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Decibel

Daniel

By Daniel
in New York: Dining

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Daniel

Daniel

Posted
Posted

Decibel

240 E 9th St

New York,

(212) 979-2733

I have been going here for over 5 years.. Its a fun subterranean Japanese Sake Bar/Restaurant.. Very dark with funky music and a young crowd.. Behind the bar there stands a man in a tiny space, who is making the food for every order..

Entrance:

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Cook:

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We started with a few beers and a couple of different types of unfiltered sake..

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The going clockwise at 1 oclock you have squid pickled and sliced very thin, you have sharkfin and jellyfish, and some octopus.. All the dishes were served cold..

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Next we had broiled smelts.. They were deboned and we ate the entire fish.. These were great..

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This was my favorite thing we had.. Perfect scallops.. This was my first stop on a long evening so the sauce escapes me.. It was wonderful.

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Next stop was momofuku..

Todd36

Todd36

Posted
Posted (edited)

Decibel is believed to be owened by the same guy who owns Sobaya, Eibsu and Char An (all on the same block) plus Sake Gura uptown plus several other unidentified Japanese places in town. I think much of the food at Decibel is prepared at Eibsu and then carried over. None of my Japanese friends describe Decibel as being that great, I've been disappointed recently at Eibsu and Soba-Ya managed to spill hot water on my ex-girlfriend. For an interesting Japanese pub type place, my current recomendation is Ariyoshi Japanese Restaurant, 226 E 53, although it doesn't have a giant sake list. I think Seiki Sushi has a good sake list and some of the freshest Sake in town, as well as very good sushi.

I should add that I first was in Decibel in 1997, and it was not viewed as a place to eat by my Japanese friends at the time (I was a grad student at NYU law).

Edited by Todd36 (log)
I_call_the_duck

I_call_the_duck

Posted
Posted
Decibel

240 E 9th St

New York,

(212) 979-2733

gallery_15057_2971_112179.jpg

Next we had broiled smelts.. They were deboned and we ate the entire fish.. These were great..

I was wondering what that place was! We passed by it, and there wasn't a sign or a menu (that I noticed) that indicated what it was, other than the music. We had sushi at a place on the same block (none of the ones that Todd63 mentioned) -- I think it was Hakuru. Very friendly service, reasonable prices, and great sushi.

Daniel, what is that stuff to the left of the smelts? Almost looks like ice cream.

Karen C.

"Oh, suddenly life’s fun, suddenly there’s a reason to get up in the morning – it’s called bacon!" - Sookie St. James

Travelogue: Ten days in Tuscany

Daniel

Daniel

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted

I cant rememeber what was next to the smelts. .I am thinking some sort of fish paste or spread..

Asian Brewer, how has it changed in the last couple of years..I have been going for a long time and havent really noticed anything.. Although, we usually go to drink and food isnt the most important thing then..

AzianBrewer

AzianBrewer

Posted
Posted
I cant rememeber what was next to the smelts. .I am thinking some sort of fish paste or spread..

Asian Brewer, how has it changed in the last couple of years..I have been going for a long time and havent really noticed anything.. Although, we usually go to drink and food isnt the most important thing then..

I am definitely not there for the food. I think the service really changed especially on Fri & Sat. I do get a vibe that they are trying to rush you if you don't order after your first round. Here is a place used to be fun back in 90's with awesome music. Nowadays the waitstaffs are just there for your tip.

Leave the gun, take the canoli

johnder

johnder

Posted
Posted

Oh Decibel. Last time I was there I was entertaining a intern visiting from Toshiba and after 4 hours of drinking and untold bottles of sake later I remember staggering outside seeing a huge snowdrift on the sidewalk and sensing it to be a really comfy looking place decided to take a nap.

:blink:

John Deragon

foodblog 1 / 2

--

I feel sorry for people that don't drink. When they wake up in the morning, that's as good as they're going to feel all day -- Dean Martin

Daniel

Daniel

Posted
  • Topic Starter
Posted
I'm drooling over that huge box of blueberries, as well as those perfectly-grilled vegetables. And every other darn thing, pretty much.

Thank you for a gorgeous blog, and for dropping yet another reminder on me that I'm overdue for a visit back to the Pacific Northwest. :wub:

It is.. Its a lot of fun.. They open at 8 I think most nights.. I would double check.

Alchemist

Alchemist

Posted
Posted

In the winter do they still line the walls with thick black material so when sitting at the bar you feel like you are getting hammered in utero. Wierdly comforting.

A DUSTY SHAKER LEADS TO A THIRSTY LIFE

larrylee

larrylee

Posted
Posted
Even though, if asked, I would say that Angel's Share up the street is a "better" place, in my heart of hearts I think Decibel is more fun.

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.

raji

raji

Posted
Posted
Even though, if asked, I would say that Angel's Share up the street is a "better" place, in my heart of hearts I think Decibel is more fun.

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

http://www.raji.com/blog/

http://wrightandwrong.metsblog.com/

NYC and Tokyo

Sneakeater

Sneakeater

Posted
Posted (edited)
Even though, if asked, I would say that Angel's Share up the street is a "better" place, in my heart of hearts I think Decibel is more fun.

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.

To me, it's not that they're both "Japanese places." It's that they're both places to go for a drink and to hang out in that part of the East Village.

(Like I might say about the Theater District, "the cocktails at the Blue Bar at the Algonquin are better, but I have more fun watching the pool from the bar at the Hotel QT." I'd compare the two because they're a block from each other -- not because they're both hotel bars.)

Edited by Sneakeater (log)
nanyun

nanyun

Posted
Posted

Haven't been here in years, but used to love it. Later in the evenings, though, you have to yell at your drinking companions to be heard.

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