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    Kaoru

    4.3 (546 reviews)
    ModerateJapanese
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    Order Kaoru Takeout or Delivery

    Kaoru Photos

    Business Info

    KAORU ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Kaoru

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    Rong G.

    Great place for a late lunch. The food is delicious and service is out of standing. If I recommend a restaurant after UN headquarter visit, this is the best choice: location, food and service all are perfect

    Justin M.

    Hidden gem!!! Prices are so good for New York, and portions are huge! Staff extremely friendly and ample seating at the bar, so walk-ins seem pretty good especially for 1-2 people. Fish is also extremely fresh! Must get one of their Kaisen Dons, and highly recommend trying some of the specials for the day :)

    Beef Don
    Bronwyn B.

    Amazing fresh food in old school Japanese setting. My boss took me here for lunch one day and we loved it. He had the sushi; I had the karaage. It's going to be one of my go-tos now.

    Uni Don with hamachi and tuna, and Kinpira (lotus burdock carrot salad)
    Erica L.

    Great uni bowl with two additions of your choice--I opted for hamachi and tuna, both of which were quite fresh. For $35, I thought it was quite a good deal. The uni was sweet and briny and fresh and . . . just a dream. It came with miso soup. The rice was a bit dry and a little more vinaigry than is typical for sushi rice. It wasn't a huge distraction but it wasn't my favorite. The lotus burdock salad was slightly spicy and nicely crunchy, and well proportioned. I really enjoyed this one. Enjoyed my lunch at the sushi bar and found the service to be fine and not overly rushed.

    Sapparo
    Michelle W.

    Food: I got the ootoro bowl (nightly special) and my boyfriend got the 3 amigos bowl. I was very impressed with the quality of the fish for the price. They were also very generous with the amount of fish given. Service and ambiance: There's bar seating and tables for larger parties. It wasn't too busy on a Friday night and we were able to be seated immediately. There's a lot of staff working and they provide quick service. They also were constantly refilling our water. Highly recommend and would definitely come back!

    Rose C.

    Came in at 7:30pm on a Friday and got immediately sat down. I got the 3 Amigos don regular size and it was much larger than expected. We ordered 2 rolls (salmon avocado and scallion hamachi) and we didn't finish it all. Great value for the amount of food.

    Three Amigos Don Small ($19)
    Rainey C.

    Came here with a girlfriend at 6pm on a Tuesday night and were seated quickly at the bar. We each ordered a small Three Amigos Don, and was pleasantly surprised by the portion! Came with about ~8 slices of sashimi and a portion of Negitoro mixed with spicy mayo sauce. Also came with a bowl of miso soup! For $19 before tip, I'd say it's pretty solid for the city. Service was friendly and quick, and the overall fish was very fresh. Def will come back if I ever need a quick bite!

    Roll B set with Salmon Ikura Roll and Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Rolls
    Jane G.

    Even living in a seaside, foodie town in Maine, where I thought the seafood (and sushi) couldn't get any fresher, boy, was I wrong. Kaoru was absolutely delicious. Here's what I ordered: - Assorted pickles (so overpriced for how little you get BUT I would 100% order again. SO flavorful) - Three amigos don (spicy diced tuna + tuna/salmon/hamachi sashimi over rice) - The Roll B set with the Salmon Ikura Roll + Smoked Salmon/Cream Cheese Roll - Somehow three giant containers of Miso soup The fish was beyond creamy, high quality, fresh, and delicious, even for takeout. Great portions, too. Would absolutely recommend for takeout/delivery/dine-in.

    Ikuradon
    Yumi S.

    American POV: Fast and friendly service: 5 stars Ambiance and presentation: 4 stars Food quality: 4 stars Price value: 4.5 stars 日本人視点: 丁寧な客対応: 5点満点 減点要素としては: 『アガリ』と言ってお茶が出てこなかった (悲) 酢飯の味付けが薄い割には多少ベト付きが重たく感じる

    Francesca L.

    Had a wonderful Japanese dinner at Kaoru on East 46th off 2nd in Kips Bay. An off-the-beaten-path, low key spot, they offered a very traditional array of sushi & sashimi. We started with an order of edamame and kinpira (a salad of burdock, lotus roots, a carrots in soy sauce with sesame seeds) and moved on to some simple but delicious rolls.

    Kakuni Don
    Sukanya M.

    I had the Kakuni Don - braised pork with a soft boiled egg over rice. It tasted a little salty, the pork was a little chewy, I didn't think too much of it, but the next day I unfortunately threw up the entire meal, threw up again later that day, and was unable to eat anything other than crackers and apple sauce for two days. I'm very concerned about the food safety at Kaoru and I have been to Kaoru before but this will be my last visit due to food poisoning.

    Three Amigos
    Malena S.

    The fish quality is really good, it taste d fresh and not fishy at all. I really enjoyed this bowl as it was a decent size for $26 with tax. I will come here again when I'm in NYC.

    Kaoru Kaisen Don
    Jesse P.

    Came in here with my wife on a Saturday around 8 pm. Mostly full but found seats at the bar without a wait. Nothing overly memorable about the interior but the food made up for it. We both had a bowl and really enjoyed them. The price/quality/quantity was right on point. I would definitely recommend a bowl if you come to this sushi restaurant. We were pretty impressed!

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    7 months ago

    Yummy food and nice, quiet location! Great service. Very reasonable prices for NY! Great options for the entire family.

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    Kaoru Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kaoru

    How is the Chriashi howl and how much is it?

    It's fresh and delicious and absolutely amazing coming from someone who eats raw fish all the time. Prices range from $18 to $25 depending on which bowl you choose

    I read on the menu you can substitute the rice in the sushi bowls with vegetables. Anyone know what vegetables the restaurant uses?

    I believe it was mixed greens. This was back in February.

    When is uni offered in this restaurant ? I saw in some reviews mentioning sometimes it is not in season

    Only in winter months.

    Anybody know their letter grade? I don't see it posted anywhere

    U

    View All 6 Questions

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    Katsu-Hama

    Katsu-Hama

    4.0(1.8k reviews)
    0.5 miMidtown East
    $$

    This place is a bit hard to spot, but it's on the same side of the street as the sorta famous (50…read moreyears +) Phil's Stationery. Katsu-Hama is about two doors to the Left of Phil's, and has minimal, very discreet signage. I got some tonkatsu...I forget the exact type, but it was essentially the most fatty of the tonkatsu offered. It came with cabbage (with a sesame ginger type dressing), daikon radish (with some type of sauce on top), and the standard sauce for the tonkatsu, along with some crushed sesame seed and hot mustard. I'd have to say...the tonkatsu was quite good....not quite as sublime as my favorite tonkatsu place in Tokyo...but still, very, very good. The dish also came with a bowl of miso soup (good, and not overly salty) and a bowl of white rice, which I considered the most disappointing part of the meal. The rice seemed a bit dried out...not moist.... All in all, an excellent meal. I'd definitely come back.

    I've had this place saved for a while, and I don't feel like I need to go again. It was cramped…read moreespecially since they sat everyone in a section despite having table space in multiple areas. The food was ok, felt comparable to something you would order at a food court, so at the price point, it's not that worth it. The main was so unremarkable that the best thing was the miso soup. In terms of flavor, it's very much like "that's it??", pretty basic but wouldn't standout as good.

    Photos
    Katsu-Hama
    Katsu-Hama - Oyster and katsu

    Oyster and katsu

    Katsu-Hama - Agedashi Tofu

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    Agedashi Tofu

    Sozai

    Sozai

    4.3(155 reviews)
    0.6 miMidtown West

    Really good, Asian approved. The ramen is delicious, and the tuna is great. Nothing beats a warm…read morebowl of ramen in a cold rainy day in NYC

    Had reservations for 3 on a Tuesday afternoon, and were seated at a booth on the left hand side of…read morethe izakaya soon after we arrived. (There's regular tables on the right hand side and a bar in the back.) The food and drink menu is available through QR codes at the table. We selected 6 dishes and 3 desserts to share. The Ankimo came with three pieces of monkfish liver and scallions in a ponzu wasabi sauce. It was a nice start to the meal, with its creamy texture and rich flavor. The Age Tofu came with three cubes of fried tofu that had a slightly chewy exterior and a pillowy soft interior. The bonito flakes and dashi broth gave it a punch of flavor. It was my first time ever having Mentaiko Pasta, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was creamy and the spiciness of the cod roe sauce was subtle--it kind of creeps up on you after a few bites and gives the dish a little kick. I felt like the cod roe flavor shone through, and the bacon added another dimension to it. The Hotate Carpaccio came with 6 slices of Hokkaido scallops, ikura, and a mustard soy dressing. It was a delicate dish that I enjoyed, especially after the heavier Mentaiko. The Cold Soba Green Tea was my favorite dish. It was so refreshing. All the ingredients went very well together--the green tea noodles had a good bite, the salmon sashimi was very fresh, the ikura added a nice brininess when you pop them, and the dashi broth provided a nice backdrop to the dish. The sashimi in the Kaisen Don was fresh, and came with salmon, tuna, yellowtail, octopus, and ikura. The dessert menu is found at the end of the drinks menu. We got one of each dessert: the sweet potato balls with hojicha ice cream, cheesecake with yuzu sorbet, and black sesame ice cream with red beans. The sweet potato balls were SOOO GOOD--crispy exterior and chewy interior, with just the right touch of sweetness. The hojicha ice cream was so good. We regret not having ordered an extra set of the sweet potato balls. The cheesecake was a little dry, but had these little rice crispies on top that gave a nice textural change. The yuzu sorbet was a good palate cleanser. The black sesame ice cream was rich and creamy, and the red bean sauce added an extra layer of sweetness. Sozai is a great place to share a few dishes. I definitely want to come back to check out the lunch specials.

    Photos
    Sozai - Bar area

    Bar area

    Sozai - Sake Clam Miso

    Sake Clam Miso

    Sozai - Sake Clam Miso

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    Izakaya MEW - Salmon Carpaccio

    Izakaya MEW

    4.3(3.3k reviews)
    0.9 miMidtown West
    $$

    This is what dreams are made. Quality fish, so much flavor, unique and creative dishes. The…read morerestaurant is so unassuming, as it's downstairs in a building, the sign is modest, but when we entered it was filled with locals. A good sign! Started with miso, seaweed salad. The miso was so flavorful! Gyoza, light and absolutely delicious Yellowtail carpaccio- the sauce I could drink it, so good! They only had 4 rolls on the menu so we got one of each, and let me tell you, best rolls I've ever had, each one was unique and different, and amazing! We also shared a pork belly bowl and a una don (eel) bowl, and again both were incredible. Perfectly cooked eel and pork belly, the sauce on both, delicious, and the rice!!! The rice is like crack, soft and sweet, like nothing I've ever had. I'm from out of state, but let me tell you, I will eat here every time I come to NYC!

    Came here for dinner right before a concert. The restaurant was lively and packed, but we had a…read morereservation (which I highly recommend doing!) Got the following dishes: - Hotate (seared scallop) carpaccio (4.5/5) - Chicken nanban (3.5/5) - Kimchi cream udon (4/5) - Mew special roll (4.5/5) - Mochi ice cream (3.5/5) Food came out very quickly, and service was good! Since the restaurant was very busy and had a wait from the moment we entered and left, this is definitely a restaurant you'd spend 1 - 1.5 hr max at with the high table turnover (so avoid if you want a quiet date night). Overall, Izakaya Mew has been a reliable staple for years and will likely continue to be with its great food quality and lively ambiance. (4.5/5)

    Photos
    Izakaya MEW - Dining area

    Dining area

    Izakaya MEW - Volcano Roll and Chikaten Roll

    Volcano Roll and Chikaten Roll

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    Okatte Tanto NY

    Okatte Tanto NY

    4.5(60 reviews)
    0.2 miMidtown East

    Called beforehand on a Friday night for two and seats were ready when we arrived at 8:30pm. Upon…read moreentering, it felt like I teleported to Japan. Many of the clientele are Japanese so we knew we were at an authentic place. We got: - Fried oysters: the batter was light and crispy and oysters piping hot - Vinegared Mackerel w/ Ponzu Sauce: fresh & tangy - Intestines Hotpot: comforting & light despite the fattiness of the intestines - Creamed Mentai Udon: they split it in 2 small bowls for us since we were sharing. Udon had a nice bouncy chew and sauce was not heavy We also got a bottle of sake, and they poured it in a beautiful sake decanter to keep it cold. First time seeing cold sake presented this way which was very cool. We tried Suntory draft beer since that was the only draft they had, which was odd since most Japanese places carry Asahi/Sapporo, definitely not as light as the other two beers I'm used to. Even though I was stuffed by the end, I didn't feel lethargic, everything felt light without compromising flavor. Service was attentive although our udon came at the very end, we thought they had forgot about it.

    There are a few restaurants in NYC that make you feel like you are stepping into a Japan portal,…read moreand Okatte Tanto is no doubt one of those. As you step into the restaurant, you immediately feel a sense of formality and strictness. It's also very quiet in the restaurant, and friendly to solo diners, adding on more to the Japan-esque feel. The food is high quality here, but the portions are small, and it is pricey. I would budget to spend around $100 a person here after tip and tax, if you ignore the prices on the menu and try a variety of things. The tuna from the bone is the most famous dish here, but I was not able to get it as they sell out very fast. But I tried the sashimi and it was high quality -- just that it was not enough food for me. But that makes it more in line with portions back in Japan. They have an extensive sake list and they also have the casual cocktail options like lemon drops you would find in Tokyo. The atmosphere really transports you straight into Japan if that is something you are looking for. Expect to pay a premium for small-ish portions, but at the same time very well-made and authentic food.

    Photos
    Okatte Tanto NY
    Okatte Tanto NY
    Okatte Tanto NY

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    Kaoru - japanese - Updated May 2026

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