the case or if our waiter got distracted by other things? It wasn't made clear to us, so we did it ourselves. And then we were ignored again for a while, even though a few of us wanted more drinks. We ended up finally getting our dessert - and then being ignored again for another 15-20 minutes. I'm not sure if it was because it was a Friday night and they were understaffed or just too busy? But it was not great being ignored for most of the night. Our entire meal took over 2.5 hours, when it realistically should've taken no more than 1.5 max. The food was great, but honestly it's not enough for me to come back if the service is going to be like this. The price is also kind of expensive for what you get. You can definitely get better quality at higher quantities for the same cost elsewhere. read more

Great lunch options. High quality beef, kimchi and salad. Friendly service. Nicely designed space with comfortable seating.

The quality of the meat at this place was superb. My favorite was definitely the marinated short rib. The marinade has a very balanced sweetness and the short rib is fatty and tender. Usually I don't like my bqq meat marinade, but this is one of the best short rib I've had in a while. The tongue was good but not as good as the short rib. I also really enjoyed the pork jaw. Other cuts we had were also good. The side dishes were hit and miss. The tartare was pretty good (although the three of us had a mild stomach flu the morning after). The yukkejang noodle was not great. The soup was a bit one dimensional. The noodle was like an instant noodle - not great also. Overall the quality of the bbq meat is superb. Other dishes are meh. It's on the expensive side though (around $70pp), but we were pretty full afterwards. 4 stars - recommended read more

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Food was great, presentation is great. Ambiance great. But they're just meat resellers. That's why Yakiniku is all about service, and the service was HORRIBLE. They messed up my eel rice. It was HARD. It stuck to my TEETH! And they didn't replace it right away, they asked me what happened like it was unbelievable, and gave us normal steamed rice replacement afterwards. We waited for water refill way too long. They filled mine then forgot my girlfriend's... we waited to order way too long. read more

Yakiniku Toraji - Barbeque Near Me - New York, New York

Late stop after eating at Sakagura down the street. Saw a late night happy hour and decided to try it. Amazing spot. Food was fantastic and the service was extremely friendly and professional. The place was immaculate and had a very stylish decor. We got one of their happy hour combos and it did not disappoint. It is definitely worth it . Regular prices are high but it is NY. read more

Good meat, a bit on the pricier side but nice portions. Loved their appetizers and also soup. Tried the beef bone one I think, very good. Definitely a one of Yakiniku to go place in the city- read more

Yakiniku Toraji - Barbeque Near Me - New York, New York

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From the modern Japanese decor to the superb service to the insanely fresh meat, this spot earned all 5 of its stars! All of the cuts of meat were delicious, but my favorite had to be the thinly sliced goodness that is the short rib. The beef tongue was a bit too tough for my tastes, but others may feel differently. The only minor complaint was that we had to cook everything ourselves...perhaps everything might have tasted even better with an expert cook at the helm. Regardless, definitely plan to be back with friends soon! read more

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Love this place! Amazing BBQ and quite affordable. It's quiet and the ambiance is perfect for a date night. The service was also great, the staff were very attentive and always there. I'd definitely come back again. read more

Booked this reservation through Open Table on a Sunday night and thoroughly enjoyed our date night here. We were seated in the area where you take off your shoes and sit on pillows on the floor which was a cool experience! We ordered 4 meats a la carte which was just the right amount for my boyfriend and I. The pork was a bit too fatty for my liking, so I stuck with the leaner meats which were very tender and deliciously seasoned after grilling. We also ordered the rice ox-tail soup which was light and paired well with the meats. For our dessert, we enjoyed an almond pudding which was nice and creamy. A great place to splurge on if you are craving yakiniku. read more

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Not my favorite cuisine. Plenty of work, plenty of waiting. Uncomfortable seating arrangements on cushions on the floor (which are probably sought after but made it hard for me to enjoy myself. Presented a large prized cut of Kobe or Wagyu beef which I appreciated and enjoyed preparing. read more

Great little find while entertaining some work colleagues. We opted for ala carte rather than the prefix. Everyone loved it. We had a pescatarian with us, and even she had plenty of options. Wine / drink won't blow you away but we made do with some Silver Oak cab :). Surprisingly not crowded. Attentive waitstaff. And lots of privacy with plenty of seating options. Oh, and surprisingly, despite the open table cooking, my clothes did not carry the scent out with me. Only draw back was I thought pricing was a little high given portion sizes, hence knocking off a star. Still, would dine here again! read more

The food is ok.......But the service is terrible. Especially the waitress named Juri. She doesn't know how to properly serve a table at all! And after we ordered the main course, another waitress asked me what dessert I wanna go with, so I ordered almond pudding. Turns out the special dessert in the main course today is also almond pudding I don't understand how didn't she warn me about that. Definitely don't wanna come again. read more

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Great service and value for your meal. We got the 2022 Toraji course meal and left feeling full and satisfied. Waiters were attentive and help you cook the meat to the level you request. Meat was really good quality and melts in your mouth read more

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Honestly everything here was excellent. The decor is very cool and stylish. They have this thing where a bunch of folks do a little welcome chant as they walk you to your table. It's kind of funny since as I'm waiting for others to arrive at the table I can tell when they're there by the entrance greeting lol. Something I'm not particularly keen on but I know a lot of places started doing - if youre looking to reserve your spot - it's a $50 hold too - so either cancel your plans the day before or show up. Which if you're looking for something of a more casual drop in then it might not be for you. The meat there is incredible! To save yourself a couple of bucks you can opt to get the cheaper cuts of meat since I feel like those cuts were just as good as prime cuts. I'd steer away from the cocktails - they taste fine but I hardly taste ANY alcohol - and for 13-15$ a pop - I expect to taste alcohol otherwise I'm just drinking a very expensive iced tea concoction. Lastly, they have a timer limit on the tables. Basically 2 hours from your reservation time and then you got to go. And though I didn't go over time so not entirely sure what they'd say if I did - its kind of one of those things that rubs me the wrong way - similarly to the 50$ hold for reservations. But overall nice experience - but I do think for the experience the price is a little steep. read more

First, let me say that the food in this restaurant is terrific. And it has to be for me to go back again and again especially since the service is so terrible that it feels disrespectful and even uncomfortable. I cannot blame the servers - they are trying as hard as they can, but they are sadly understaffed, so you have to wait and wait, wave your hands around, and sometimes just get up and go stand in front of them and ask for what you need. For the prices of the food please get an extra server when you are busy. Also, it is impossible to make an ordinary reservation on line or on any of the reservation apps because if someone else calls the restaurant they will give them preference even if you make a reservation in advance. Tonight they would not seat us at a table we reserved because someone else had called and asked for it - even though we arrived early and the other guests came almost 20 minutes late!!! And they had no other alternative to us other than to sit at the counter. Since I we are both elderly and I have a bad back it was very difficult to sit at the counter. Meanwhile we see these two young people come a long time after we arrived being seated at the table we reserved. Very bad service and very rude way to treat customers - especially elderly ones who should receive some consideration and respect. As I said in the beginning the food is so good that we keep coming back so next time I will have to call them and take the business away from Yelp and Open Table since they do not honor reservations we get through you. read more

I was vomiting and i had diarrhea for multiple days after i visited due to my very kind uncle taking me to this restaurant hoping for an exciting experience. Instead of that fun and exciting experience my toilet and walls are now ruined and i need them replaced to which it will cost thousands of dollars to clean up and replace this mess. read more

Brand new restaurant. No alcohol license just yet, so be warned. Soft and extremely delicious beef tongue. Well cooked kalbi style. Reasonable prices for the bibimbap and noodles. Definitely a fancy restaurant look with courteous staff. Very quiet as they get their name out there. read more

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The quality of meat was amazing. Usually after going to Japanese BBQ, the smell on the clothes is a big problem but I didn't have any issue after eating at Toraji over two hours. Everyone in the restaurant spoke very good Japanese and they were all nice. read more