Japonais
New York, NY 10003
Phone: (212) 260-2020
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- Park Avenue
- Directions:
- L; N, R; 4, 5, 6 at 14th St.-Union Sq; 6 at 23rd St
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-11pm, Fri-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm, 5pm-11:30pm, Sun 4:30pm-10pm
Editorial Review for Japonais – by Erin Behan
The Scene
The stylish restaurant's undulating wood ceiling beams mimic the sea and point to the sushi bar. All other elements--deep reds, rich golds, a polished wall of mirrors--indicate that this is a restaurant in which shapely, attractive form reigns supreme. A split-level design separates the bustling front bar from the dining room a few steps up; the more romantic tiered lounge has its own bar. Ladies dressed to kill dwarf groups of men and dates.
The Food
The 11-seat sushi bar is helmed by chefs who serve notably fresh fish, such as the Kani Nigiri and Tuna Tuna Salmon roll. Among the hot and cold appetizers, the barbecue-flavored braised pork buns take the heavy route, while the shrimp ceviche is lighter but less flavorful. Slightly dry grilled hamachi is saved by its topping of greens, but Le Quack Japonais is the menu's shining point--the duck's deeply smokey flavor needs no adornment.
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Insider Tips
The ExtrasTo honor a special occasion, staff will deliver any dessert (try the apple toban yaki) with a lit sparkler.
What to DrinkMixed drinks such as the peach sangria are sweet beginnings, but you'll want to save some money for a bottle of sake or wine, which are priced for the expense-account crowd.
Know Before You GoAt the upstairs and downstairs lounge (open until 1am weekdays and 3am weekends) you can order sushi, appetizers, desserts and drinks. To be on the safe side, it's recommended that you make reservations.
Look GoodVisit the original Japonais in Chicago.
User Reviews for Japonais
10/08/2008 Posted by goodriddance
Does anyone know how to say, "this place should CLOSE", in japanese. I live in the neighborhood and every time I come here, it just keeps getting worse.
Pros: That its only two blocks from my apartment
Cons: That its only two blocks from my apartment
09/18/2008 Posted by veggiefriend
We made the mistake of going to Japonais for a friend's birthday and they divided our group into two tables. One table received their food and moved on to desert before the second table even received our dinner. The waiter was never available, the appetizers we did receive were incorrect and underwhelming, it took half an hour to receive our drinks and the server couldn't have cared less about the long wait for our food. Two hours in, since our guest of honor had already finished, we complained that we still hadn't received our food, and the manager's response was "well, we won't charge you for what you didn't get"...geez, thanks! Overall, cool atmosphere, but they need to get over themselves...it's not nearly as great as they seem to think it is.
Pros: Cool atmosphere
Cons: AWFUL service, reservations are irrelevant
