I've had lunch here a few times with a colleague. It's a casual intimate spot with a good selection of lunch menu items to meet different tastes and budgets.The service is efficient and friendly. There is a limited array of raw fish choices, so it's not a sushi place by any stretch but I got the sashimi selection and it was excellent quality.I've also had the black cod set and the asparagus appetizer, both very tasty and the dishes are not large so it's nice to add on.The lunch menu is not extensive, though there are enough choices to make it difficult, even if you end up getting the same thing. This also typically allows the restaurant to focus on providing quality on a smaller selection. You can pick from among different kinds of meat and fish. There are some veggie/vegan dishes as well.Decor is simple traditional Japanese with enough space between tables to not be cramped. There are sectioned off tables.
Sayaka S
My friend took me there and told me they got best karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and he was not wrong! Wow their chicken was big and tasty. Other items were very good too. Not only the food was great, but the service was very good too. Even tho we got in 10min their closing time, they were very accommodating and never complained or rushed us. Totally worth visiting.
Christie S.
Came here with a group of 6 for dinner. While some of the food was very good, most of the dishes were just average or even below average. Drinks: Lychee martini: 2/5 It got very water down and I could barely taste any lychee flavor. Appetizer: Agedashi tofu: 4/5 Love the sauce but wish the tofu to be softer/smoother. Age shishito: 4/5 Portion was very small. We basically got one piece of shishito per person. Flavor was good though. Tako wasabi: 5/5 Perfect amount of wasabi and not too spicy! Highly recommend if you eat raw food! Sesame asparagus: 5/5 Asparagus was perfectly cooked and the sesame sauce went very well with the asparagus! Assorted tempura: 2/5 The tempura was not crispy at all. Both the tempura and the sauce had almost no flavor. Could not even taste any salt on the tempura. Entree: Beef tongue: 3/5 The flavor was fine but it was way too chewy and it was very hard to bite through Grilled Salmon belly: 5/5 probably my favorite dish in the entire meal! The salmon was sooo moist and flaky! Unagi don: 5/5 Perfectly cooked rice with tender eel! Sukiyaki: 4/5 It came with beef, onion, tofu, and konjac noodle. It was too sweet for our taste and I wish there would be more beef and other toppings in there. Yakisoba: 2/5 This was just not what I expected for yakisoba. Traditional yakisoba is a dry stir fried noodle with yakisoba sauce (a Worcestershire based sauce) and this yakisoba was nothing like that. It had a very thick sauce on it. The entire dish was very wet and salty. Overall, this place was just okay. The portion of the dishes were very small and most of the entree also didn't come with rice. Since I came with a big group of people, I could try more dishes and most of the food here was a hit or miss. Given the price point, I don't think it was worth it and will probably not come again.
rafiki75006
Our first dinner on a Sunday evening, just my husband and myself, delighted us. The welcome, the service, the food, the setting, it was all very satisfying. So much so, that we decided to go back as a family a few days later. The reservation with Resy, which had been modified to accommodate 3 instead of 2 people, had obviously not been registered with the restaurant. This led to a very cold and argumentative welcome. As I’d that were not unpleasant enough, were then shown to the darkest and most ill lit booth and when we asked to change It for another available booth, it was done quite belligerently. The food was good, again. But the welcome spoiled it for us that time. Too bad because we were happy to recommend this authentic feeling Japanese restaurant.
Tae K.
I remember when this place first opened. Must have been like ten yrs or more ago... it was awesome then. One of the few places that served ankimo. This was before all the izakaya and sushi omakase boom. Now this place has fallen off quite a bit. It doesn't seem that different from many of the other izakayas. In fact, it's a bit worse than other more trendy Japanese yakiniku or yakitori or izakayas. Shame.
Chun-Da Jimmy Chen
Great yakitori place, the food is good and the service is good and the vibe is good. Highly recommend for anyone wanted a good service with good food
Juliana O.
We came here on Friday 6:30sh pm and got three seats without reservation. Very glad! We got the okonomiyaki, chicken meatball, sukiyaki and spicy tuna roll and four little pieces of fish that cost $16. I'd say they're pretty good but just skip that fish (so not worth it). The highlight of them whole experience is the black sesame pudding is a must! On the other side; I wonder if it's authentic Japanese food; because it seems run by Chinese (which should be a Chinese food then)
TravelingGayPanda ..
Japanese restaurant a couple of blocks away from Grand Central Station. The staff was very friendly and respectful. If you make reservations or call ahead, they might sit your table in one of their rooms where you leave your shoes outside. Pretty cool experience. The food was ok. The age dashi tofu was subtle and flavorful at the same time. The Salmon belly was also good. We had a chicken dish with eggs, onions and rice that was pretty bland. We also had a cold duck dish that wasn't that appetizing. The pork belly was overcooked and chewy.
NorthStar09529765125
When our college roommate landed his dream job, we made him to treat us here. The food was amazing at every level. It was like we were transported to Japan. Food is on par with some of the best izakaya I visited there. That meal had stuck with me for 12 years. My college roommates and I would still talk occasionally about how good it was. I finally had the opportunity to come back couple of nights ago. The first thing I picked up was that the Michelin award is from 2018 - there is almost no award since then. I brushed it aside when I saw the interior decor is exactly the same as what it was, thinking it must still be the same place. My first inkling that something is different is I don’t hear Japanese in the restaurant anymore. The customers and staff all used to speak Japanese. When I saw the menu, I was also surprised that it was a laminate paper with all English - where was all the Japanese handwriting? The price was also on the high side, but I thought it should be given how good the food WAS. Needless to say, it was a huge disappointment. The cold tofu is not homemade, but store bought. The beef tongue skewer was impossible to chew off. The tuna roll was wrapped in hot rice. The price they charge just doesn’t match with the quality of the dishes. Finally, the restroom is filthy. Sometimes it is best to leave memories untouched.
Julian E.
I'm not one to leave a review but this place is special. Exceptional food and wonderful ser
Even with the bright multicolored wallpaper outside this place, I feel like it's easy to miss. It's a short walk from grand central station, so easy to travel to and from. Inside, it is beautifully decorated and gives the feel like you are transported to Japan. There are few semi private seating areas that gives more privacy for diners. We had dinner here the other night and ordered from the restaurant week menu. For the restaurant week menu, it was $45 per person. I got the Washu Beef Cutlet Teppan Yaki. They bring out the raw meat on one dish and a small grill that they light a small fire under. You have about 7 min to cook your meat before the fire goes out. It was fun to do, but I did not get the timing right and the fire died before I was done cooking my meat to how I would have liked. I also had the spicy tuna roll which was filling. Highly recommend the black sesame pudding! It was full of black sesame flavor and good texture. I tried my friend's black cod which was delicious, sweet but savory.
Derek S.
Came by for dinner the other night and it was a decent experience. The izakaya is located on the basement level and reminds me of Japan. Made a reservation online and my seat at the counter was ready upon arrival. Started off with the miso asparagus appetizer and it was quite tasty. The asparagus were fresh. Moved on to the garlic fried shrimp and it was a generous portion with 7 or so tempura shrimp with a garlic mayo paste. Had the miso black cod as a main course and it was mediocre. The fish wasn't super fresh and the skin wasn't super crispy either. It was well presented with a couple of huge mushrooms though. ~$70/head after tax and gratuity for dinner.
Ti W.
We came for restaurant week and the food did not disappoint us. The Washu Beef Cutlet Teppan Yaki needed to be cooked on the table by ourselves. The meat was ok and not as good as some of those that you can get in the Japanese BBQ places. The miso block cod was extremely delicious though, which was well marinated and delicately cooked.
Steph C.
I remembered liking Aburiya Kinnosuke when I went in 2009, and I was excited to go back when I was in New York a couple weeks ago, staying at a hotel in Midtown. I went on a Tuesday afternoon with my mom and my two-year-old son, and we had a lovely, delicious lunch. I called ahead to make sure they could accommodate a toddler, and while the main dining room was in fact too narrow for a high chair or stroller, they were able to put us in a little family room. I loved this space, a traditional wood-paneled Japanese room where you take off your shoes and sit at a table over a hole in the floor where you put your legs. It was also ideal for lunch with the baby, who had just enough room to roam around without causing too much trouble. Service was great, too, fast and polite. My only complaint is that we paid a stupid amount of money for a bottle of water, maybe a mistake on our part, but one that should be easier to avoid. My mom and I shared two lunch sets and an a la carte entrée (the lunch sets come with miso soup and salad), because why not, and they were all great. My favorite was the spicy cold ramen, which hit the spot on a hot day. It came with chewy cold ramen noodles with shrimp, wakame, egg, and a spicy dipping sauce. The saba shioyaki was a beautiful, flavorful piece of grilled mackerel, served with cabbage and ponzu sauce. I also liked the oyakodon, a dish I order whenever I can, but it could have used a bit more sauce. Still, the chicken and egg were good, and the bowl came with some nice Japanese pickles. I wish I had a restaurant like Aburiya Kinnosuke near my house. I'd go once a month instead of once every decade. If you're looking for good Japanese cooking in a pleasant, relaxed izakaya environment, definitely check this place out.
Maria Welsh
Everything was amazing and service was excellent!! We had a couple rolls sashimi and sake… all delicious!! Wish I had taken more photos!
I've had lunch here a few times with a colleague. It's a casual intimate spot with a good selection of lunch menu items to meet different tastes and budgets.The service is efficient and friendly. There is a limited array of raw fish choices, so it's not a sushi place by any stretch but I got the sashimi selection and it was excellent quality.I've also had the black cod set and the asparagus appetizer, both very tasty and the dishes are not large so it's nice to add on.The lunch menu is not extensive, though there are enough choices to make it difficult, even if you end up getting the same thing. This also typically allows the restaurant to focus on providing quality on a smaller selection. You can pick from among different kinds of meat and fish. There are some veggie/vegan dishes as well.Decor is simple traditional Japanese with enough space between tables to not be cramped. There are sectioned off tables.
My friend took me there and told me they got best karaage (Japanese fried chicken) and he was not wrong! Wow their chicken was big and tasty. Other items were very good too. Not only the food was great, but the service was very good too. Even tho we got in 10min their closing time, they were very accommodating and never complained or rushed us. Totally worth visiting.
Came here with a group of 6 for dinner. While some of the food was very good, most of the dishes were just average or even below average. Drinks: Lychee martini: 2/5 It got very water down and I could barely taste any lychee flavor. Appetizer: Agedashi tofu: 4/5 Love the sauce but wish the tofu to be softer/smoother. Age shishito: 4/5 Portion was very small. We basically got one piece of shishito per person. Flavor was good though. Tako wasabi: 5/5 Perfect amount of wasabi and not too spicy! Highly recommend if you eat raw food! Sesame asparagus: 5/5 Asparagus was perfectly cooked and the sesame sauce went very well with the asparagus! Assorted tempura: 2/5 The tempura was not crispy at all. Both the tempura and the sauce had almost no flavor. Could not even taste any salt on the tempura. Entree: Beef tongue: 3/5 The flavor was fine but it was way too chewy and it was very hard to bite through Grilled Salmon belly: 5/5 probably my favorite dish in the entire meal! The salmon was sooo moist and flaky! Unagi don: 5/5 Perfectly cooked rice with tender eel! Sukiyaki: 4/5 It came with beef, onion, tofu, and konjac noodle. It was too sweet for our taste and I wish there would be more beef and other toppings in there. Yakisoba: 2/5 This was just not what I expected for yakisoba. Traditional yakisoba is a dry stir fried noodle with yakisoba sauce (a Worcestershire based sauce) and this yakisoba was nothing like that. It had a very thick sauce on it. The entire dish was very wet and salty. Overall, this place was just okay. The portion of the dishes were very small and most of the entree also didn't come with rice. Since I came with a big group of people, I could try more dishes and most of the food here was a hit or miss. Given the price point, I don't think it was worth it and will probably not come again.
Our first dinner on a Sunday evening, just my husband and myself, delighted us. The welcome, the service, the food, the setting, it was all very satisfying. So much so, that we decided to go back as a family a few days later. The reservation with Resy, which had been modified to accommodate 3 instead of 2 people, had obviously not been registered with the restaurant. This led to a very cold and argumentative welcome. As I’d that were not unpleasant enough, were then shown to the darkest and most ill lit booth and when we asked to change It for another available booth, it was done quite belligerently. The food was good, again. But the welcome spoiled it for us that time. Too bad because we were happy to recommend this authentic feeling Japanese restaurant.
I remember when this place first opened. Must have been like ten yrs or more ago... it was awesome then. One of the few places that served ankimo. This was before all the izakaya and sushi omakase boom. Now this place has fallen off quite a bit. It doesn't seem that different from many of the other izakayas. In fact, it's a bit worse than other more trendy Japanese yakiniku or yakitori or izakayas. Shame.
Great yakitori place, the food is good and the service is good and the vibe is good. Highly recommend for anyone wanted a good service with good food
We came here on Friday 6:30sh pm and got three seats without reservation. Very glad! We got the okonomiyaki, chicken meatball, sukiyaki and spicy tuna roll and four little pieces of fish that cost $16. I'd say they're pretty good but just skip that fish (so not worth it). The highlight of them whole experience is the black sesame pudding is a must! On the other side; I wonder if it's authentic Japanese food; because it seems run by Chinese (which should be a Chinese food then)
Japanese restaurant a couple of blocks away from Grand Central Station. The staff was very friendly and respectful. If you make reservations or call ahead, they might sit your table in one of their rooms where you leave your shoes outside. Pretty cool experience. The food was ok. The age dashi tofu was subtle and flavorful at the same time. The Salmon belly was also good. We had a chicken dish with eggs, onions and rice that was pretty bland. We also had a cold duck dish that wasn't that appetizing. The pork belly was overcooked and chewy.
When our college roommate landed his dream job, we made him to treat us here. The food was amazing at every level. It was like we were transported to Japan. Food is on par with some of the best izakaya I visited there. That meal had stuck with me for 12 years. My college roommates and I would still talk occasionally about how good it was. I finally had the opportunity to come back couple of nights ago. The first thing I picked up was that the Michelin award is from 2018 - there is almost no award since then. I brushed it aside when I saw the interior decor is exactly the same as what it was, thinking it must still be the same place. My first inkling that something is different is I don’t hear Japanese in the restaurant anymore. The customers and staff all used to speak Japanese. When I saw the menu, I was also surprised that it was a laminate paper with all English - where was all the Japanese handwriting? The price was also on the high side, but I thought it should be given how good the food WAS. Needless to say, it was a huge disappointment. The cold tofu is not homemade, but store bought. The beef tongue skewer was impossible to chew off. The tuna roll was wrapped in hot rice. The price they charge just doesn’t match with the quality of the dishes. Finally, the restroom is filthy. Sometimes it is best to leave memories untouched.
I'm not one to leave a review but this place is special. Exceptional food and wonderful ser
Restaurantji Recommends
Even with the bright multicolored wallpaper outside this place, I feel like it's easy to miss. It's a short walk from grand central station, so easy to travel to and from. Inside, it is beautifully decorated and gives the feel like you are transported to Japan. There are few semi private seating areas that gives more privacy for diners. We had dinner here the other night and ordered from the restaurant week menu. For the restaurant week menu, it was $45 per person. I got the Washu Beef Cutlet Teppan Yaki. They bring out the raw meat on one dish and a small grill that they light a small fire under. You have about 7 min to cook your meat before the fire goes out. It was fun to do, but I did not get the timing right and the fire died before I was done cooking my meat to how I would have liked. I also had the spicy tuna roll which was filling. Highly recommend the black sesame pudding! It was full of black sesame flavor and good texture. I tried my friend's black cod which was delicious, sweet but savory.
Came by for dinner the other night and it was a decent experience. The izakaya is located on the basement level and reminds me of Japan. Made a reservation online and my seat at the counter was ready upon arrival. Started off with the miso asparagus appetizer and it was quite tasty. The asparagus were fresh. Moved on to the garlic fried shrimp and it was a generous portion with 7 or so tempura shrimp with a garlic mayo paste. Had the miso black cod as a main course and it was mediocre. The fish wasn't super fresh and the skin wasn't super crispy either. It was well presented with a couple of huge mushrooms though. ~$70/head after tax and gratuity for dinner.
We came for restaurant week and the food did not disappoint us. The Washu Beef Cutlet Teppan Yaki needed to be cooked on the table by ourselves. The meat was ok and not as good as some of those that you can get in the Japanese BBQ places. The miso block cod was extremely delicious though, which was well marinated and delicately cooked.
I remembered liking Aburiya Kinnosuke when I went in 2009, and I was excited to go back when I was in New York a couple weeks ago, staying at a hotel in Midtown. I went on a Tuesday afternoon with my mom and my two-year-old son, and we had a lovely, delicious lunch. I called ahead to make sure they could accommodate a toddler, and while the main dining room was in fact too narrow for a high chair or stroller, they were able to put us in a little family room. I loved this space, a traditional wood-paneled Japanese room where you take off your shoes and sit at a table over a hole in the floor where you put your legs. It was also ideal for lunch with the baby, who had just enough room to roam around without causing too much trouble. Service was great, too, fast and polite. My only complaint is that we paid a stupid amount of money for a bottle of water, maybe a mistake on our part, but one that should be easier to avoid. My mom and I shared two lunch sets and an a la carte entrée (the lunch sets come with miso soup and salad), because why not, and they were all great. My favorite was the spicy cold ramen, which hit the spot on a hot day. It came with chewy cold ramen noodles with shrimp, wakame, egg, and a spicy dipping sauce. The saba shioyaki was a beautiful, flavorful piece of grilled mackerel, served with cabbage and ponzu sauce. I also liked the oyakodon, a dish I order whenever I can, but it could have used a bit more sauce. Still, the chicken and egg were good, and the bowl came with some nice Japanese pickles. I wish I had a restaurant like Aburiya Kinnosuke near my house. I'd go once a month instead of once every decade. If you're looking for good Japanese cooking in a pleasant, relaxed izakaya environment, definitely check this place out.
Everything was amazing and service was excellent!! We had a couple rolls sashimi and sake… all delicious!! Wish I had taken more photos!