KenScale: 8.5/10 Visits: May 2025 [Note: After some deliberations, I have decided to upgrade all restaurants receiving 8.5 or 8.75 KenScale to five Yelp stars from four.] Japanese and French cuisines are two of the most acclaimed around the world, so perhaps not surprisingly there are a decent number of Japanese chefs successfully showcasing their skills in French restaurants (but not the other way around). Just looking at Tokyo, you have multi-Michelin star establishments such as L'Effervescence, Florilege and Sezanne, and in Paris a number of Japanese chefs have made their names in places such as KEI, Restaurant A.T. and Magma. In the Stateside, particularly in New York City, there are also places like L'Abeille in TriBeCa and Restaurant Yuu in Brooklyn that generated considerable buzz from creative Japanese chefs. One place in the city that had been on my list for a while was HOUSE Brooklyn in Greenpoint. The restaurant's chef, Yuji Tani, started out with his own restaurant in Tokyo, HOUSE Tokyo, before relocating to NYC and opening the Brooklyn project. On my recent trip to the city for a work conference, I decided to check out HOUSE with my wife Jun, and we really enjoyed the meal at the restaurant. If I can summarize the dining experience at HOUSE in a few words, it is elegant French cuisine with minimalistic Japanese sensibilities. While French is traditionally known for rich flavor and opulence, chef Yuji gave his own spin on the cuisine through fresh ingredients and understated yet refined cooking in a multi-course tasting menu (currently priced at $180 per person). One dish that quite aptly epitomized the chef's culinary philosophy was matcha crepe. The clean flavor from the crepe, with tofu mousse, turnip leaves, grapefruit and anchovies inside, was quite wonderful; it was certainly unlike anything I have experienced from other French crepes before and I thought to myself that I could eat this every day for breakfast or lunch. Monaka is a popular traditional Japanese dessert and chef Yuji brilliantly decided to turn it into a savory dish by adding marinated Sakura trout and yuzu pepper Greek yogurt mousse inside instead of the azuki bean pasta that is typically used. Another showstopper from our dinner was the white asparagus; we both loved the crunchy texture of the asparagus and the complexity of flavor coming from soy sauce koji rice, asparagus puree and oeuf mayonnaise greatly enhanced the vegetable's flavor. For a fish dish, the kitchen brought out red sea bream and green onions accompanied by green onion and anchovy paste, seaweed sauce and miso turnip puree; it was a beautiful expression of the sea. Fried oysters with passion fruit curry puree and charbroiled squab were also delicious in their own ways. If you are a foie gras fan, then you would definitely wish that the restaurant keeps the foie gras pilaf, which came as the last savory course and chef Yuji looked very proud to present to the diners, on its menu permanently. As Jun remarked, it was a dish that was destined to be delicious, with a gorgeous pot of foie gras, pickled cucumber, green onions and teriyaki sauce. The dessert was also a delight, with souffle cheesecake and basil granita and salted vanilla ice cream not overpowering my palate with sugar bomb and instead stimulating my senses with elegance and balance. Getting a reservation at HOUSE is not as challenging as other top restaurants in NYC, but the counter seating (which runs twice each evening from Wednesday through Saturday at 6 p.m. and 8:30 p.m.) has a limited number of seats so I still highly recommend booking in advance, especially during the weekends. If you want to explore how sake pairing would work with Japanese accented French food, you are in the right place at HOUSE. While Jun and I have developed more appreciation for wine than sake throughout our marriage (we drink wine almost every day at home to pair with Jun's excellent cooking), we still enjoyed the diversity of flavors from the sakes featured in the pairing option (at $150 per person for 7 course pairing, $120 per person for 5); the pairing options do have some wines included and if you are inclined to get wine instead, there are some interesting options on the wine list with focus toward natural wine producers. The restaurant is located in a larger industrial space with a dashi broth shop and a high-end craft shop so you can check it out before or after the dinner depending on your reservation time. Jun and I were very impressed with the minimalistic and precise cooking at HOUSE, and we would love to visit again in the near future. read more

The ambiance and service is great, but I think when it comes to food, this restaurants is trying to do too much. I would describe the food as a bit too inventive such that its not the most tasty. Not really worth the price if you are coming for the taste, but if you want to enjoy something more creative, give it a try. The dessert is really good though read more

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I really enjoyed the experience - the experience and food was unique. to be honest, i personally did not love most of the courses, but i would still recommend House Brooklyn because of the overall experience and uniqueness. My favorite dish was the foie gras pilaf, and i also really enjoyed the burrata. read more

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This was one of the most incredible dinners and one of my favorites in a long while! House Brooklyn is nestled in the coolest Japanese store / coffee shop and is hidden in plain sight. There are only 8-seats and 2 dinners per day, by reservation only. The menu changes seasonally and leans into in season ingredients. The food is light and has a ton of flavor so you can keep up with every course. I tried everything from soup to foie gras rice, and Wagyu sushi. It was all amazing and the presentation was incredible. I highly recommend trying this experience if you're in the area. read more

HOUSE Brooklyn - French Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I came here on my birthday with my family and we all enjoy the dinner so much! We have a great time. The food is amazing just like we were in Japan! The restaurant is hidden behind the Japanese store with counter seats. We can see how the chef is preparing the food for us. Service is so great and we can't wait to go back again! read more

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A beautiful intimate experience. The hostess was super friendly upon greeting us and made us feel right at home (haha hence the name house). We got started with drinks and then the course began (9 courses in total). My favorite dish would be Horse Mackeral Mi Cuit and Matcha Crepe. Some of the chef's dishes were super creative-- like how the matcha crepe looked like a matcha crepe but wasn't actually one. Keep in mind the menu changes every season so there's always something new. read more

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Went here for my birthday dinner and it was the exact vibe we wanted! Food was 9 courses and everything was so thought out and cooked to perfection. The staff were very friendly and engaging, it was a very intimate experience. Authentic Japanese cuisine with a modern twist! read more

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Came here with a group for a birthday. Everything is a set menu, which is really nice. The place is set up where everyone faces the kitchen so you can see the whole process, which I enjoyed. The space itself is very beautiful, and it was nice to see it finally after many months of renovation. The food itself was amazing. They started off letting us drink some kelp dashi, which was light but flavorful. Then we had a matcha crepe that had a nice chewy texture. We had marinated sakura trout monaka, which was in a nice cracker. This really reminded me of a cream cheese with salmon, and the cracker shape really held everything together and stopped it from falling apart. We had white asparagus with a delicious sauce, an oyster cream croquette, red sea bream and green beans. The wagyu beef was good but seemed like a tougher cut. The final dish before dessert was a foie gras pilaf, which was very rich. I also liked the presentation that they had in showing you the big pot before serving. Dessert was a souffle cheesecake and you could choose a drink with it. Service was impeccable, as with any fine dining restaurant, definitely recommend coming here. read more

Amazing food! As you know, a lot of "fusion" foods are hit or miss. Chef Yuji nails it every time! I love the fact that there's only counter seating and open kitchen. So you can see what they're preparing and get intimate service. Each plate looks like a piece of art! Fancy yet you feel like visiting your friends home to eat-kind of atmosphere. read more

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One of the best meals I've had in Brooklyn. This is inside the viral dashi store where you can make your own dashi. All the way in the back is a secret entrance that opens up to a minimalist and elegant kitchen, where they'll serve you Japanese-French dishes in well crafted ceramics. Homey vibes, friendly staff, and a menu that changes every now and then. LOVED the eel pilaf! The chef mixes it right in front of you. Every dish was fragrant, creative, and delicious. The burrata! At the end, you get a choice of hojicha, coffee, or other beverages. My friend took me here to celebrate my birthday, and they made me feel special and taken care of. read more

Top of the top NYC dining experience for any lover of refined Japanese cuisine with a French twist. Chef Yuji Tani is a master in creating flavors that delight the senses from start to finish. From the menu printed on luxe paper to the plating of each dish on stunning Japanese dinnerware making the ambiance feel so bespoke. House is both a culinary and visual treat that will make for a wonderful dining experience. read more

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Recently saw a lot of friends try this restaurant, and being a fan of Japanese French cuisine, I knew I had to try. Reservations aren't too hard to come by, but I would definitely try on the day it comes out vs 1-2 weeks before. The restaurant itself seemed to be behind a store that sold niche kitchenware - different plates, pots, glassware. There is a wall that slides open and behind it is the counter, where you get to sit (open kitchen format). The appetizers were definitely bigger than expected, and were creative. My favorite was the mushrooms with squash mousse - perfect for fall. The mains were great as well. I'd say the wagyu is a bit on the tougher side, but the foie gras pilaf was amazing. Probably the best thing I've eaten recently and paired well with the miso soup. The dessert was great as well, a purple sweet potato cheesecake that was perfectly brûléed and hojicha ice cream that was not too sweet. The hojicha tea we chose at the end was also super comforting and they gave us refills! We ordered a bottle of sake (plum flavored) and it was great! Paired nicely with everything. Overall, a unique and creative spot. Would definitely like to try again for different seasonal items! read more

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Beautiful spot inside a store. It was well hidden. Service was excellent. The food here was delicious. My favorite dish of the night was the foie gras pilaf. The strawberry cookie on the burrata was quite delicious as well. The asparagus with pistachio was very interesting. The flan and hojicha ice cream dessert was excellent. read more

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This is an incredibly intimate, special occasion restaurant. I celebrated 25 years with my partner, and we recently married. The restaurant noted that with "happy anniversary" on the cover of the menu, and a special dessert at the end. HOUSE is located in the back of a Japanese home goods store and offers two seatings at 6pm and 8:30pm. I dined at 6pm and it was plenty of time although I didn't want to leave. The menu changes seasonally, but I've photographed the 9 course menu for reference. All courses were unique and delicious. Stand-outs included the yellowtail, lobster spring rolls, crudités and duck. I splurged with the 7-course beverage (saki, wine) pairing but it may be too much for people who don't drink very much. Finally, the service is exquisite: chef Yuji Tani and his entire staff make you feel like you're eating in his home, which is the point. read more

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Great food! I really liked all the fish dishes - very flavorful and very soft. Use of ingredients in each dish is very thought out. Great experience overall. read more

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In this quaint tucked away Japanese community in Greenpoint, House Brooklyn is refreshingly humble and unobtrusive. It's subtly and cleverly hidden within Dashi Okume, a curated Japanese Grocer and Goods space. You don't even notice it's there until the huge custom sliding doors open in the evening to allow guests in to reveal a hidden countertop restaurant. It's a homey space, just made for their purposes. Chef Yuji Tani comes from Japan and was trained in French cooking. His food combines several techniques from both French and Japanese to make a tasting menu that's uniquely his. It was very enjoyable, and the atmosphere is casual but still refined. The team is friendly and courteous, and the entire kitchen is open - the intention is for it to feel like you are 'at home' at House. The proportions are generous and you won't leave hungry - which was very satisfying for me. I loved the variety of vegetable, fish, and meat that was incorporated into the dishes. Cheese and caviar paired very well with Japanese elements, and the taste profiles are elevated. I would come again, the restaurant is only open 4 days a week, purposefully to allow for the employees and chef to rest and continue to be creative and inspired. read more

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Another amazing Saturday night in Greenpoint. Tonight's adventure was at "House Brooklyn", in a tiny space behind a secret door in the back of a Japanese grocery. Chef Yuji Tani from Kyoto cooks with enormous love and creativity, and takes a lot of pride in his work. As he should. What an excellent New York City experience... read more

HOUSE Brooklyn - French Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

At only $180 for an outstanding tasting menu, and only 10 seat chef's counter, and only one dinner sitting per night, AND hidden behind a Japanese mini-department store, HOUSE Brooklyn may very well be the best kept secret on the NYC culinary scene. Japanese-French fusion. Michelin Star worthy and soon-to-be. read more

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Amazing experience here. Great food, great service, beautiful ambiance. Prices add up quickly with drinks but definitely worthwhile for a really enjoyable dining experience. I liked every course & would consider going back for another special occasion if the menu changes. read more