Details: Located at 40-52 Main Street, Floor 2, Flushing, NY 11354. Official site is http://www.gyu-kaku.com/
Gyu-Kaku is a chain of Japanese BBQ restaurants across America (perhaps even internationally). If you’ve ever had Korean barbecue, you’ll have a pretty good idea what you’re in for.
Details: Located at 16 Delancey St, New York, NY 10002. Official site is http://www.cocoronandgoemon.com/
Cocoron is a vegan noodle place. They have vegan and non-vegan items. They mostly focus on soba.
The space is small and cramped. Service was okay. The place was severely crowded when I went.
I ordered a bowl of Kake soba for around ten dollars. It was okay. I’m starting to realize that I either don’t like soba or that I’ve never had good soba before.
Overall, Cocoron reminds me of the stereotypical trendy noodle place that is all trendy-ness, no substance. It’s not terrible, but I don’t recommend anyone come here.
Score: 5.2/10
Details: Located at 39-34 Bell Blvd, Bayside, NY 11361. The official site is https://nipponcha.us/
Nippon Cha is pretty good quality Japanese restaurant on Bell Boulevard. The only downside of this place is that the prices are those of Manhattan when the restaurant is located in Queens.
Details: This is a review of episodes one through one hundred and twenty-five. Originally released in 2006, but is still airing new episodes. There is confusion in how the seasons are divided as Wikipedia lists one thing and crunchyroll.com lists something else. Each episode is little over twenty minutes long, like with most thirty minute long anime.
Along with One Piece, Gintama is one of the longest running anime that is still currently airing new episodes. I tried to like this show and to watch the over three hundred episodes of Gintama. Unfortunately, the lack of an overarching story as well as the tiring slapstick humor drained my interest. I only got as far as episode one hundred and twenty-five before giving up on this show.
Details: Located at 251 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019. The official site is https://www.sobaazuma55.com/
I came here for dinner one night and ordered the Azuma Gozen (mini assorted tempura, dashimaki, three pieces of salmon sashimi, random side dish, rice, soba, and a scoop of ice cream, cost $19.50). You can get hot or cold soba. I chose cold. You can also order 100 grams, 200 grams, or 300 grams of soba depending on how much you feel like eating. Any serving size up to 300 grams all cost the same and over 300 grams costs extra.
The thing about soba is that it’s supposed to taste different. It’s also supposed to be healthier. I can’t testify to any of that. To me, it just tasted like a bowl of regular noodles. I will say that if I ever have soba again, I will order the hot option where it comes served in a soup/broth. The cold version comes with cold noodles with a cold dipping sauce. It wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t all that appetizing eating cold noodles.
Overall, not bad. If you’re in the area and feel like eating something slightly different from Japanese ramen, this isn’t a bad choice.
Score: 6.4/10
Details: Located at 253 W 55th St, New York, NY 10019. The official site is http://www.donburiyany.com/
Donburiya is a Japanese restaurant in midtown Manhattan that is reasonably priced when compared to the other Japanese restaurants in the neighborhood.
Details: Located at 36 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019, among other locations. The official site is http://www.dainobu.us/
Dainobu is a small, grocery store that primarily focuses on Japanese products. They have a variety of pre-packaged Japanese products from Japan as well as fresher products that they’ve made themselves.
Details: Located at 28 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019. The official site is http://www.sushiya56.com/
Sushiya is a Japanese restaurant in midtown Manhattan. I came here for lunch and ordered the Ten Don (rice bowl with tempura fried vegetables and shrimp on top) for around thirteen dollars. It was okay.
If you’re in the area and in the mood for Japanese food, I’d probably recommend Ise Menkui-Tei instead since it’s on the same block, but priced slightly cheaper for similar items.
Score: 6/10
Details: Located at 58 W 56th St, New York, NY 10019. I couldn’t find an official site so here’s the Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ise-menkui-tei-new-york
Ise Menkui-Tei is a Japanese restaurant in midtown Manhattan.
I’ve been here twice and had the Hakata ramen (pork bone broth soup, 2 pieces roasted Pork, bean sprouts, bamboo shoots, scallion, pickled ginger, and sesame seeds) and the pork katsu don. Both items cost around ten dollars, a little under ten dollars I think but I can’t recall exactly. Both items were all right.
There’s plenty of seats inside and service was fine.
Overall, it’s a good place for lunch during the workday. Certainly not the highest quality Japanese restaurant I’ve ever been to, but decent.
Score: 6/10
Details: Located at 90 E 10th St, New York, NY 10003. Official site is http://ikinaristeakusa.com/
Ikinari Steak is the latest, trendy import from Japan. This place has been all over social media and the food blogs. The idea is that you get good quality steak, fast. And you don’t get to sit down. They have standing tables. Luckily, the hype around eating steak while standing as well as how packed the place was has died down and I got to eat in a less crowded Ikinari Steak while sitting down.
Muse Bank 