It's just a great meal when you're craving comfort food. The katsu curry is superb, hearty and wholly satisfying. This is a no frills restaurant and experience but it's more than made up for by the quality of the meal you'll enjoy. read more

On a Monday, when the restaurant was crowded with dine-in patrons, we ordered a Pork Katsu Bento and a Chicken Teriyaki Bento for takeout lunch. The main course was delicious, and there were lots of side dishes. The wait was ten minutes. read more

I usually do not post reviews (good or bad) here, but given the anything-but tanoshi (happy in Japanese) experience I had just walking into Tanoshi Bento last night, I felt compelled to post the following: Last night, I had one of my worst New York restaurant experiences, and this was without even trying the food. As a known lover of Japanese food--I lived in Japan for over six years-- a friend recommended Tanoshi. When I checked out the restaurants ( apparently Tanoshi comprises two or three separate but adjoined establishments each specializing in a particular category of cuisine) on Yelp, I saw they were open until 10, so thought I would pop into Tanoshi Bento around 9:30 PM to order a take out. When I entered the small restaurant, I was immediately greeted with what I perceived to be cold, almost contemptuous, suspicious stares. I felt extremely uncomfortable. It was as if the staff were saying to me, "What are you doing here!" At one point, seemingly reluctantly, someone did eventually make their way over to me to see what I wanted and explain the seating schedule. Mind you, this is a restaurant, and I'm a potential customer. My first thought was the absence of any greeting and the nasty energy I was feeling into had to do with racial bias, as I was the only person of African descent in the place. Whatever the reason, I will definitely not be going back. read more

YUMMMMM. I love Tanoshi Bento! With somewhat limited hours, I have really only gotten hooked on Tanoshi during my work-from-home tenure of the past 10 months. Their bento boxes are delicious and huge portions. The portion size is the only way you'd know you were not in Japan; they are really authentic. I've tried both the chicken karaage (chicken nuggets) and salmon teriyaki bentos, and it's hard to decide which is more delicious. The sides are ample and unique. In addition to the standby salad with ginger dressing, cloudy miso soup, and rice, Tanoshi usually offers pineapple, shumai, several different seaweed salads, and square omelet as bento sides. Each side is meticulously crafted and adds to the transporting vibe. I'll definitely miss this Friday lunch spot once I happily return to my midtown office. It's been a bright spot through the drudgery of working from home. read more

Tanoshi Bento - Grilled Mackerel Bento - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

We walked there and had a very nice lunch. There were 4 of us and all of us enjoyed our meals. My husband and I each had a fried oyster bento and my son had a chirashi bowl. I can't remember what my daughter-in-law had. Everyone was friendly and fine with waiting until there was table space for them. Everyone seemed to be enjoying their respective meals. It was very busy and more customers kept arriving. The one waitress was went quickly from table to table and did a good job of taking orders and delivering all the food promptly. I give her credit--it was a constant stream of people coming in to order. We definitely plan to return when we are in Long Island City again. read more

I love tanoshi. Their omakase was top notch and now I have had the pleasure to try tanoshi bento. I came here with my roommate on a Saturday right when it opened for lunch and it is a pretty quiet joint. We got the impression that they do a lot more take out and delivery than sit-ins for Saturday lunches at least. Not an issue since the bar space is so small anyway. I got the pork katsu bento and it was all so good. Beautifully presented in a bento box, the meal came with miso soup, salad, brown or white rice, little bites like tofu, seaweed, pickled gingers, shumai, soba and pineapple. The star of course was the pork katsu. I want to expand my katsu palette and this was a great way to begin. The katsu didn't taste oily. It was super crisp on the outside, moist on the inside. The meal was comfortably filling. For 15 bucks, it was a steal. read more

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Their preset omakase package includes 10 pieces, 3 pieces of tuna roll, 1 hand roll and a soup. Average dining experience is an hour. They have 2 separate rooms for omakase and 1 room for dinner only. You need to reserve in advance for the omakase. Me and my boyfriend had a 7:30PM reservation and when we arrived we saw a group of people waiting outside. Within 10 minutes everyone was seated and greeted nicely by the sushi chefs. Each sushi chef served 4 customers. Each room only fits 3 chefs and about 12 guests at a time. Overall, for about $125 a head (after tax and tip) it is filling and a nice fancy dining experience for once in a while. read more

I ordered fried oyster bento box and the total came to about $17.50. The bento came with variety of food like shuimei, tofu, salad, etc. I liked everything and it certainly filled me up until even the dinner time. The price is a bit higher than your average lunch but the quantity of food made up for it. I had a Yelp check in coupon for a free soda but the staff in the store did not know about it and won't honor it. I did not argue but just find it curious about the disconnect. read more

Tanoshi Bento - Fried Oysters Lunch Bento - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I just finished my pork katsu donburi. It was so good and nicely presented. I liked how they put 3 different sides. And the price was also affordable ($13.06) and I didn't need to wait too long to get the food. I had a bad experience once in here when I dined in before pandemic, but it seems like the service got nicer as well! read more

Tanoshi Bento - Pork Katsu Donburi Bowl - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Although I primarily opt for the takeout option here for lunch, I have dined in a few times and have always left feeling full and satisfied. For those dining in, they are only open for lunch and with limited seating it does fill up fast and there may be a short wait. I always order to gyudon (beef don) and every single time it is a bowl of deliciousness. The beef is tender, flavorful, and has a bit of fat to add an element of richness to the dish. The simmered onions provide a slight sweetness and gives the rice more juice and flavor. The entire dish is brought together by the acidity of the picked radish and ginger, helping to balance every perfect spoonful. I also ordered the karaage as an appetizer this time and the morsels of chicken were juicy, crispy, and delectable. Squeezing a little lemon juice and dipping the chicken into the spicy mayo sauce really whets your appetite for the main course. Overall, I love love love this place for lunch as you get delicious rice bowls or bento boxes for a very reasonable price. I would recommend takeout if you can as it is faster. read more

Tanoshi Bento - Gyudon (beef don) - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

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4 stars for a unique looking bento box and very good service with a smile. But the chicken karaage doesn't even come close to Katsuno's, so minus a star there. I did dig the funky Japanese vibe and layout, so I will be back to see if their sushi is anything to write about. Also, their location is a little out the way for me, but I did enjoy my lunch enough to be curious about their dinner and sushi. read more

Tanoshi Bento - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Love this place. Not everything tastes good, but I think the quality of the ingredients is good and everything tastes homemade and fresh. I like their katsu, but I don't like the curry (too salty). Like their salmon teriyaki as well. read more

Got the chicken teriyaki bento. It came out quickly and was very good with plenty of sides.

Their BYOB omakase is top notch. The presentation of each piece may not look sophisticated, but each piece is made with attention and each piece is flavorful due to the taste of the fish or ingredients, not from some overpowering sauce brushed on the sushi served at certain omakase places. There wasn't a piece served with the omakase experience during my visit that I didn't like. Of course, the bring your own bottle really enhances the whole experience as we could bring a bottle of our favorite sake to enjoy with the sushi. They also have a menu on the wall which shows all the options you could choose from if you wanted to order extra, a lot of the fish is not offered at a regular sushi restaurant. I see that the restaurant is divided into 2 stores located next to each other. We were seated at the room on the left hand side. The sushi bar could get crowded, so it may be wise to try to request the corner seats when making a reservation for omakase. read more

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This place is TINY. Literally 10 seats at the sushi bar and that's it. So I wouldn't count on getting a spot. Requires a bit of luck. Also, don't look at the tasty items on the wall when you go for lunch. Those are for dinner only. Too bad! We ordered the "bento" box (figured that's what they're known for). You start with a miso, which was really good - the tofu and seaweed were quite good - better than your average packet miso. The salad was also quite good. The ginger sauce was not overwhelming and the vegetables were fresh. The Bento box itself (I got Pork Katsu) came with a small shumai, pineapples, rice, seaweed salad, and the pork cutlet on a bed of more veggies. I thought it was quite a nice display for the price of the meal ($10). The pork was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Overall, just a really nice meal. It's definitely not for groups, but if you happen to crave a cheap Japanese lunch box on a given day and want to step out for a quick meal on your own, this is a great option. read more

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** BYOB ** Omakase here is top 5 sushi places (maybe not top three, but it changes by the day you ask me) and very affordable. Book now! Venue (4/5) 10 seats approximately and all face the sushi chefs. Close seating to your neighbor can be bad if you get a bad neighbor or a couple that loves PDA (that would be my experience) Very casual and minimalistic. Nothing fancy but does the job! A bit worried when this place becomes too popular. Food (5/5) Omakase is amazing. Here are the rememberable items: Triple X - Uni, quaily egg, salmon roe (GET IT) Ankimo - Monk Liver (GET IT) Scallop - (GET IT) UNI - Great but not as good at Soto Service (5/5) - Perfection!!!!! read more

Tanoshi Bento - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I've been to the Sushi bar next door by the same name, so when I later learned that they had opened up a bento place next door I had to try it. Tried the Salmon Terriyaki and Tempura Bento boxes. The fish was really well flavored and cooked just right. Tempura was fried to perfection. I really liked the salad dressing, but other than the mains, the sides were pretty bland and disappointing. The suimai was pretty flavorless and texturally wrong. The potato salad lacked in acidity and creaminess. Even the hijiki salad was boring, every place I've been to have done great things to the hijiki salad. Perhaps this place just wants to go for simple basic sides and good entrees. It's obviously mostly a takeout or delivery place. There are about five tables with very limited table service if you wish to sit in. Food is pretty decent, but unless you are a local don't go out of your way to try this. read more

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Definitely got my bang for the buck for the omakase at Tanoshi Bento. Surprisingly, a great experience. The quality for the price was absolutely on point. Walking out with a belly satisfied wasn't the best part but knowing it was a great deal for mouthwatering sushi was the winner. Each sushi was a burst of slight subtle flavoring, simple and well-balanced. I truly enjoyed each piece very much. My favorite of the night was the Amber-jack with pickled cherry blossom leaf. The way to eat this is smell the leaf, eat the sushi, and then eat the cherry blossom leaf. It wasn't a particular ingredient that I liked or the fish itself but the whole combination was exquisite. All the pieces were very palatable and had it's own unique simple distinctive combinations. Affordable quality sushi deserves a 5 star. The pieces are probably not the same as those served at higher end sushi places but being able to pick lower priced cuts and making it extraordinary is what I called a great chef. This is a casual hole in the wall type of place, no fancy pants. The hosts aren't the nicest of the bunch, maybe a bit rude but that's something I can easily look pass with the respect of the fishes at Tanoshi. I originally had a reservation for Tanoshi Sushi Sake bar but had to cancel on the day of. I immediately e-mailed them in the morning regarding the cancellation. I received a phone call mid-day indicating that Tanoshi will allow an expectation and let me reschedule. In that sense, it was great customer service. They could've easily charged me a fee according to their store policy. I called back again, indicating that we are available for the original reservation for the same day. The hosts confirmed that it was still available and scheduled me back on. Long story short, when we got there, my name wasn't on the reservation list anymore. There was a mix up, so we got booted to Tanoshi Bento. Although the hosts messed up my reservation for the night, I had a great experience at Tanoshi Bento with a female sushi chef. Turned out to be a great night! I will try Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar on the next visit. read more

Tanoshi Bento - Delicious ! - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Delicious and cheap! I wish I lived near here. On second thought, scratch that as I'll overeat more haha. Tanoshi bento is growing! Last time I was here, there were only 2 stores. 1 open during lunch, both open during dinner time. Now there's 3! The third one is not yet open to the public, and it is another lunch store, but the space is bigger than the other one. The space is tiny, like bump-elbows-with-your-neighbors tiny, and the furniture is really simple (think function over form with no regard to tying with overall feel). The place is also not easy to go to, the closest subway line is about 3 avenues away. But, I like the food :) i think other people like it too as evidenced by the constant stream of to go orders. Agedashi tofu $5 Solid dish. Not the best I had, but this one has the batter that I like. Let it sit in the sauce and it turns ooey gooey as it absorbs all that flavor. Smooth and silky inside, this is a great appetizer. Chicken karaage bento $15 Yum! Don't let the dark appearance fool you, these babies are crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. Dip it in that (lemon mayo?) sauce and experience a symphony in your mouth. Can I rave about that rice? Polished and sticky, it's so yummy! Their bento boxes come with an assortment of other dishes too which are a nice addition for hungry people (like me). It comes with fruit, too! read more

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Far and away the best sushi experience I've had in my life. Apparently they recently began serving the same omakase as next door, so myself and a date took advantage of this last night. The fish was absolutely top notch, and the rice that our sushi sat on was like nothing I've had before. You could tell that each piece that our chef served had been intricately thought out and planned to create a complex, yet discernible flavor profile that continuously evolved from the moment that it first hit your tongue. Service was prompt, yet unobtrusive, and the BYOB option is always greatly appreciated. Absolutely, ABSOLUTELY recommended. This was something special that I'll carry with me for a long time, and unfortunately set a standard that I will compare every future sushi experience to. read more

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Best pork katsu curry and tempura hot udon soup in town! Taste just like what they are in Japan! Simple but full of flavor, and very authentic! Highly recommend to anyone who misses authentic Japanese bento food. read more

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Enjoyed my Salmon Teriyaki BENTO BOX LUNCH at TANOSHI BENTO (blue-purple awning, next door to yellow awning TANOSHI Sushi). FYI-There are 3 TANOSHI restaurants here, 3 separate entrances. So my lunch at TANOSHI BENTO was delicious & just right. I had just come from an East 72nd St doctor's appointment & was starving, & I checked Yelp to see what was nearby. I was so impressed with some of the reviews that I headed right over! And, when I viewed Yelp I saw that I could enjoy a complimentary soda to boot! My salmon teriyaki bento box came with Miso soup--so fresh, perfectly flavored, one of the best miso soups I have ever had! It was freshly made-home-made, not from some mix--just delicious!! And, my salad, which I ate as my last course because I wanted to get to the salmon ASAP was yummy--dressing was great. The teriyaki sauce on my salmon was so delicious!!! Salmon was very good, & I enjoyed that sauce with my brown rice, too! The single piece of shrimp shumai was very nice. The fresh & light tofu with ginger was nice--there were two kinds of ginger with it...the pickled ginger that usually comes with sushi, & a Julianne red not sweet ginger, almost salty/sour & finely chopped scallions. And my two delicious !!! types of seaweed: my favorite Hijiki, & a green seaweed with a wonderful & most perfect sesame oil & sesame seeds. I loved both!! For my complimentary "soda", I chose a non-carbonated can of Cold Green Tea. I enjoyed that at the end of my meal w/ice. My bento box was $12.99 & worth it for sure! The service was friendly, fine, fun & informative. My server--I'm sorry, I did not ask her name, was working for someone on vacation. I enjoyed chatting w/her, & along with her talent as a friendly & very knowledgable server, she is a dancer, & teaches hip-hop! & other dance. I also LOVED seeing the map on the wall showing where fish come from & seeing warm currents/cold currents on the map. Delicious lunch & a learning experience! How cool is that? Way cool!! The restaurant seats about 12 people at the sushi bar & that is it, so come here when you want to eat. I'm told during lunch time it can be filled & a bit of a wait. I would say it is worth the wait. For today, I was quite lucky. TANOSHI Bento is usually open Mon-Fri 11AM-2:30PM, but today they were open a bit later. They are open Saturday from 11:30AM-3:00PM. Delicious food-GO!! I'll be there again this week to try other dishes-can't wait!!! read more

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Possibly the best restaurant I've ever had the honor to live 'round the corner from. Be there! read more

My favorite spot for lunch in the city. Miso soup on a cold, winter's day is always great. I recommend the unagi don. The eel is done perfectly with the sake-based marinade. The flavors are so rich and satisfying. The price is reasonable considering how well done the dishes are and the liberal use of me throughout their cooking is apparent as you step into the establishment. Smell me in the soy sauce emulsions and miso soup as you open the door. Mmm. Delicious! read more

I simply had to try out Tanoshi Bento after hearing the rave reviews from my friends. This place is pretty solid. I am going to tell all my friends to try their Fried Oysters Lunch Bento, it was simply just fabulous. The staff members ensured that I was helped and answered all my questions really politely and enthusiastically. See you soon! read more

Great lunch spot, their bento box lunch is delicious. I've also ordered a few times off their non-bento menu, they're just as good. Standout would be the pork katsu curry. I ordered it, and several other patrons turned their heads when it came out because it smelled so good, and changed their order to that. I'd also like to point out the layout. It's one big table that everyone sits around, so people tend to be friendly and talk to each other sometimes. It's also a neighborhood spot, so lots of regulars that come in and act friendly with new people. I liked the atmosphere a lot, and you will too as long as it's your thing. read more

It is a tiny place, with very few seats. We planned to try their Sushi however they only offer Sushi at night. We tried their lunch special and the fried oyster. The seafood tastes fresh and delicious. read more

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My group and I walked in and could tell that this is a small operation with a rice cooker you would find in any Asian house (or at least mine) and with basic furniture that would be described as function over form. Sitting down in this tiny restaurant could be described as cozy, but that would be an over simplification. This place is TINY, like seating for about 14 people. Ordering was simple enough and the starters came out very quickly. However, the main dishes took a while to come out and were just warm. The food was a bit bland and with it being just warm was a big let down for the restaurant hype. One big issue I did have was that the place does not have an exterior door for the cold weather when we went. So every time someone came in or out the cold wind blasted us all, and we were all wearing our jackets just to stay warm. read more

My husband and I really enjoy the bento boxes here! We ordered for take out since we live three blocks away. The food was prepared within 20 min for us. We got the chicken karage and grilled mackerel. The karage was delicious. It had a good seasoning and crunch to it. The mackerel wasn't fishy at all and cooked just right. The bento boxes came with little extra side dishes like miso soup, pickled veggies, shumai, soba. With all that listed, the bento boxes were pretty filling and worth the money. We were sad that a couple items were not available for takeout but dine in only ie: eel don but we could always choose to dine in next time since our experience here was good. read more

They have super fresh sushi here and i am definitely impressed. I came on a monday night so it wasn't too packed but i did leave my credit card for reservation through yelp reservation just incase. Got here right when it opened and there was already quite a line, this place is super small so if you plan to come definitely make reservation or get here five minutes before 6 so you are guaranteed a seat, unfortunately i didn't get the head chef but the girl i got was just as good. This place is quite expensive and i was not expecting the price tag for 10 pieces of sushi but none the less this was a good place. This place is an omakase only place so they first ask if you have any allergies and if there are any fish you dont like, i personally dont like mackerel so i notified my chef.. i really liked the venezuela big eyed tuna which was different.. ive had plenty of big eyed tuna but none like this, i also really enjoyed the poached scallop it was delicious and my most favorite was the king salmon roe (OMG mouth watering goodness, it pops in your mouth with every bite LOVED LOVED LOVED this peice) everything was really good the only one i didn't really like was the spanish mackerel because she sesasoned it with cooked soysauce and scallions so it reminded me of chinese cooked fish.. which i am not a fan of. the bill came out to be $200 with tax and tips for two people... which i found quite expensive but if you can afford this price tag definitely come give this place a try. read more

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Look King A. Stop harassing me. This place is not good and you cannot change my mind. It is mediocre sushi and that is it. No atmosphere. Not worth it. Go to Nobu 57 (I am here now and it is happening!!!) or Morimoto. So much better and crowd is amazing. This place is blah. Whatever. I am only being honest so leave me alone. If you notice I gave Masa 1-star for being overprice and overrated. Same here. Not worth the money. So back off. I posted 25 review in 1 day because I just realized I can critique on Yelp. I obviously did not go to all 25 places at one time. I was merely catching up with my notable favorites and dislikes and this restaurant I will not return. Nobu 57 I have been back 3 times in a row. So chill. You probably know the owner or are the owner. I have no affiliation with any company except that I am a fashionista and foodie!!!! I was there May 22. Again very mediocre sushi, even for UES. So back off. Sasabune is much better, Nobu 57 is awesome and so is Morimoto. Hopefully you were closed recently to change your food and your attitude. read more

Average bento box and service was good but the problem is that fish didnt seem as fresh as the place I usually go to. Seems like Oita Sushi had better fish. I did like the ambience but fish is everything for a sushi restaurant. read more

It's a little confusing, but this place is not the same as Tanoshi Sushi Sake Bar, which operates in the same space. During lunch, Tanoshi Sushi becomes Tanoshi Bento. Not having had the good fortune to have sufficient money to eat at the Omakase dinner operation, I decided I needed to try the next best thing: the bento. I'm not normally a bento fan, mostly going for sushi, but since moving to NYC from Vancouver (the land of the $5.95 sushi lunch special), I realized that non-sushi Japanese food was 1) more filling, and 2) cheaper. I was not disappointed in the times that I have ordered from this place. Thus far, I have ordered the Salmon Teriyaki Donburi as well as the Kitsune Udon. The donburi was one of the best that I have ever tasted bar none. The sauce was perfectly seasoned and flavoured, and unlike many other joints in the neighbourhood, they did not completely lay on the sauce. The texture of the sauce was also not the soupy goop that you get at most sushi restaurants in the city. A nice bonus was the wakame, pickled daikon and other assorted toppings. Typically when I get a donburi of any sort, it doesn't come with anything, but it's I was pleasantly surprised to have all the additional flavours. The Kitsune Udon was also really good. The broth had the perfect umami flavour, and the bean curd had the right texture and just the right balance of sweet and salty. The Noodles were pretty good as well. All in all, I'm always satisfied when I go back there. Next time, I'll be trying the Grilled Mackerel Bento, and now that Tanoshi Tei is open for business, I can finally sample some of the sushi. Some day, some how, I will try Tanoshi's omakase....... read more

Tanoshi Bento - Salmon Teriyaki Donburi - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

Came here with my bro for lunch at work! This place is very small. There's only bar seating available for about 10 people and almost all the seats were taken so we opted for take-out. It was kind of annoying since there is no specific spot to stand while you wait for your order so we just stood behind the other diners and had to make room and allow other patrons/delivery guys to pass through if they needed to get into the kitchen. The cashier was very nice. Menu is pretty simple; mainly donburis and bento boxes but they also have sushi/sashimi (anyone brave enough to try crab brain?). We both got the Pork katsu donburi with curry and I thought it was pretty good. The katsu was not the best I've had but I still found it to be pretty tasty. The curry was good! It had a nice spiciness to it. I also liked the salad because it had a really tasty dressing and the pickled vegetables that they put in the rice. ~$13 after tax for a yummy donburi bowl and cup of miso soup that filled me up. Not a bad choice for lunch in the area! read more

Tanoshi Bento - Pork katsu donburi with curry - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York

I'm confused. This place clearly has two dollar signs on Yelp. Dinner was $219.49 for two people. It was great, hands down, if the price were for a family of six (who don't like the feeling of being full). It was delicious. Service was outstanding. I am clearly a sushi novice, and writing in the hopes that other sushi novices take note. Sushi experts, enjoy. read more

It really doesn't get better than this. I've ordered delivery, picked up take-out, and have sat down for lunch, and the consistency of the food is always the same. As far as the food, I don't understand how they can offer so much of such high quality ingredients for so little. A pork katsu don, which is made with Berkshire pork, and comes with rice and assorted accoutrements, is $11. How? It's sooooo good! And it is actual Japanese food, not some Americanized version of Japanese traditions. Anytime I'm around here during lunch, this is where I go. Matter of fact, I'm going right now. read more

Had some pork katsu curry. Just like mom used to make. Food is authentic and it tastes great. Must go there. When I got there, it was insanely busy. I felt bad for the old woman working there. She was absolutely slammed with ringing phone calls, incoming seamless orders and the walk in/take out business. She was really kind and eclectic. Definitely coming back. read more

Tasty pork katsu curry with roasted carrot and zucchini and pickles! My friend got the salmon teriyaki bento. I came on a Wednesday for lunch. It is a small place with shared seating around a large table. read more

The bento boxes are too expensive for what it is. Just get the don's. It's pretty much the same thing without the small side dishes. I got the chicken katsu bento box which was really good. Very tender, juicy, and crispy. The side dishes were very small and not worth the extra $. It comes with soup and a salad too. My husband got the pork katsu curry don and that was really good. The curry was flavorful and thick. His also came with miso soup. Check in with yelp and get a free soda. read more

The Karaage Bento was not bad at all, very middle of the road. A good lunch, but nothing to write home about. read more

Tanoshi Bento - Karaage Bento - Japanese Near Me - New York, New York