Jewel Bako

(212) 979-1012

239 E 5th St, New York, NY | Directions   10003

40.726993 -73.989284

Jewel Bako view & upload
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Neighborhoods:
East Village, Downtown

Categories:
Restaurants
Cuisine:
Sushi, Japanese

Price:
$$$$

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Restaurant Special Features:
People Watching, Quiet, Romantic Dining
Payment Methods:
American Express, Cash, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

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At a Glance ?
100% ambiance
“The Greatset Sushi Restaurant ever decor is very cool satff are the best this a all around good place.”
38% dessert
“have had some bad meals in my day, but the way we were treated here, takes the cake.”
94% drinks
“the service is impeccable, the food and drinks arrive at your table with precision, and the fish is tasty.”
76% food quality
“Having read some of the comments, I feel I have to leap to the defense of our favorite sushi restaurant.”
80% menu variety
“The selection of fresh fish is incredible.”
100% overall
“The Greatset Sushi Restaurant ever decor is very cool satff are the best this a all around good place.”
66% return potential
“it's a bit pricey (good japanese always is), but i'd go back in a heartbeat”
71% service
“The owners were quite eager to please and the staff let us enjoy our meal at our own pace, never rushing us.”
40% value
“It is an expensive meal, but worth it.”
40% wait time
“Teenie weenie overpriced appetizers were served at an agonizingly slow pace, one at a time 30 minutes between each.”

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What Our Expert Scouts Say

Jewel Bako
March 18, 2013

If you want someone to love you forever, bring them here for dinner. This intimate gem of a restaurant offers the most delectable in Japanese cuisine along with the coolest, mod-decor.

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Tips for Jewel Bako

5.0
January 12, 2011

favorite. this is my favorite place for sushi hands down.

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5.0
December 08, 2008

Jewel Bako...is INCREDIBLE!!!! A MUST FOR TRUE SUSHI LOVERS!!!!. My husband saw the Bizarre Foods episode where Jewel Bako was featured. He would not stop saying that he wanted to go eat there. So for his birthday this past weekend I took him. I planned 2 months in advance to make sure I would get seats at the sushi bar. Front and center. It was like the head chef was only serving us. It really was incredible!!! We had the spiny lobster sashimi. (must order a week b-4 so they can have it flown in from Japan) It was like nothing we had ever had. We also each had the Omakase dinner. SO WORTH IT!!! Course after course of breathtaking, fresh fish. The wine paring was incredible as well. Only the best wine you can imagine!

We were there about 3 1/2 hours. The most enjoyable, relaxin dinner you can imagine! We truly had a fantastic time. I dont know how we will go back to our local sushi place. This place is top notch!!!!! If you enjoy sushi, Treat yourself! You will not regret it!!!

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3.0
September 17, 2008

Not worth it. Service good.. Heard many good things about this restaurant and had to try it for myself. The service was really great. But I didn't think the food was worth the price at all. I had been to many Japanese restaurant with the same price range and got a lot more different varieties. Don't think I would go back again.

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5.0
July 02, 2008

perfection. I've heard so much about Jewel Bako that I had to see for myself. I must say, I was not disappointed. A very friendly and accomodating atmosphere, combined with a pleasant and courteous staff (also very knowledgable with the fish cuts). If you go, the omakase is a must. I you can shell the extra $45, go for the omakase dinner (I unfortunately decided to spend the excess on a wonderful bottle of sake, which was the perfect complement). I will be back but will have to sit at the sushi bar, which is supposedly "the" experience. A must visit.

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4.0
June 26, 2008

I Have Been Hooked. Spending an evening at the sushi bar at this sushi haven is divine. Sit back, relax with a bottle of sake from their wonderful selection, and watch Chef Yoshi bounce around the sushi bar in a frenzy, serving you piece by piece of some of the finest fish in NYC, cut and composed with seasoned rice in masterful fashion. There really is no other way to experience this place. Sitting at a table is an unacceptable substitute. I came here and dined at a table and upon leaving, quickly forgot this place existed. A series of chance happenings led me back to Jewel Bako a year later, and after having sushi omakase at the bar, I became addicted. The only complaint I have is that for the number of seats, the sushi bar is too small and sushi chefs too few. When the place is at capacity, poor Chef Yoshi has to take on an unreasonable workload, and sometimes, I hate to say, his work product suffers from having to rush through backed up orders. Jack Lamb, if you're reading this, get Yoshi some more help.

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3.0
June 12, 2008

Food was great, Owner needs an nicer attitude. Delicious food, have to try the uni parfait. The fish was very fresh and each piece had it's own individual taste. The live-lobster thing may be overrated but it's interesting to try. I agree with previous posters if people have a problem with live seafood they should give up eating any meat at all and stop commenting on restaurants that serve meat. I heard the owner doesn't let people photograph the food and he's nasty about it.That's kind of a shame since we cannot share the artistic nature of our EXPENSIVE food with our friends and our own photo records. I guess you don't get everything you paid for.

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4.0
April 08, 2008

stop being an idiot. To the person who said you should sever the spinal cord of the twitching lobster need to get in touch with their high-school biology lessons. lobsters don't have spinal cords. There is even controversy over the whether or not lobsters even have the capacity to feel pain. "The quickest way to destroy a lobster may be to insert a knife into its head and cleave the head in two, thereby destroying two of the most important nerve clusters of the lobster. Some feel that this is more humane than placing the live lobster into boiling water, although it is common for the lobster to twitch for some time even when severed symmetrically in half." Also, to review a restaurant based on a show defeats the whole purpose of this site. Stop this tomfoolery.

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1.0
February 19, 2008

Be glad you weren't born an animal. Frightening lack of concern for the pain of the lobster being eaten alive. I can only hope the person doing this death dance lives this hell in a future life. They serve the lobster tail with the living head/body on the plate, moving. Could they NOT cut it's spinal cord so it doesn't have to live the hour or two of insane pain? This isn't food, it's animal terrorism.

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1.0
September 20, 2007

Live Entrees: Animal Cruelty is Unappetizing.. If you haven't seen Food Network's episode of "Bizarre Foods" in which host Andrew Zimmern comes to this restaurant and eats its specialty, "live spiny lobster sashimi", please Google it --- this popular "delicacy" involves a live lobster being brought to your table, opened, and eaten while it squirms. It's marketed as an experience, as fresher than fresh; it's animal cruelty, plain and simple, and I have to boycott this place until it stops serving live food. I see on the menu that they also serve a live scallop dish. Nice.

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5.0
July 08, 2007

loved it. This is some of the freshest and most interesting sushi I've ever had. They fly in the fish fresh every day, not twice a week, like most sushi places. My friend and I are very sensitive about fish smells and oily ,fishy-fish tastes. Jack and his staff answered all of our questions, made sure we understood the specials and were accommodated exactly to our palates. Everything from the tuna tartare appetizer to the assortment of sushi including flounder was melt in your mouth, buttery and yummy. They grind fresh wasabe right at your table, there is nothing like it. We also had a great bottle of sake, recommended by the staff. It is an expensive meal, but worth it. A lovely experience all around.

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Nominated for:
Japanese Food (2009)
Sushi (2009)
Sushi (2008)