Hakata Japanese Restaurant

(212) 245-1020

231 E 53rd St
New York, NY 10022 40.7603 -73.9856

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Neighborhoods: Theater District - Times Square, Midtown

Price:

$$$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

American Express, Diners Club, Discover, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Theater District Dining, Business Dining, Food Delivery, Prix Fixe Menu

Cuisine:

Japanese

What People Are Saying About Hakata Japanese Restaurant

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – This narrow, handsomely decorated space in the core of the Theater District is host to an array of out-of-towners and business diners, drawn by the convenience of the site. Service can be disorganized. – – The Food – Though the restaurant promises "creative Pacific Rim cuisine," dishes are more likely to be familiar Japanese dishes. The centerpiece of the menu is a range of sushi and sashimi "sets": standard pieces and rolls that are adequately fresh and reliable. Also available are a host of hot entrees: grilled steak, teriyaki chicken and broiled…

ambiance
95.83000183105469% positive
  1. “The atmosphere was very warm and inviting.”
  2. “Nice service and bistro like atmosphere.”
  3. “Hakata has great atmosphere, excellent sushi, and good waitstaff.”
  4. “great fresh shushi, cozy romantic atmosphere, excellent for pre or post theater”
  5. “my boyfriend and i stoped in this little romantic resturant at the recommendation of a few friends.”
  6. “Excellent sushi & service, & atmosphere a cut above NY's typical bright-light sushi places.”
  7. “The other dishes are good as well and the ambiance is also nice, but it would be a little uncomfortable for larger people because the seating areas are smaller.”
  8. “Great food, service and ambience.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “got the $25 prix fixe, which included salad, very passable (though superfluous) salmon tartare, forgettable shrimp shumai, a fresh and plentiful sushi entree, AND ice cream for dessert.”
food quality
90.4800033569336% positive
  1. “Good food, good prices”
  2. “the sushi is fresh,but the salads,dumplings & starters reveal a special creative touch.”
  3. “great sushi”
  4. “The sushi was great.”
  5. “The restaurant could use some TLC but didn't detract from the wonderful food.”
  6. “my boyfriend isnt a sushi eater, so he ordered the gyoza appetizer, which was awesome, and the hakata grill steak.”
  7. “Excellent sushi & service, & atmosphere a cut above NY's typical bright-light sushi places.”
  8. “The food is always delicious and the sushi has never been anything but fresh.”
  9. “the wait staff was was very courteous and the food was amazing!”
  10. “Great food, service and ambience.”
  11. “Must go for anyone who loves authentic Japanese food.”
  12. “The spider roll & crispy tuna rolls are fantastic, the sashimi is very very fresh.”
  13. “We ordered sushi and entrees and everythign was delicious.”
  14. “Given that I work in the area and often order food at work, this is a place I will call often.”
  15. “consistently fresh sushi”
  16. “Overall, the food is good for its price.”
  17. “This restaurant has very good, very fresh sushi.”
  18. “Unexpectedly good sushi delivery”
  19. “Veggie sushi choices were creative and NOT run of the mill.”
  20. “I'm almost afraid to mention the extremely reasonable tab, since it may belie the quality of the food”
  21. “great fresh shushi, cozy romantic atmosphere, excellent for pre or post theater”
  22. “The other dishes are good as well and the ambiance is also nice, but it would be a little uncomfortable for larger people because the seating areas are smaller.”
  23. “know morgan stanley staff do a lot of deliveries/pick ups but i think it's mainly because they offer gift certificates for frequent buyers & not because their food is that good.”
  24. “got the $25 prix fixe, which included salad, very passable (though superfluous) salmon tartare, forgettable shrimp shumai, a fresh and plentiful sushi entree, AND ice cream for dessert.”
  25. “Good sushi, great prices”
  26. “The seafood was very fresh and did not have the "fishy taste" that seems to happen in most sushi places.”
  27. “Miso soup was tasty.”
  28. “the sushi was a little disappointing, rolls ok.”
  29. “When the food arrived it was cold and the sushi quality was mediocre.”
  30. “Hakata has great atmosphere, excellent sushi, and good waitstaff.”
  31. “It is, however, good food for a good price.”
  32. “Decent sushi”
  33. “the sushi is actually not very good (we suspect it isn't very good quality).”
  34. “Teriaki chicken is excellent as well.”
  35. “Raku's sushi & variety of menu are excellent.”
menu variety
80.0% positive
  1. “Raku's sushi & variety of menu are excellent.”
  2. “Veggie sushi choices were creative and NOT run of the mill.”
  3. “truly pan-asian - a good variety but not traditional japanese.”
  4. “Blue Chili's pan asian selections also very good.”
  5. “am a little disappointed that it doesn't have a lunch menu as I find the overall menu a little pricey for lunch around that neighborhood.”
overall
75.0% positive
  1. “This is a great place to go for a good Japanese lunch.”
  2. “really good place that is NOT overpriced, in the heart of Times Square - a SHOCKER!”
service
90.4800033569336% positive
  1. “Great food, service and ambience.”
  2. “The service was impeccable.”
  3. “my waiter sucks.”
  4. “The other dishes are good as well and the ambiance is also nice, but it would be a little uncomfortable for larger people because the seating areas are smaller.”
  5. “The waitress was extremely nice and pleasant.”
  6. “the wait staff was was very courteous and the food was amazing!”
  7. “and the staff was very friendly.”
  8. “the overall service was good.”
  9. “Excellent sushi & service, & atmosphere a cut above NY's typical bright-light sushi places.”
  10. “To be safe, make reservations - we dropped in at 6:15 on a pre-theatre night & almost couldn't get a table, but the hostess was very nice and juggled things around so we could stay.”
  11. “The wait staff and hostess were all very attentive.”
  12. “and good service too”
  13. “Nice service and bistro like atmosphere.”
  14. “know morgan stanley staff do a lot of deliveries/pick ups but i think it's mainly because they offer gift certificates for frequent buyers & not because their food is that good.”
value
78.5699987411499% positive
  1. “Excellent value for what you get and a terrific place for a pre theatre dining.”
  2. “It is, however, good food for a good price.”
  3. “Good food, good prices”
  4. “Good sushi, great prices”
  5. “am a little disappointed that it doesn't have a lunch menu as I find the overall menu a little pricey for lunch around that neighborhood.”
  6. “Overall, the food is good for its price.”
  7. “really good place that is NOT overpriced, in the heart of Times Square - a SHOCKER!”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/10/09

Excellent freshness

by akinvaras at Citysearch

Hakata has excellent quality Salmon and Tuna.

It is very fresh and that is all I really care about.

The other dishes are good as well and the ambiance is also nice, but it would be a little uncomfortable for larger people because the seating areas are smaller.

As far as Japanese food goes, it is one of my favorites in midtown.

  • Pros: Fresh salmon and tuna, good food, good atmosphere, convenient location on 48th and Broadway
  • Cons: the seating arrangement is more difficult for large people.
4 Star Rating: Recommended

08/29/08

Good Siu mai and sunumono. Decent sushi

by rlajr4u at Citysearch

Went on a Monday night and was the only customer at 930pm. Looked at the appetizers and tried the siu mai and the sunumono. Both were more than edible. In fact I'd come back again. Service was good but did not like the snow beauty unfiltered sake that was recommended. Sushi serving size is less than average but is fresh.

  • Pros: Good siu mai
  • Cons: sushi cuts are smaller than norm
1 Star Rating: Poor

11/13/07

Rude service, delivery almost 2 hrs for 10 blocks, so-so sushi at high prices

by capostolo at Citysearch

We called for delivery (10 blocks away) at 12.30 PM on a Tuesday. at 2PM we called the restaurant and were rudely told that there was a printer problem and the orders hadn't gone out on time. Would not tell me when the delivery would come, nor if it had left already. When the food arrived it was cold and the sushi quality was mediocre. Lots of sushi places in the area at much better prices, and MUCH better service! not recommended.

  • Pros: wide menu
  • Cons: high prices, mediocre sushi, terrible service and delivery
4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/12/07

great fresh shushi, cozy romantic atmosphere, excellent for pre or post theater

by teriyakisushi at Citysearch

my boyfriend and i stoped in this little romantic resturant at the recommendation of a few friends. our dining experience was top notch from the very beginning. the wait staff was was very courteous and the food was amazing!! i had the tuna poke and salmon tartare appetizers and they were to die for. both of these appetizers are served on tara chips and they both were amazing!! my boyfriend isnt a sushi eater, so he ordered the gyoza appetizer, which was awesome, and the hakata grill steak. he asked for his steak to be cooked medium rare, and it was cooked to perfection. i ordered sushi a la carte. i tried their salmon, tuna, fluke and striped bass. all were excellent and tasted super fresh. we were very glad this place lived up to our friends hype.

we will definately frequent this spot again, and would have NO problems recommending it to our friends.

  • Pros: food, service
  • Cons: small
4 Star Rating: Recommended

10/11/07

Great Sushi in Times Square

by lblack6117 at Citysearch

We stopped into this resturaunt after the theater recently and were pleasantly suprised. We ordered the seared tuna entree and a la carte sushi. The seafood was very fresh and did not have the "fishy taste" that seems to happen in most sushi places. The wait staff and hostess were all very attentive. For the price and location to the theaters I would definetely return and recommend to friends.

The Details on Hakata Japanese Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • very nice hostess
  • recommended highly
  • all very attentive wait staff
  • good variety
  • very good blue chili
  • disappointing sushi
  • great fresh shushi
  • amazing background
  • sucks waiter
  • delicious everythign
  • fantastic spider roll
  • good sushi delivery
  • very fresh seafood
  • excellent quality salmon
  • delicious entrees
  • good authentic japanese food
  • great fresh sushi
  • romantic atmosphere
  • really good place
  • good prices
  • mediocre sushi quality
  • fresh sushi entree
  • extremely nice waitress
  • good other dishes
  • good overall service