A lot of menu items were not available and they happen to be the dishes we specifically came to try. We ordered the wagyu tenderloin, hamburger steak, and U&I don. Nothing impressive, and quite frankly lacked flavor and seasoning. Portion sizes were also not value imo but presentation was spot on. Unfortunately, just looks good and tastes ok. Heard they're also closing for good in a few days but hopefully they can make some improvements to sustain business! read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!! I would make the trek to come back here. Everything in the set meal was so good and the portion size was perfect. Lovely ambiance as well. Please visit. I'm coming back here for sure. Finally a place that is both Instagram worthy AND yummy!! read more

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Honzen was very hyped up on TikTok, which usually means that it's not worth it or as good as it seems on video. However, after the first time trying it, my partner and I were blown away by the quality of the meal. The portions we got were way more than any other Japanese set meal restaurant in NYC, and for under $40 you can't really get any better than Honzen. Each set includes miso soup, fresh sashimi of the day, uni topped tofu custard, pickled vegetables, eggplant, pickles, and your main dish. Our favorite has to be the katsu, it's probably the best value item on the menu. The miso cod was also excellent, super buttery and tasty while not being too expensive. Both options are available under $40. I would also recommend just ordering the standard Japanese rice, since it's already very filling as it is and we've never needed any of the rice with additions. Service can be a bit slow if you come later in the evening, which is understandable as it gets busier with all the set meals coming out. Ambiance is super cozy, with a sit down area that has cushions and a low table. Can't really go wrong with any spot in the restaurant. We come back here all the time when we're craving something homey and filling, would recommend Honzen! read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Black Miso Cod Set - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

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I loveeeeee Japanese meal sets because of how aesthetic they are, and Honzen aces their presentation. With the sets, we picked our Mains and Gohan which has a different price point depending on what you choose. We ordered their Madai (Seabream) and Miso Cod as our mains, and their Unagi and U&I Dons as our Gohan. Our personal favorite was their sea bream. I do think their raw fish/Uni weren't the greatest quality. They do get a 5/5 for service- we thought it was impeccable. read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

Honzen takes traditional Japanese set meals to a new level with their elevated Honzen Ryori Set. Each dish is a quiet celebration of seasonality, simplicity, and intention. Perfect for those who appreciate the art of slow dining. read more

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This place was so incredible! We started with the uni toro toast which had so much fresh burst of flavors from both the toro and caviar and the hamachi kama which was a nice shareable crispy piece. For the mains, each of us selected our own main and gohen and each of the results looks phenomenal. I ordered the saba shioyaki which was very savory, crisp, and juicy with the unagi don where grilled eel is a huge personal favorite of mine. The set also comes with so many small sides to mix and match your palette. My favorites were the ankimo and the uni tofu. This place is really for anyone that loves a great presentation and objectively delicious food read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Understanding this is not a Michelin star restaurant it was fairly expensive which does align with the expensive menu items. Plating is amazing and for $200 for two people it was filling but I still felt for the ambiance of the store (more casual than expected) and the taste of the food (not as high quality as I imagined). Possibly over sold on social media. The back of the restaurant is very casual. read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

I trekked all the way from Brooklyn to check this place out. Well worth it. The food and service was excellent. read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

This place is a five star taste, but the reason why I'm giving it four stars is just because of the price point. When I got my Uni toast, I was expecting a bit larger portions, but it was 38 bucks and there was a charge of $10 because it's a Japanese holiday so the price was higher. For $48 that's $24 per piece but didn't not expect it to be that small. Overall, the food was great, but when you're spending closer to $300 you might as well go to a higher at Omakase spot with more 12 or more courses. All the ingredients were great, the ambience was chill and service was good. read more

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We are craving for Japanese set meal after a trip to Japan. I know it is unfair to compare because we are in a different country. Looking at the menu online. I think this restaurant may help our cravings. The restaurant has a clean and comfortable decoration. Staff are very nice and attentive. The set menu contains various side dishes, such as miso soup, pickled vegetables, sashimi and small cold appetizer. We have to pick the Main dish and Gohan (rice dish). The options are great with different seafood and meat. And of course, different selection with different costs. The price of the set is the addition of the prices of Main and Gohan, which would easily add up to $60+ per set (before tax and tips). I ordered miso cod and maguro (tuna) don, and my husband ordered sake (salmon) and hikiniku (hamburger steak) don. Everything on the set was nicely crafted and placed in beautiful dishes. The fish dishes were a little small with the price. But they were well-prepared and delicious. The rice dish were good too but not as impressive as the fish. Overall, the whole set was fulfilling. We also ordered the matcha mint blanc but it was too sweet for us. Though it is quite pricy, we may come again sometimes when cravings really kicks in lol. Good to see this place in queens. read more

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Good, fresh Japanese food in Astoria! It's very wooden and cute inside. For the price though, I expected the food to be better (~90pp). You chose a set menu so I got the miso cod ($38) with the maguro/tuna don ($28). The cod was probably the biggest disappointment for me - it wasn't bad, but it felt unflavored and I've made much better at home. The tuna was really fatty, so I was only able to eat two pieces, and I usually enjoy the fattier cuts of tuna. The set also comes with spinach, uni tofu, kabocha & lotus root, pickled tomato/cucumber, and sashimi. My favorite bites were the sashimi, the pickled tomato, and the ikura don. All the seafood was very fresh and good quality too. Aside from the food, the workers were pretty chaotic and seemed frantic - maybe because it was busy since it was Valentine's Day, and I heard some of the workers were new. They also added an extra dessert on our check accidentally. I enjoyed my meal but I just had higher expectations for this place, and don't think it's worth the price or the trek to Astoria. read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - miso cod - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

I highly recommend this place ! Super friendly staff and the food was delicious. They do have floor sitting now where you have to take off your shoes. My group was sitting on it and we were a group of 5. I don't think you can go wrong with any main, I do recommend their wagyu or scallop! Both cooked to perfection! It comes with their seasoned rice or you can pay additional to upgrade and I highly recommend their uni! It was soooo creamy literally the prefect bite if you get the wagyu as the main. read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

It was nice pleasant experience, very simple and elegant atmosphere. The food was very filling, loved the small dishes and get to have varieties to choose from. Especially recommend the maguro don blue fin tuna, Ikuro don, black miso cod and scallops. Had bottle of sake too and couple of beers. Overall it was a nice experience, I felt it was overpriced though for what you get - same pricing as omakase. read more

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I think this review is more like a 3.5 -- it was fine, but I wouldn't come again due to the cost. I stopped by Honzen on a Sunday night as a party of 6. Unfortunately they were out of the Wagyu and Uni, so I went with the Madai and Ikura. The Madai (~$30) was cooked well with a delicate broth, while the Ikura (~20) was pleasantly salty. Unfortunately I felt a few of the side dishes were underwhelming. The miso soup in particular was quite flavorless, while the others were just forgettable. I think the best way to eat here might be to get a main and the standard rice offering to get a reasonably priced meal. read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Top - Salmon Bottom - Sea Bream - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

Overall, I had a great time at this place. I chose the scallops as my main dish. It was ok, I do not think it was worth it for the price especially 4 pieces and it was moderate quality. My friend who choose the steak really enjoyed his main entree. The highlight of my meal was the Maguro Don (Bluefin Tuna), I really enjoyed this dish. The Hikiniku Don (Hamburger steak) was great as well. read more

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came here on a sunday night & waited about 20 minutes to be seated for a table of 5. the service was great, very fancy bathroom. my group ordered about everything. the wagyu was really good, but can be a bit much for one person. (it got salty) the side dishes were really good, some were interesting. would definitely be back! read more

It is not that good. 200$ for two people but it tasted like it should have been quarter that price. The miso soup was served lukewarm. The side dishes were not impressive and just a bunch of woowoo to make the tray look cohesive. Social media overhyped. Anybody who raves about this has never had any good japanese food.... Also they charge $5 for a can coke. Gimmicky, style over substance restaurant. The food is not worth the price! Too many other restaurants in NYC with good food. This is cafeteria food served with a flair. The good reviews are ridiculous people in Astoria have no taste or something read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

Absolutely gorgeous little place! I love the small, easy-to-navigate menu, and the food was spectacular. The service was great, and I would definitely return, but it's not cheap. You pay for a beautiful experience, so if you have the money and want to try something new, I highly recommend Honzen. read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

Originally I was very excited for a new Japanese honzen/set menu cuisine to open up in Queens, but was unfortunately met with a disappointing experience. Note that my experience and review may just be bad luck or due to individual taste, but it is as follows: Their food was mediocre at best, with improvements to be made in the details. The overall presentation was good, and the side dishes were ok, nothing with the "wow" factor but also nothing that was insanely bad. However, the miso soup was undoubtedly lukewarm and overly salty. Additionally, the plating of the Akami, chutoro, and ottoro came out in the reverse. They should've plated the sashimi starting with the least fatty tuna to the most fatty tuna, but instead flipped the order so it was a little awkward using the chopstick to eat in the correct order. I ordered the seared Hokkaido Scallop and Hikiniku Don. I would have expected the scallop to be hot if not somewhat warm, but it came out seared and cold. The icing on top of all this was that while eating my soup (eating, because it was too salty so I forego the soup) there was a piece of plastic inside the soup which is a choking hazard had I mistakenly consumed it. I notified the waiter promptly who said she would let the manager know, and that was it. There was no response or acknowledgment from the manager for the rest of the meal. When we were done, the waiter came to clear our tables. We had originally ordered a 300ml sake in which there was still unfinished sake in our cup and the waiter wanted to take that away - we were very confused and told them we weren't done yet. After we paid, I asked for the manager and told him about my experience. He responded with sorry, they were too busy today and he had heard about the plastic in the miso soup from the waiter, would we like some complimentary dessert instead? I told him that it wasn't necessary. I feel like how the restaurant approached this entire situation was very unprofessional. First and foremost, I wasn't trying to request for any compensation from this experience. However, once the manager heard about the situation he should've came and made some acknowledgement instead of acting as if nothing happened so the customer had to finish paying and then ask to speak to the manager and then saying they were too busy today. Taking a couple steps back, this is a Japanese restaurant with a middle price range ($60-$100 per person). As a customer, I have certain expectations when I am paying above a certain price range, especially when it comes to Japanese cuisine - they are known for their customer service and attentiveness to detail. Personally, I really like to eat Japanese set menu, which was why I tried Honzen in the first place. However their food, service, and attitude should be improved upon. read more

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Overall score is more of a 4.5 and I'll break it down below: The staff and one of the owner, Wei, were all very friendly, kind, and attuned, providing exemplary service despite juggling various tables. Thus, the overall service is 5 stars The interior design of the restaurant is beautiful, with traditional Japanese seating and decor arrangements! One of the best looking restaurants I've been too that provides a very warm, comfortable, and welcoming dining experience! The music is relatively soft and the various seating options are all well spaced apart. The communal floor seating fits 8 people max, but perfect for two small parties; it's very reminiscent of traditional tatami dining experience, and we loved it! Therefore the ambiance overall deserves 10 stars! Now the food: The entire meal is very well crafted with some minor areas that can easily be improved upon. My wife ordered the scallop main and uni gohan. The scallop was unfortunately overcooked and was on the milder side of its flavor profile. The staff was kind enough to replace it for us and we got the miso cod instead, which was light, flaky, and deliciously soft and tender! The uni were all incredibly fresh and sweet, where it didn't leave any bitter aftertaste, so highly recommend it! I got the wagyu main and salmon roe gohan. The wagyu was very good in quality, but was on the smaller side based on its price. I believe making the piece just a bit bigger or reducing the price by a little bit might make it more balanced in terms of price to quality/quantity ratio, especially since it is now 5 dollars more than it was previously. The wagyu was also a bit overly salty, in which pairing it with rice almost couldn't balance out the saltiness, but that's a simple fix. The salmon roe gohan was also quite fresh, which I highly recommend as well. Now the little dishes were mixed. Instead of the uni tofu that was displayed on the menu, we got tofu with salmon roe, which was unfortunately a bit disappointing, especially since I already have a whole bowl of salmon roe...Furthermore, instead of sashimi, we got the tuna tartare, which was good but also not stated on the menu. I think it might be nice to pair the small dishes based on people's main and/or gohan selection, or perhaps inform diners that the sides were subject to change ahead of time just so there wouldn't be any disappointment due to expectations. Nonetheless, the other sides were all flavorful, and the miso soup was not overly salty and perfectly balanced with the meal. All my criticisms are relatively minor, and hence why I believe Honzen can easily reach the 5 stars that I am certain they have the potential of achieving! By balancing the price a bit better and perfecting the various dishes I highlighted above, I think Honzen can easily become one of the best and most affordable Kaiseki restaurant in all of NYC. I have high hopes for Honzen and I can't wait to see what amazing new changes they are able to implement in the mere future; I look forward to updating my review to 5 stars next time, so please don't let us down! Thank you for reading and please give Honzen a try; they're still relatively new but they are definitely striving to reach perfection! (: read more

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I visited Honzen for a Sunday dinner and thoroughly enjoyed my visit! It seems like Honzen is a relatively new place -- which might explain its lower reviews while they work things out. I would say Honzen has great potential and worth checking out if their premium prices are within your budget. I did enjoy the side dishes that come with the set. I would say there were some misses like the miso soup (I didn't find this salty as the other reviews but rather bland), but the tofu, and the spinach were delightful. I thought the sashimi pieces were a nice addition as well. The salmon main (Sake) was well cooked, and the blue fin tuna (Moguro) don was yummy as well. Especially really liked the seasoning on the rice of the don! No notes on the service too, they were attentive and friendly. I probably wouldn't come back on a casual dinner setting due to the cost of the meal. The uni and wagyu were unfortunately out on this evening though -- would love to come back on a more special occasion to try them! read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Bluefin tuna and salmon - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

We ordered the Sake (Salmon), and the portions were disappointingly small. After our meal, my partner and I were still feeling hungry. We expected portions that would be a bit more satisfying for the price. Additionally, it would have been helpful if our server had informed us about the sashimi of the day ahead of time. Knowing that could have helped us make a more varied choice instead of accidentally ordering a don with a similar type of fish. The miso soup that accompanied the set was somewhat disappointing. It was served lukewarm and had an overly salty flavor, leaving us reaching for water more often than we'd have preferred. Overall, the experience felt underwhelming. While the restaurant has potential, a few small improvements in portion sizes, staff communication, and attention to detail could elevate the dining experience. read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Sake (Salmon) & Maguro (Bluefin Tuna) Don - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

Small and simple restaurant, nothing fancy, friendly staff. Place was quiet and brightly lit, great for group dinners. My Wagyu was delicious, very fatty and cooked perfectly. Instead of fried rice, I upgraded to uni don and that's where I was a bit underwhelmed. It was $55 for a bowl of rice with not a lot of tiny uni pieces. The rice was very hard and dry as well. For the upgrade, I would've appreciated better rice, perhaps an infused flavorful rice or at least more protein. Thankfully the large piece of wagyu made up for it, but maybe next time, I'd skip the upgrade. read more

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So so yummy and peaceful dining experience! Uni Ikura Don was definitely overpriced, I would try another rice or noodle next time.

Food and service were both great. It was a lot of f quality food for the price point. I got the sake (salmon) dish with regular mixed rice for $32. I liked the variety of the meal. read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

Honzen was a great experience, definitely worth checking out for a nice peaceful meal. We walked in on a Thursday and were seated immediately in the back section (there is one floor tatami mat table). Decorations were tasteful and featured nice floral arrangements and bonsai for a peaceful atmosphere. The wagyu toast, chicken yakitori, and set meals were delicious. We had the scallop and sea bass as mains and the tuna rice and udon, and with the side dishes to pair, it was a very satisfying meal! I would love to come back and try their Uni dishes. read more

Really loved our dinner at Honzen! You get a big spread of small plates and appetizers, and get to pick your main and a style of rice from the menu - it's great for a nice dinner out that doesn't have to break the bank if you don't want it to. I went for the zuke hotate (soy marinated Hokkaido scallops) with maguro don (bluefin tuna over rice)--the scallops were cooked really nicely and had a nice light soy flavor, and the tuna was super fresh and delectable. My boyfriend opted for the A5 wagyu and the standard takikomi gohan, both of which he really enjoyed. All of the little small plates were great as well--the standout was the housemade tofu topped with uni, sooooo creamy and delicious. We finished with a slice of yuzu cheesecake which had a great citrusy flavor and was really rich and creamy. Our servers were super nice too and very attentive. All in all, had a great time and excited to come back! :) read more

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Came here with my GF because I walk my dog past this spot all the time, so I was really excited to try it. The super liminal decor was kind of jarring, I'm not even going to lie. The upscale vibe isn't a bad thing, but the lack of decor and empty back room with few tables and hardly anything on the white walls on white floor with the bright overhead lighting was kind of jarring; like I was literally dining in The Backrooms. It was cool if you enjoy liminal spaces, but also kind of unnerving if you don't. I was excited to eat here and start with an appetizer of Gyoza and Yakitori, but the kitchen was out of Yakitori Skewers at 5pm on a Saturday. The waiter tried to upsell me on the Yellowtail Crudo, which was an entirely different, cold dish, and $22 compared to the $12 Yakitori Skewers they were out of, which was kind of off putting; considering they have Chicken Karaage on the menu? Odd choice. We settled with the Gyoza because there was a (absolute adorable) toddler running around like a mad man throughout the entire establishment and his tiny little voice was beaming off the empty space while one of his parents was consistently corralling him and the others chatted away over their bill for awhile (it was pretty hilarious, but not in a "I want to check this place out for the first time" kinda way). I love kids, don't get me wrong, but If I'm spending $200+ on two people, I'm not really paying for the "Screaming Baby On An Airline" experience in a liminal place where it's echoing off the walls. The Kitchen forgot our order of Gyoza, and brought out some Shishito Peppers for us as a "Sorry" which I've never tried before but were just pure capsaicin (I'm already suffering from terrible hemorrhoids right now, so that didn't help; ngl dudes). The Gyoza and the Miso-Dare (I'm assuming) sauce that went with them were delicious. I really would like to come back here and attempt to try again. It just seems they were having an off day. -The food was delicious. -The service was really wack. The kitchen was out of what we wanted to start off with, then forgot our simple appetizer order when we were a party of two and there were only 3 other parties in the place. The waiter tried to up sell us on something that wasn't even remotely the same thing, when they have Chicken Karaage on the menu, is a cold dish, and is $10 more (who really cares, at the end of the day, but it was super off putting and didn't make me want to go forward with dining here). -The decor was: something you'd really like if you dig The Backrooms. It felt like it was trying to be chic, but instead lands at "My Freshly Divorced Mom's Apartment Back In 1996". -The Screaming Toddler was freaking adorable, but maybe not at a place charging $200+ for two people. Maybe I'll try again later. read more

This place offers an amazing Japanese Eatery experience. The food was artfully presented on every plate, and the chef's attention to detail was superb. Had an excellent dinner with my sister last night. The food quality was great, fresh, and delicious!! Great atmosphere ! Highly recommend, We will definitely be back again. read more

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Every interaction and taste built toward complete satisfaction. Their professionalism is evident in the food taste and service style. Their design approach seemed professional. The workers greet me personally every single time. Cherish your time here! read more

We visited on a Friday night with a 7:30 PM reservation made days in advance. When we arrived, we were told they were running a bit behind and were asked if we'd like to wait in the waiting area. No problem--we were fine waiting. However, we ended up waiting for over 30 minutes before being seated. By that time, we had already reviewed the menu and were ready to order immediately. Unfortunately, it took another 30 minutes for our food to arrive after ordering. It was clear we weren't the only ones experiencing delays--other tables were also waiting far too long for their meals, we even saw some parties get up and leave, while the table seated next to us were immediately served their food upon being seated after us. Timing was strange. We understand this is a new establishment and that they're likely still ironing out the kinks, but the experience was disappointing overall. By the time we were ready to order, we were informed that half of the main entrées were unavailable due to shipment issues related to the holidays. While some menu shortages are understandable, having half the menu unavailable is excessive. For the price point, the experience, food, and location simply didn't meet expectations. Additionally, be aware that the suggested tip on the receipt is calculated based on the total plus tax, which isn't standard. We wanted to like this place, but the long waits, limited menu, and overall disorganization make it hard to recommend at this time. Hopefully, they can improve with time. read more

Rude server and chef mocked guests while leaving, leading to decision not to dine there

beautiful presentation + food amount/taste was 10/10. any complaints about this spot are just coming from nitpickers. would recommend to anyone to try read more

Honzen Japanese Eatery - Japanese Near Me - Astoria, New York

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Great food and service. Will be back. Portion is just right for me. Echoing other reviews about smaller portion, it's about having a balanced meal not overstuffed read more

Had really high expectations for this place but was honestly shocked at their pricing. You can 'upgrade' for a gyudon or other side rice bowl but they are priced like entrees. I got the Hamburg patty add on which was an extra $30+ for a tiny piece - and it wasn't even salted or had any flavor. Totally not worth it. read more