Looking for Authentic Japanese Restaurant

[Mambwe]

I want to take my Fiance to an authentic Japanese restaurant for her B-day. I was looking for a place that either had tatami rooms or sitting on the floor. We have been to Japanese restaurants for sushi and things like that, but I was looking for GREAT food and also a nice experience. It will only be the two of us dining.

Anyone have any suggestions?

[BryanZ]

While tatami rooms exist, I'm not sure they're in any of the better Japanese restaurants that I know of. There are some places that have little alcoves where you might be tucked away, but it's hard to guarantee that. Instead, go to somewhere like Sugiyama. That's probably your best bet. Matsugen would also work, but that's a different aesthetic.

Then again, there's always Ninja.

Edited September 23, 2008 by BryanZ (log)

[raji]

While tatami rooms exist, I'm not sure they're in any of the better Japanese restaurants that I know of.  There are some places that have little alcoves where you might be tucked away, but it's hard to guarantee that.  Instead, go to somewhere like Sugiyama.  That's probably you're best bet.  Matsugen would also work, but that's a different aesthetic.

Then again, there's always Ninja.

Oh Brian, be nice...

Honestly I can't keep up with who has them anymore, for many they have private rooms with tatami floors and it's a matter of swapping out the table for mats. I much prefer recessed seating - where you are sitting on the floor but your legs hang in recessed seating. They have that all over Japan.

I think Nadaman Hakubai has some, and I'm pretty sure Sushiden has them, and those are 2 reliably good authentic Japanese restaurants. En might have some too, that place is huge. I would pick the restaurants you want to go and then call and ask them if they have tatami rooms or recessed seating (honestly I don't know how to say that in Japanese). Based on food I'd take your wife to Aburiya Kinosuke or Sugiyama for a very special experience.

[Mambwe]

Aburiya Kinosuke & Sugiyama look really good. How is the ambiance? Are they regular sit down restaurants? My fiance has always wanted to go to a place where you sit on the floor or even the tables that are recessed into the floor.

We don't to skimp on the food.

[raji]

Well, you got the right idea - a tatami room is usually reserved for a business meeting or some special occasion. The dilemma, as Brian insinuates, is that the existence of such a room is no indication of it's merits as a culinary destination. Not too long ago you could easily find a tatami room in Japanese restaurants that haven't really remodeled since the 80s, and have not yet succumbed to the space constraints of the Manhattan of the '00s.

If you don't want to skimp, you go to Masa, that's pretty obvious.

Here's the thing - you asked for an authentic restaurant for your wife's bday. You want GREAT food and a nice experience. Bar none you will not get more authentic than Munekata-san's restaurants - AK, Yakitori Totto, Torys, and Soba Totto - they're really the most uncorruptable and their menus are so extensive and varied that you can really spend a fair amount of time experiencing all of them. Actually, Soba Totto might actually have a Tatami room; give them a call. Either way, everything from the menu, to the presentation, to the furniture, to the chopsticks, to the service, is pretty damn close to Japan. And the ambiance is very very nice. It's just not gaudy, which NY sometimes demands.

So, if it were me, I'd book a private room for one of those, and then do dessert at Kyotofu. The only thing missing will be sitting on the floor, which is not as romantic as you might think.

Places like Morimoto, Megu, En, and even Nobu and Matsuri to a certain extent, they're like Las Vegas Japanese. Japanese people might go to those restaurants, but mostly for the spectacle.

Sugiyama is great too, but besides the food, might lack the wow factor that the others I've mentioned have.

[BryanZ]

I would say that dining at the bar at Sugiyama is a pretty cool experience.

And, really, sitting on the floor, for me, sucks pretty bad. I'm pretty flexible--mentally, physically--but over the many, many kaiseki meals I've had in ryokan across Japan I can't say I've ever been fully comfortable. I always end up sticking my feet out and pissing off whoever is sitting across from me. Then with the limited back support you start to lean sideways on your hands, then your wrists hurt, and you get that weird straw mat pattern on your hands.

[mtgtimewalker]

Give Kyo Ya a try. They have one room with the recessed seating raji mentioned. It can seat 4 to 6 people and is generally reserved by Japanese business people, but if you tell them that it's a special occasion for 2 they will likely let you reserve it. As far as authenticity goes this is the place I consider the top kappou restaurant in NYC. Here is a link to a friend's blog from his last visit: http://blog.yam.com/breadbug/article/17344036

The blog is written in Chinese, so very likely that you won't be able to read it. Just let the pictures speak I guess. It also has the contact information of the place.

[raji]

Give Kyo Ya a try.  They have one room with the recessed seating raji mentioned.  It can seat 4 to 6 people and is generally reserved by Japanese business people, but if you tell them that it's a special occasion for 2 they will likely let you reserve it.  As far as authenticity goes this is the place I consider the top kappou restaurant in NYC.  Here is a link to a friend's blog from his last visit: http://blog.yam.com/breadbug/article/17344036

The blog is written in Chinese, so very likely that you won't be able to read it.  Just let the pictures speak I guess.  It also has the contact information of the place.

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I've seen a lot of support for this place on Chowhound... They might put up a fuss at a 6top for 2.

For those who don't know, "kappou" is a casual but authentic as in classic Japanese fare. Think of an "classic" American restaurant that's serving the kind of stuff you'd see at a Thanksgiving dinner inasmuch as those are as much of an American meal as you can get. I think they do a kaiseki meal that has to be ordered a couple days ahead of time.

Take a look at Aburiya's menus http://www.aburiyakinnosuke.com/aburiya.htm I would lean towards there as women tend to very much enjoy all their sashimi and fish options as well as their drink menu.

[kathryn]

Kyo Ya isn't doing the kaiseki right now. They also have a terrible phone or landline, whenever I call, it sounds like the woman answering the phone is 5,000 miles away (hiss....hiss...) so I couldn't really get a straight answer out of her as to why they aren't doing the kaiseki meal right now, just that they might bring it back in the fall.

[mtgtimewalker]

Kyo Ya isn't doing the kaiseki right now. They also have a terrible phone or landline, whenever I call, it sounds like the woman answering the phone is 5,000 miles away (hiss....hiss...) so I couldn't really get a straight answer out of her as to why they aren't doing the kaiseki meal right now, just that they might bring it back in the fall.

←

Last time I was there the head chef told me that it is because the sous chef left during summer, so they don't have enough people to handle it. Nevertheless, they would still put together a nice tasting menu for you if you request on the spot (at least that's what I did).