This izakaya š® is very good. Itās like a Japanese street. The price is affordable, the atmosphere is also very good, and the food is delicious. Itās just that there are a lot of people, so some dishes have to wait for a while.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lauren
This place is fantastic for some casual Japanese food! We enjoyed some sapporos with shrimp rolls, shrimp dumplings, a tempura plate, fries, and sweet potato rolls. All were delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jiyoung Choi
I always liked this place because they have good food and highball. But this recent visit completely made me not want to go back to this place ever. My friend and I asked to change a table because people next to us were so loud and we couldnāt have a conversation. After a few hours, we asked for a check and tip was included. We asked the server why we were charged for tips automatically, and she said because we changed the table and we stayed longer than two hours. This was outrageous!!! On the back of the menu, there were some notices about two hours or whatever, but the server didnāt inform us. We were not informed by the reception either. Absolutely not right!!! I donāt think this is legalā¦ Never ever go back to this place because of that weird irrational server.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Allen Herrera
Great service, always filling up your water. Affordable great tasting food. Lots of options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Yakitori, Rolls
Andrew Baldwin
Great food, great service, great selection, cool atmosphere, cheaper than eating in San Diego.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kevin A
Waitress wasn't rude but whatever you ask for isn't necessarily an "order" it's more of a "well take that into consideration". She was also basically whispering to me so I couldn't hear a thing she was saying.
I asked for my appetizer to please come out first, she looked at me like I was stupid and proceeded to bring my entree first and when I was almost done my appetizer came out.
Also, if you have blood pressure problems, I'd avoid the beef, it is VERY salty, even with the white rice. Other than that the food isn't bad, prices are fair for NYC.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Dan Oliver
This place was a nice little surprise. It's kind of like a blend of many kinds of small Japanese restaurants into one, almost like a restaurant sampler and a great bar in one. What this meant to us is that while I am not sure that any single food dish we had was a 10/10, the vast amount of unique foods we could try alone made the place a good spot. The vast selection of sake and other Japanese beverages that pair well with those dishes made it a great spot. There were grilled meats, ramen, sushi, onigiri, okonomiyaki, and more.
If you are an adventurous eater, you would likely be satisfied with many of the options. From the grilled meat side we tried beef tongue which we both agreed was good and chicken gizzards which split our group texturally. We had gotten the pickles with this (oshinko) and I would highly recommend pairing any grilled meats with those and a drink. I would comment that the kimchi didn't really fit with the pickles, but we loved the pickled daikon and the spicier green pickles. The monk liver and salmon roe (ankimo) was another adventurous dish that we thought was okay. The spaghetti with creamy spicy cod roe (mentai pasta) was another very unique one, we could have taken or left.
Overall though, I would suggest trying maybe fried and grilled meats with the pickles and booze. We also tried two types of onigiri which were both very good, plum filling the non grilled one and spicy cod roe filling the grilled one. Both of the onigiri were excellent, but I really think the grilled onigiri stands out as perhaps the best dish of the night.
We did try the miso soup, which was very good, however there is a lot of salt in all the food so I would tell anyone to consider if they really need that much salt before ordering. We tried a sushi roll, which was good, but it was hard not to find the sushi selection just a little bit disappointing. There were maki rolls and sashimi, but no nigiri or temaki which just seems like such an easy miss. There's a big difference between a quality slice of yellowtail nigiri and a maki roll.
I wish we would have gotten to try more, but we left very stuffed and also a bit tipsy. We were very free flowing in our orders, ordering just a few items at a time and the staff seemed very prepared and acquainted with that. We also ordered a nigori bottle of sake to start (this was a great deal and kicked us off properly) before we later finished with a higher proof shochu and mixed drink. I do think I would have appreciated the option to get flights here to lean more heavily into the trying everything vibe. I have never had shochu before and while my selection was fine, it would have been nice to know if I just picked the wrong one or if I'm just not a huge shochu fan without having to order several entire drinks. Same for the sake honestly, need flights.
The restaurant itself seemed fairly clean, was popular but not overcrowded, and was very well themed. There were anime posters, manga, a vertical standing record player, the bar looked cool. Overall a good vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Onigiri
Michael Lee
Food was ok .. nothing special
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Jacqueline Stein
One of the best sushi restaurant experiences Iāve ever had. Iāve been going to different Japanese restaurants for the past decade and Iāve never had sushi quality this high with a more casual yet refined atmosphere. I felt comfortable being dressed down and yet the quality was that of a very fancy restaurant. The tuna was the best Iāve had in my entire life. Definitely worth the cost and then some. Please visit here if youāre looking for great quality without the pressure of high costs and getting dressed up for a fancy restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ailsa Dempsey
We passed by this place and saw good review, so we went it.
The staff members are brilliant and deserve all the praise of their service. The food, unfortunately, could be improved. The okonomiyaki was not great, I could only eat a slice of it. The noodle was just okay, and I am being generous.
Over the years my friends and I had enjoyed coming here since the restaurant was on 46th ST. However, the last visit took me by surprise - the staff, Ivan, was extremely rude and made disrespectful comments at us. I will not be coming back.
KARLSBALLS TAKOYAKI NYC
one of my favorite places in the city. Everyone on staff is like family, Marietty, Rakesh Betto Ivan, Andrew!! Never a problem or an issue here.
Food is always fresh, Sushi cocktail, Ramen, Steak, yakiniku, they have a huge menu.
I do miss the OG location, however since I live uptown, Hagi is close and Iām always happy to kill time here.
Oh they do have takoyaki, but itās not KARLSBALLS š¤£
bad foodļ¼the fish is not fresh, and the service is so bad, rude!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Steph W
Ambiance (5/5): I loved the appeal of the very themed Japanese culture including the anime posters, trinkets, and Japanese background music. It reminds me of the restaurants when I visited in Japan. Service (5/5): There was only 2 parties when I came in on 12pm on a Friday. I was serviced quickly. Food (2/5): They have an amazing lunch menu with most items discounted. I stopped in after I saw their signage outside. Their drinks looked great but sadly could not partake during the workday. I ordered their Tsukemen (special dipping noodle) for $15. The noodles were cooked perfectly to a nice chewy bounce, chilled and good portion. The whole soft boiled egg was too well done and not marinated. The seaweed pieces were stale. The broth was not like usual Tsukemen dish, which is typically saltier, richer with a thick consistency (than that of regular ramen). Therefore, the thinned out broth did not stick to the ramen and fell short. The broth tasted great though. The dish came with 2 very thin slices of pork, which was flavored beautifully but not much fat or sized portion. The spicy version includes a huge helping of a chili sauce (tastes like siracha but not the same) at no extra cost.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Keshara Senanayake
Unfortunately the order looked nothing like the photo, with a whole part of the dish missing. $32 for 7 chipotle sized pieces of meat. Spend your money elsewhere
This izakaya š® is very good. Itās like a Japanese street. The price is affordable, the atmosphere is also very good, and the food is delicious. Itās just that there are a lot of people, so some dishes have to wait for a while.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place is fantastic for some casual Japanese food! We enjoyed some sapporos with shrimp rolls, shrimp dumplings, a tempura plate, fries, and sweet potato rolls. All were delicious
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I always liked this place because they have good food and highball. But this recent visit completely made me not want to go back to this place ever. My friend and I asked to change a table because people next to us were so loud and we couldnāt have a conversation. After a few hours, we asked for a check and tip was included. We asked the server why we were charged for tips automatically, and she said because we changed the table and we stayed longer than two hours. This was outrageous!!! On the back of the menu, there were some notices about two hours or whatever, but the server didnāt inform us. We were not informed by the reception either. Absolutely not right!!! I donāt think this is legalā¦ Never ever go back to this place because of that weird irrational server.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Great service, always filling up your water. Affordable great tasting food. Lots of options.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Yakitori, Rolls
Great food, great service, great selection, cool atmosphere, cheaper than eating in San Diego.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Waitress wasn't rude but whatever you ask for isn't necessarily an "order" it's more of a "well take that into consideration".
She was also basically whispering to me so I couldn't hear a thing she was saying.
I asked for my appetizer to please come out first, she looked at me like I was stupid and proceeded to bring my entree first and when I was almost done my appetizer came out.
Also, if you have blood pressure problems, I'd avoid the beef, it is VERY salty, even with the white rice. Other than that the food isn't bad, prices are fair for NYC.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
This place was a nice little surprise. It's kind of like a blend of many kinds of small Japanese restaurants into one, almost like a restaurant sampler and a great bar in one. What this meant to us is that while I am not sure that any single food dish we had was a 10/10, the vast amount of unique foods we could try alone made the place a good spot. The vast selection of sake and other Japanese beverages that pair well with those dishes made it a great spot. There were grilled meats, ramen, sushi, onigiri, okonomiyaki, and more.
If you are an adventurous eater, you would likely be satisfied with many of the options. From the grilled meat side we tried beef tongue which we both agreed was good and chicken gizzards which split our group texturally. We had gotten the pickles with this (oshinko) and I would highly recommend pairing any grilled meats with those and a drink. I would comment that the kimchi didn't really fit with the pickles, but we loved the pickled daikon and the spicier green pickles. The monk liver and salmon roe (ankimo) was another adventurous dish that we thought was okay. The spaghetti with creamy spicy cod roe (mentai pasta) was another very unique one, we could have taken or left.
Overall though, I would suggest trying maybe fried and grilled meats with the pickles and booze. We also tried two types of onigiri which were both very good, plum filling the non grilled one and spicy cod roe filling the grilled one. Both of the onigiri were excellent, but I really think the grilled onigiri stands out as perhaps the best dish of the night.
We did try the miso soup, which was very good, however there is a lot of salt in all the food so I would tell anyone to consider if they really need that much salt before ordering. We tried a sushi roll, which was good, but it was hard not to find the sushi selection just a little bit disappointing. There were maki rolls and sashimi, but no nigiri or temaki which just seems like such an easy miss. There's a big difference between a quality slice of yellowtail nigiri and a maki roll.
I wish we would have gotten to try more, but we left very stuffed and also a bit tipsy. We were very free flowing in our orders, ordering just a few items at a time and the staff seemed very prepared and acquainted with that. We also ordered a nigori bottle of sake to start (this was a great deal and kicked us off properly) before we later finished with a higher proof shochu and mixed drink. I do think I would have appreciated the option to get flights here to lean more heavily into the trying everything vibe. I have never had shochu before and while my selection was fine, it would have been nice to know if I just picked the wrong one or if I'm just not a huge shochu fan without having to order several entire drinks. Same for the sake honestly, need flights.
The restaurant itself seemed fairly clean, was popular but not overcrowded, and was very well themed. There were anime posters, manga, a vertical standing record player, the bar looked cool. Overall a good vibe.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Onigiri
Food was ok .. nothing special
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
One of the best sushi restaurant experiences Iāve ever had. Iāve been going to different Japanese restaurants for the past decade and Iāve never had sushi quality this high with a more casual yet refined atmosphere. I felt comfortable being dressed down and yet the quality was that of a very fancy restaurant. The tuna was the best Iāve had in my entire life. Definitely worth the cost and then some. Please visit here if youāre looking for great quality without the pressure of high costs and getting dressed up for a fancy restaurant!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We passed by this place and saw good review, so we went it.
The staff members are brilliant and deserve all the praise of their service. The food, unfortunately, could be improved. The okonomiyaki was not great, I could only eat a slice of it. The noodle was just okay, and I am being generous.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Over the years my friends and I had enjoyed coming here since the restaurant was on 46th ST. However, the last visit took me by surprise - the staff, Ivan, was extremely rude and made disrespectful comments at us. I will not be coming back.
one of my favorite places in the city. Everyone on staff is like family, Marietty, Rakesh Betto Ivan, Andrew!! Never a problem or an issue here.
Food is always fresh, Sushi cocktail, Ramen, Steak, yakiniku, they have a huge menu.
I do miss the OG location, however since I live uptown, Hagi is close and Iām always happy to kill time here.
Oh they do have takoyaki, but itās not KARLSBALLS š¤£
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Okonomiyaki with Pork, Miso Soup, Soba, Yakitori, Sashimi Salad, Mentaiko Pasta, Mentaiko Fried Rice, Dumplings, Salmon Sashimi, Rolls, Sausage, Salmon Don, Omu Rice, Grilled Japanese Atka Mackerel, Fish, Tonkotsu Ramen, Onigiri
bad foodļ¼the fish is not fresh, and the service is so bad, rude!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Ambiance (5/5): I loved the appeal of the very themed Japanese culture including the anime posters, trinkets, and Japanese background music. It reminds me of the restaurants when I visited in Japan.
Service (5/5): There was only 2 parties when I came in on 12pm on a Friday. I was serviced quickly.
Food (2/5): They have an amazing lunch menu with most items discounted. I stopped in after I saw their signage outside. Their drinks looked great but sadly could not partake during the workday. I ordered their Tsukemen (special dipping noodle) for $15. The noodles were cooked perfectly to a nice chewy bounce, chilled and good portion. The whole soft boiled egg was too well done and not marinated. The seaweed pieces were stale. The broth was not like usual Tsukemen dish, which is typically saltier, richer with a thick consistency (than that of regular ramen). Therefore, the thinned out broth did not stick to the ramen and fell short. The broth tasted great though. The dish came with 2 very thin slices of pork, which was flavored beautifully but not much fat or sized portion. The spicy version includes a huge helping of a chili sauce (tastes like siracha but not the same) at no extra cost.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Unfortunately the order looked nothing like the photo, with a whole part of the dish missing. $32 for 7 chipotle sized pieces of meat. Spend your money elsewhere
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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