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    Umeko

    4.2 (44 reviews)

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    UMEKO ATMOSPHERE

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    Salmon don
    Candace C.

    Umeko is a reservation that is very hard to get, and it's very easy to see why! The $48 per person prix fixe don sets are an incredible value. The quality of the fish is extremely high and the portions are generous. I got the tuna set and added uni (+$18). Each person must order a set. Then as a table of 4, we added the truffle scallop and Hokkaido scallop maki. The set came with tea, two pieces of marinated tuna, pickled vegetables, nori, 3 kinds of wasabi and house-made soy sauce. The tuna don included 4 cuts/preparations of tuna. The salmon don included 3 cuts/preparations of salmon + a generous serving of salmon roe. None of us got the chirashi, but it looks amazing and if I'm lucky enough to get another reservation I would definitely try it! The set itself is a very satisfying meal, but since we were there we thought why not! The truffle scallop included a lot of shaved truffle. The Hokkaido scallop maki was recommended by our server. There were 6 pieces of maki with a pile of lightly seasoned scallops on top. The fish was fresh and delicious. Honestly, this meal was heavenly. I'll be thinking about it for some time! The restaurant has an open dining room with a counter where they prepare the sets. They have tables, shared seating around a larger island, and bamboo floor seating. It's bustling but not packed. The seats were full and it did not feel crowded. The service is friendly and efficient (they'd like dining time to be limited to 90-100 minutes, per Resy). It felt very nice with some plants inside, and it was very clean and tidy. Reservations can be made on Resy and they drop 30 days in advance. Hopefully I can get lucky again and return soon!

    truffle scallop
    Sophia W.

    This was actually heavenly, $48 for a set like that is amazing. I liked the chirashi don better than the tuna don, but both had such good quality fish. The o toro was my favorite! The truffle scallop was also very good. I love the little side dishes, housemade soy sauce, and different wasabi that you can try. The service was amazing, and the whole dining experience was fun and unique.

    Rena V.

    Umeko offers a $48 platter that's loaded with fresh fish and rice, and it's honestly more than enough. Each place setting also comes with seasonal pickled sides and sheets of seaweed so you can make your own personalized sushi hand rolls, which makes the experience feel fun and interactive. The chirashi platter really has everything you need, so you don't even have to order anything extra. It's a great balance of variety, quality, and portion size. And if you're still in the mood for a quick bite after, we hit up Joe's Pizza for a classic cheese slice. It's cash only and less than a 3-minute walk, so super convenient and the perfect way to top off the meal.

    Chirashi set (very dark inside)
    Citlali A.

    Really enjoyed my experience here. It's not quite the same vibe as its sister restaurant and that's okay! Despite my hopes I'd somehow get the pleasures of dining at Ume in my own backyard (I live closer to this location), Umeko is definitely its own ambience. The interior is extremely dark (like takes away from the food dark), and echoey but also features plenty of real greenery that adds some charm. The food itself was tasty and high quality but I found the rice to be a bit too cloying and sweet. The negi toro was chopped a bit too finely and read as mealy and sticky in a bit so enjoyable way, but the rest of the items in my chirashi were enjoyable. The sets themselves and portions sizes were excellent. I hope as a few more months pass and they get their grove that maybe a few things like the lighting and sushizu dial in. The staff were friendly and attentive.

    Nicole N.

    Managed to snatch a last minute weekday lunch reservation at Umeko and had a great time! I got their popular chirashi don set which featured a wide variety of fish types and ikura. The bluefin tuna was probably my favorite. The fish were generally pretty fresh. As someone who likes a high fish to rice ratio, I think they did a good job of finding the balance. The amberjack and scallop went well with their yuzu kosho. Seaweed was pretty standard. The akami zuke was very solid. Also got a tuna tartare as starts which featured crispy tempura batter coated seaweed. The addition of apple bits conferred a nice balancing crunchiness and sweetness to the raw fish. Loved the Japanese minimalistic decor. There are some tables that have the whole tatami set up. Staff were polite and food came out quick! While nothing was super impressive, it was a solid meal that hit the spot!!

    Tuna don set
    Caroline O.

    Seems like it's reservations only right now because of how fully booked it is. We got the chirashi don set and the tuna don set. I think the chirashi don set is more worth because of the variety of items in that set. The fish tasted fresh too.

    Oscar L.

    Umeko overall was a great place for some sushi boxes. The boxes are all $48 and include some tea, pickled veggies, and a square box of rice and fish. Each plate is very aesthetic and pretty decently sized. The truffle scallop was also fantastic and very tender. The uni is a must! Regarding drinks, the yuzu cocktail was pretty tasty, but the non-alcoholic Japanese white peach drink was phenomenal. Inside, there's both regular seating and mat seating available. Service was fantastic and our server gave recs that were indeed excellent.

    Patrick W.

    TLDR: Chirashi-centric concept from the same team as Ume/ThirteenWater. Basically there's a mixed chirashi and a tuna one. There are some side plates you can order. The platter itself is very picturesque, you get different ways to season your chirashi as you eat it and it's a very DIY experience. Personally i found the tuna to be the better deal and also easier to eat because the fish is sliced thicker. The mixed chirashi everything is diced small. So while it does look great - the size of the pieces makes it a bit harder to eat IMO. The salmon maki piled with ikura was tasty. The scallop truffle I thought was fine but for the price, the flavors felt a bit flat to me. Overall, I'd need to be in the mood for it but solid. If you're into experiences, you'll probably like this a lot.

    Jane B.

    Went to Umeko for lunch with two friends on one of those very cold February days. People with reservations were lined up outside and let in a minute or two before their reservation time. Inside, the space feels modern and serene, with light wood furniture, muted tones, soft low lighting, and lots of greenery. We were seated promptly. You choose between two prix fixe sets ($48 per person), with the option to add additional items à la carte. Two of us ordered the tuna set, and one ordered the mixed fish set (which changes and can accommodate substitutions for allergies). Each set also includes unlimited hot tea. Service was attentive and prompt, whenever we asked for more tea or water, it was brought out quickly. The presentation is beautiful and very intentional. You get a generous portion of fish and rice, along with nori sheets, seasoned pickles, wasabi, and soy sauce. It is definitely a large amount of food, the four types of tuna alone are served atop a substantial bed of rice, so you will leave full. There's also a cute postcard that you can take with you, detailing what's included in the set. Flavor-wise, the tuna was very good, though not excellent. It was nice to try multiple preparations and experience a range of flavors in one meal. We also ordered the rice milk dessert, which was lightly sweet and worked nicely as a palate cleanser after all the fish. Overall, this was a cool and enjoyable experience, and I would recommend trying it at least once. That said, I'm not sure I will come back soon, though I would try one of their other restaurants, but I'm glad I went.

    Tuna bowl
    Kristy C.

    Umeko is an intimate and cozy with a small amount of seating so I recommend making a reservation online. The menu is small but curated so you can quickly pick your items quickly. I chose the tuna bowl, but if the menu included info on what was in the chirashi bowl, I would have picked that. The bowls are $48 and while it looks small, there is a deceivingly amount of fish and rice. My only complaint is that the while the reservation time-slot is allocated for 90 minutes, they start rushing you at the 60 min mark and are pushing you out by the 80 min mark. They really want their next party seated by the end of your 90 minutes. All in all; would fine if you can snag a reservation but wouldn't sweat it. There are tons of other rice bowl spots in the city that serve similar quality food.

    Joann L.

    This place has been aggressively shown to me on social media. I knew that I wanted to come here - HIGHLY recommend making a reservation (they are not that hard to get). We decided to come on a Wednesday PM for dinner and they pretty much do dinner by batches. Please keep in mind their late policy is just 5 mins late. They are known for their $48 pre-fixed menu items which are pretty much a salmon set, tuna set or a Chirashi set and you can add on uni, caviar for an additional cost. We also got a side of the Tuna Tartare which was really yummy. I got the Yuzu, cucumber matcha drink which came in a bowl which was really surprising and I could not take myself seriously eating it. One of my friends got the Chirashi set and the other two of us got the salmon set - it was delicious. Definitely enough food to make you full and for $48 - it is pretty worth it the fish was fresh and the flavors were great. When you make the reservation you can choose between sitting on the ground and on chairs so keep that in mind. Overall - great food and good service. Highly recommend checking this place out!

    interior
    Ruby C.

    I am a fan of Ume Williamsburg and restaurants owned by Ume Hospitality, that's why I was so excited to check out their latest new restaurant specializing in seasonal chirashi dons. Their $48 prix-fixe don sets are absolutely stunning. The sashimi is top-notch, and they pay attention to every detail, like making their own soy sauce and even giving you a cute illustrated menu. The space is calm, zen, and intimate, with regular and tatami seatings. *Chirashi Set $48 ** Strongly recommend! The sashimi selection changes with the seasons, and the winter menu features tuna, salmon, amberjack, hokkaido scallop, and salmon roe. The set also includes soy marinated tuna (which I loved!), pickles, and soup. You can make your own handrolls using the nori sheets, seasoning them with housemade soy sauce, yuzu kosho, pickled wasabi, or fresh wasabi. But honestly, the sashimi was so fresh that I barely touched any of the condiments. *Tuna Set $48 It comes with four cuts of tuna: akami (lean), chutoro (medium-fatty), otoro (fatty), and negi toro (minced fatty tuna). Each piece is fresh, thickly sliced, and melt-in-your-mouth buttery. While the quality is undeniable, the overall flavor is more one-note than chirashi and starts to feel heavy after the first few bites. *Salmon $26 * Of the three appetizers I ordered, the salmon with daikon and nori paste stood out as my favorite. The salmon was thickly sliced and fatty. *Truffle Scallop $38 * The truffle scallop was packed with umami flavor, with fresh truffle on top and truffle paste underneath. Packed with umami flavors. *Tuna Tartare $30 The tuna tartare was however different from what I expected, as the diced apples and seasoning weren't quite to my taste. *Sobacha Flan $13 * I swear it tasted better than it looked! The flavor was tea-forward, and the pudding itself was creamy and silky. It was the perfect counterbalance to the richness of the fish from the set.

    Menu | IG & TikTok @territheplatypus.eatz
    Theresa L.

    My friend suggested we try Umeko after seeing some posts on social media about it. It's newly opened by the same hospitality group as the iconic Ume in Williamsburg. Reservations were fairly easy to get, but the restaurant was definitely booked for the Saturday after they opened. Ambiance is really nice. Super peaceful and minimal with greenery around the seating area. There are four tales where you sit on the floor like at Ume, but the rest of the restaurant is standard searing. There's also a large communal table at the front of the restaurant. The food was fabulous. I'm a huge seafood, chirashi, sashimi person, so this was right up my alley. Each item in the chirashi was super high quality. My favorites were the Ikura, which was marinated in an acidic and sweet sauce, and the Scallop, which was incredibly fresh, tender, and sweet. The set is super reasonably priced at $48 per person because it comes with a generous portion. The miso soup and other pairings also went perfectly with the chirashi bowl. Highly recommend Umeko! This will become a restaurant in my rotation. Amazing quality for the price.

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    Izakaya MEW - Salmon Carpaccio

    Izakaya MEW

    4.3(3.3k reviews)
    1.7 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)

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    Izakaya MEW - Dining area

    Dining area

    Izakaya MEW - Volcano Roll and Chikaten Roll

    Volcano Roll and Chikaten Roll

    Izakaya MEW - Scallop Uni Butter Skewer

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    Scallop Uni Butter Skewer

    Raku - Yamakake (grated mountain yam, quail egg, bonito flakes) $16

    Raku

    4.5(1.2k reviews)
    0.2 miSouth Village
    $$

    I used to live in NYC and every single time I fly back to visit, Raku is at the top of my list…read more This West Village izakaya has become my personal tradition, and it never lets me down. Venue (5/5) Raku has that perfect cozy Japanese izakaya feel -- warm wood tones, intimate lighting, and a bustling but comfortable energy. It's not huge, so it fills up fast (make a reservation!), but the layout keeps it from feeling cramped. The bar area is great if you're dining solo (which I usually do), and the tables are snug enough for a romantic date or a fun group meal. Clean, authentic, and exactly what you want in a neighborhood Japanese spot. Food (5/5) The karaage here is the best I've ever had -- period. Crispy, ultra-juicy, perfectly seasoned, and ridiculously addictive. I order it every single visit and it's always flawless. The rest of the menu is equally strong: fresh sashimi, delicious grilled items, flavorful rice bowls, and tasty small plates that are ideal for sharing. Everything tastes homemade and thoughtful rather than mass-produced. Vibe (5/5) Warm, lively, and welcoming. It's the kind of place where locals and in-the-know visitors mix, conversations flow easily, and you feel right at home even if you haven't been in months. Service is attentive and friendly without being stiff or overly formal. Raku is the real deal. Reliable, delicious, and always worth the trip. If you love proper Japanese comfort food (especially killer karaage), this place is a must. I'll keep coming back every time I'm in NYC

    I don't visit NYC too often but when I do, Raku is the #1 spot I always make sure to come back due…read moreto its delicious udon and its soup quality that is not commonly seen in most Japanese restaurants I have been. I have been to famous spots in Japan within Kyoto and Tokyo and Raku definitely is on the top of the list in terms of service, food quality, and vibes. I have ordered to-go, DoorDash and dined in and its never been a disappointment.

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    Raku
    Raku - Wagyu tataki

    Wagyu tataki

    Raku - Sansai Bukkake Udon

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    Sansai Bukkake Udon

    Raku - Agedashi Tofu

    Raku

    4.6(166 reviews)
    2.6 miTheater District, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown West

    4.5 rounded up to 5. Good assortment of items and overall, pretty good! Surprisingly, the most…read moredisappointing items to us were the udon and chawanmushi - they weren't bad but they were probably our least favorite items which surprised us given the hype for those items. The noodles were good but my husband thought the broth was too creamy (we got the warm crab one). Absolutely loved the agedashi tofu and black sesame latte. Miso cod wasn't bad either. Definitely a good spot to try if you're in the neighborhood!

    I came to grab lunch by myself as I've been wanting to try Raku. It was a warm day so I opted for…read moreand ankimo appetizer and buta shabu cold udon with thinly sliced pork, lots of scallions and sesame sauce on the side. I love ankimo and the monkfish liver was great! The ponzu sauce was perfect paired with the creamy, decadent ankimo. The udon is solid but I was a bit surprised that the udon is actually flat rather than round. It wasn't as chewy as I like but the texture was pretty good. I enjoyed dipping the noodles in the sesame sauce but I do think it needed something else, maybe a shoyu based sauce as well. The portion was huge I could barely finish it. My check also came with a frozen grape which I thought was a cute touch and a nice sweet treat after the meal! Such a great easy casual spot for noodles, especially if you're solo dining.

    Photos
    Raku - Front dessert place

    Front dessert place

    Raku - Vegetable Gyoza

    Vegetable Gyoza

    Raku - Green Tea Tiramisu [pf], Matcha & Black Sesame Swirl Soft Serve

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    Green Tea Tiramisu [pf], Matcha & Black Sesame Swirl Soft Serve

    Sozai

    Sozai

    4.3(156 reviews)
    2.2 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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    Sake Clam Miso

    Yakitori Totto - Eggplant

    Yakitori Totto

    4.0(1.5k reviews)
    2.7 miMidtown West
    $$

    Still the best in New York. Unique, flavorful chicken skin skewers among many things (see my…read morephotos), though somehow grilled chicken soft bone is a bit tasteless? Fast service. You can order a little and keep adding depending on how big or small each dish is. We came right at 5 pm when they opened. We didn't have a reservation, and after some fumbling they got us four seats at the bar (looking over grilling chefs at work). Not bad, though we were hoping for a table. Great decor and ambiance as always. Wish the grilled shrimps come with shell on, and with salt only (no sauce).

    Yakitori Totto has been around for ages, and I've visited this location in person a few times…read morethough it's been a while! Their location is a little hidden, it's on the second floor above Soba Noodle Azuma on 55th Street between 7th and 8th Avenues, closer to 8th. You have to go up a stairwell on the side. Getting to the food, their focus is on meat, seafood and vegetable skewers though they also have a variety of appetizers, rice bowls and noodles, and dessert. The meats and veggies are grilled over charcoal while basted with "tare", a house-made sauce that adds a level of umami to the caramelized grill flavors. Recently I got a handful of skewers for takeout, including: - Ebi (shrimp) $8 x 2: the shrimp were cooked just right, tender and juicy, yum! - Hotate Eringi (scallop and oyster mushrooms) $8 x 2: the textures of the oyster mushrooms and scallop pieces complemented each other, and were kinda similar. Another tasty offering. - Negi pon (pork belly with scallions) $7: I'm not a huge fan of pork belly in general, though they grilled it well here and chopped scallions added a little spicy tickle. While not the cheapest for skewers that you can find, (and inflation hasn't helped,) their flavors are authentic and their quality and consistency is key here. I'm glad it's still here since there seems to be fewer and fewer good yakitori spots in Manhattan these days. They used to have another location in the city though I believe this closed pre-pandemic, however from their website they now have another location in Boston. This was also the sister restaurant to Ramen Totto which had four locations at one point though all have shuttered as well. Hope this location stays around for a long time!

    Photos
    Yakitori Totto
    Yakitori Totto - Chicken meatball

    Chicken meatball

    Yakitori Totto

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    Katsu-Hama

    Katsu-Hama

    4.0(1.8k reviews)
    2.4 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

    Umeko - japanese - Updated May 2026

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