Izakaya MEW

Jess C

Overall, 3-3.5 stars for this visit. The Yellowtail Carpaccio tasted very fresh and good. Una Don tasted good too. I wished their Salmon Sashimi Taco was not marinated with spicy mayo, or at least indicated they are spicy. We tried their Mushroom Hot Pot, which I highly do not recommend. The broth tasted bitter from the fresh mushrooms, and small pieces of plastic were found in the soup, and I am unsure where they came from.

Yani Ed

Nice, cozy interior to buffer out the growing cold weather. It gets super crowded here at night, so be sure to reserve ahead of time. Lunchtime isn't slack either, and groups should come in full or they will have to wait. The place is wooden in aesthetic, with titles from Murakami on the walls. The rest of the decor seems pretty simple, encouraging focus on the food. Staff is quick and courteous. They keep an eye out for emptying water glasses. The menu is not that expansive. As an izakaya, they have foods that would go well with sake. However, the menu is diversified so you can grab sushi or ramen if you want. They have helpful flavor diagrams to help someone figure out what sake they want. I ordered the tonkotsu teishoku for lunch. Waitime was probably the largest issue for me since I was allotted limited time for lunch. But it came in about half an hour and took me only ten to polish it off. The portion isn't super generous, but it is filling. You get a piece of fried cut with varying degrees of fatty and lean parts. There is a salad of shredded cabbage topped with mayo. As part of the set, there is rice, miso soup, and pickled vegetables. Overall it was a good meal for the price, considering this is midtown. My friends ordered ramen and garlic chicken, which were also very good. I recommend this place for lunch primarily because I could never get a seat without reservation for dinner. I will be back to sample more of their offerings.

E C

I come here almost every time I'm in the city for business travel and every dinner with clients/partners is here. I've been to nobu and while it's definitely up there I think the ambiance and food here is special and compliments to chef. It's crowded and they don't take reservations so plan on signing your name in early. Everything here is solid.

Olav Hola

This is why I love nyc, places like this. Great food, friendly staff, great interior design and some fun added to it. Make a reservation or just go in and hope for the best. I will definitely go back here; their ice cream beer is just 😍