raji

You mean at least as good as any izakaya in Japan, right? Now that I'm back in Japan I'm recalling how many BAD izakayas there are too!! Does one really need more than 6 types of sake? I ate there once and also thought it was good, now I wish there was just one on everyone corner like Japan IRRASHAIMASE!

You're talking about Gyu-kaku which is right on Cooper Square in the Village Voice building. Gyu-kaku is OK, shit, I had my birthday dinner there, but there is much much better. The funny thing is, in Japan Gyu-kaku is a chain that's all over the suburbs, hundreds of them, and is on the cheaper side, so the quality of the meat etc. is not all that. Then when they came to the US, they classed it up and raised the prices. It's the closest approximation of Yakiniku in NYC, but the portions of meat are anemic, and with such a larger kitchen cobbled together with local kids, I don't feel like they've got the equation down. I'm pretty passionate about Yakiniku, it's my favorite food to go out and eat - note my avatar, and click on my name to see more... Jason's right, there are several Korean centers that added up makes a pretty big population, but who here makes it deep into Flushing or Fort Lee for that matter? I think what 32nd street and that area suffers from is that those restaurants have been there for generations, so there really hasn't been a breath of fresh air. I know walking down 32nd that if I want my soluntang i'll go here and my chigae i'll go there and my BBQ probably to Woo Chon, but it is an awful many restaurants all with the same menu... I think the people who think it's too salty or just too intense would love to eat it in Japan where it's been calmed down a bit for the palettes. That's what makes Woo Chon for me - walk in there you will notice a shrine to Hideki Matsui, one of their best customers.

It is more of an izakaya, but I've been told by very reliable ramen-eaters that theirs is better than Minca's. When we all went to eat it, they were already shutting down...

OK my apologies not meant to rub anyone's noses in it.... That a ticket to Japan, off-peak, can cost the same as a meal at Masa, Morimoto, Megu, or any of those other similar places, does not take the edge off the 12-14 hour flight... I do malign the fact that in NYC Japanese food MUST be prohibitively expensive - which is why I love places like Totto and Aburiya so much.... While we lack the equivalent of a Tsukiji market, surely there's got to be a better way... Anyway I think this will be the first time I'll be posting from abroad, if I have time, so I'll leave links to posts in Hawaii and Japan...

There's a new place up in Worldwide Plaza, Bann, I haven't had a chance to try it but I think it fits all that criteria. Anyone been? What separates Yakiniku from Korean BBQ is the Japanese obsession with higher and higher quality cuts of beef, more attention to the preparatio and marinades and in general a more zen treatment of higher-quality ingredients. I'd much rather eat Yakiniku than Korean BBQ. When I lived in Japan, I'd eat it weekly. Yakiniku chefs treat the meat like a Sushi chef... Many Japanese cuisines have drawn upon Korean staples with a great measure of success... And I think that's just it, Korean food either falls into your BBQ places or places that cook it for you that non-Koreans don't really venture into - not many Americans are really jonesing for a chigae. But I agree with you, it's not like it's inauthentic! I think what LA has is that critical mass humongoid Koreatown, huge population and more 2nd and 3rd generations of Koreans.... whereas the NY Korean population tends to be a bit more fresh-off-the-boat....

Yet another reason for me to avoid the entire Morimoto thing, and from a reliable source - For all your Japano-foodo-philes, I'm in Japan for another 10 days, so any intel/pictures you are looking for, lay it on me. It's funny, all my friends in Tokyo are all asking me which NY Japanese restaurants are taking off, it's kind of like the way they follow Ichiro in NY, they are up on Masa, Morimoto, Megu, etc. in NYC. My first meal here last night was impromptu and cost $40 pp and we stuffed ourselves with sashimi, sushi and draft beer. Same w/ same quality would have cost triple in NYC...

Korean food is a lot better in LA and certainly in Seoul.... It's true that most NY korean places make you only want to go once in a while because their menus are stuck in the past and they haven't done much to really up the quality of ingredients, service, decor, etc... It could become mainstream, and it's name is Yakiniku, just give us a little while longer and my very very good friends in Japan will have one near us soon... read more... http://www.ebisu-toraji.com/EN/hawai/index.html Humorous Cartoon from Ebisu-Taraji Web Site

But that's not comparing apples to apples. The only thing Angel's Share and Decibel have in common is that they're both "Japanese places." The drinks selections are completely different, are they not? Angel's Share is more about cocktails, whereas Decibel is more about sake. ← Angel's Share is the little cocktail bar that hangs off of Village Yokocho, which I think they're referring to. Decibel WAS one of the better places in the early 90s, and I have many fond memories of trying out different sakes and Japanese food there - but since there there are many many better places, just not many with such a variety of sake

Those are shishamou, not a lot of places have them. Definitely that's mayo they're serving it with. Larger fish are always served with daikonoroshi and soy

Many Buffulans inform me that this is the one, crucial ingredient behind great buffalo wings. Well that and loads of butter of course. Anywhere you can get it nearly anyhwere, I've seen it anywhere from any of the various Supermarket chains, gourmet markets, and even the occasional deli/korean -

OK, as I wrote above I secured a reservation for 9pm and showed up with my brother and his friend. Couple problems though, besides forgetting my little Contax spycam (which I've LEFT at Totto twice now) - it was a Monday, so we weren't too on about trying some of the sashimi and fish, and also, they wanted to save money, trying to spend about 40 a piece (we got out of there for 60 a piece, but had ordered carafes of sake and brother and I had about 3-4 drafts too). We ordered enoki mushrooms, garlic, asparagus, bacon, pork cheek, all robatayaki grilled, all very delicious, sometimes I just love the faint smell/taste of the gasoline it was cooked with! We got a kanpachikama too, also very delicious. After that came the obligatory Tsukune, absolutely light and delicious. We finished with 2 of the rice dishes, one Chicken and Gobo, and other, I forgot some type of fish, but another earthenware clay pot rice dish. Absolutely delicious with the provided nori, shiso, negi.... I'm probably missing a couple of things but it was more like an izakaya visit than a multi-course dinner. Everything, as usual, spot on though! Guess I'll have to go there for a more propper dinner and report back again!

And let me apologize for never posting a followup here - the night I tried to go, it was without reservations and we were proposed a 40 minute wait so we went elsewhere. So reservations highly highly recommended, even sameday. I called at 6:30pm for an 8:30, and secured a 9pm, and then she went into this long explanation in Keigo that I didn't get all of, but I surmised that they'll call me a bit earlier if things let up -

Just busted out the nihongo for a 9pm reservation (8:30 if people are leaving), so I'll be posting a followup... any requests??

OK, it's been a while since I lived there, BUT, all the Japanese who worked in the WTC (now you know how long it's been) used to eat out of this place on John just east of Broadway. I think it's called Tokyo lunch. It's still there. You can get all sorts of donburi, some types of noodle dishes, I'm totally blanking on the name but they made a really good rendition of the noodles with bulldog sauce, a little of the pink pickled cabbage and nori that's grilled at parks outside in the summer in Japan. Anyway, it's cheap and I could eat out of there 3 days a week. 2 doors down was a Korean place that had a pretty good bulgogi as well as their cold noodle dish, and had lunch specials. In fact, most of the stuff on John Street is pretty decent as it formerly served the WTC but also there is a cluster of residential buildings on John and right above it. There's the Daisy May's cart on Wall St, there's another day... I guess you could also make Chinatown too... A bit further up you have Bubby's, and if full, just walk over to Walkers, for comfort food... Burrito Bar and Radio are pretty good on Church...

How far up are you willing to go? Fulton? Lower Tribeca near Ground Zero? I used to live down there and have worked down there plenty, but South Ferry is the bottom tip and all it has is overpriced sandwich places geared towards wanker bankers ;-) ....

I've gone to some high-end places in China and Hong Kong... but not at a high-priced hotel where the prices get kind of crazy even for China... Ping's Seafood in Chinatown reminded me of a high-end place in HK.

hey daniel I went there last week, and very similar experience to my review, I had a steak that time, I should remark that the bread service is good too, but I had some side with cheese and jalapenos that was wayyyyyyyyy too spicy

Nice one - but Quo was B&T the second it opened. Getting the truth out of 6 promoters in a room is like Rashomon - they're called promoters cuz they bullshit for a living!

How about Lederhosen in the West Village. I love that place but I have to admit I'm a bit biased.

Hmmm... found one place... http://www.championsboston.com/ any good?

Perhaps... this one-team town does not take kindly to strangers... Sounds like all the sports bars are near Fenway, and they'll be packed with Red Sox Nation for tonight's game....

Thanks for all the suggestions - Thing is, the Sox are playing the lowly Marlins tonight at 7:35pm. It's Dontrelle Willis so should be of decent enough interest, however. So, still the top priority is finding a place that will be showing other games and won't make me watch the NY one on a Radio Shack 8" TV shoved in a corner.... Hoping a fellow NY or Boston egulleteer can get some advice, surely there are enough NY ex-pats up here to warrant such places? I can name several Red Sox bars in NYC, believe it or not...

Yeah you know for some reason I was advised to go to Central by some of the other vendors on 9th. The Greek guy who runs the International spice market next door even told me to go down another block. They're a bit cheaper, and some of the cuzin there are characters, but Sea Breeze's retail seems to be buzzing more... do you think the quality is better up at 41st?

Came up to the Hub to see the in-laws who brought us to Fenway for the big game yesterday – still here for today and looking for a sports bar that will be featuring tonight’s Mets/Yanks Subway series game... Now that you swept us I’m hoping you can show a little mercy and a fellow Yankees-hater some sympathy? It would be even better if they have great beers on draft and great local food specialities... [[edited for grammar]]

Central Fish @ 9th Avenue and 39th Street has Colossal, very fresh (depending on the day you go) and a lot cheaper than anywhere else except maybe Chinatown...