Okonomi

Oh this place is great but get there early because it only seats about 8 people. I was there for the ramen service compliments of Yuji Ramen.

This Japanese eatery is the real deal and is without question the best asian brunch location in NYC. From the beautifully crafted food to the small but comfy and charming space, it is some of the most authentic japanese food I’ve had in the states. The menu is a set course prix fixe meal with a few special add-​ons usually available. The meal is a healthy portion of food and it seems to change slightly every week depending on whats fresh/​in season. Prices are not cheap but not really too expensive either. I recently had the King Mackerel with an Uni poached egg add-​on. Amazing. Even if you aren’t a big asian food fan, if you enjoy seafood it is totally worth a visit.

Let me preface this with the fact that I used to live in Japan. I live in Williamsburg and was excited to try this place. Size of a shoebox, unremarkable décor… but most frustrating was the fact that they do not take reservations (either online or on the phone)…they do not even have a telephone number to call to inquire about current wait times. When I arrived, I was told there was over a 2 hour wait for 2 people. When I noted how I was frustrated because of the lack of courtesy regarding people’s times, I was given a very disingenuous apology. This was in fact, very non-​Japanese, in every possible way. Terribly disappointing.

An authentic Japanese breakfast hidden in Brooklyn. It’s definitely worth the long wait.

Very cute place, but definitely NOT authentic. Anyone who comes here expecting authentic Japanese fare is deluding themselves, but don’t let that stop you because they definitely do great home styled Japanese cooking with a modern western, albeit hipster, twist.
For example, normally a grilled fish would come with oshitashi (traditional marinated spinach) or something similar, but here it comes with… marinated kale?! For their miso soups, they use turnips, which has a weird texture in the soup, instead of daikon.
Some of the sides are a bit weird (most likely because I grew up eating traditional Japanese food) but they’re not bad.

The food here was even better than I expected. The wait isn’t so bad either — we arrived at 11am on a Sunday and there was a 25 minute wait for 2. They take your number and send a text ~5 minutes before the table is ready.
The staff is super friendly.

Have you ever had an authentic Japanese brunch before? I can’t express how much I love this place. It’s quite an experience to dine here. Super small setting. Less than 15 people can fit inside the restaurant. Therefore there’s pretty much always a wait but it’s so worth it.
The attention to detail on the tasting menu is exquisite. They don’t offer individual items. The breakfast tasting comes with miso soup and you’re given an option to add the poached egg in a sweet soy sauce for $ 2. Their menu is ever-​changing as they switch things up based on new crops and what they’re in the mood to prepare for. I had the bluefish and it melted in my mouth. My friend got the perch which was wrapped in kelp and it was flaky and cooked perfectly.
(When you’re there you can actually see the fish bones brewing in the pot in their little workspace, as they prepare broth for their dinner spot, «Yuji Ramen». I want to try their ramen one night!)
As with everything, the service is patient and welcoming at Okonomi. Our waiter new every little ingredient and delicacy that was on our plate. They didn’t have uni when I was there but the onson egg with ikura was worth the extra $ 2 and delicious when mixed in the rice.
If you have to wait long, there’s a cute barber shop– coffee shop at the end of the street corner :)

I was so excited to visit Okonomi upon seeing the photos — small, cozy, cute space with authentic Japanese breakfast food (which looked equally small and cute).
I am not Japanese but hail from Southern California, which has a respectable Japanese population, and have been to Japan as well. Long story short: amazingly cute space (can I live there?), even more amazing/​accommodating/​friendly service, but the food falls short, especially relative to the price.
I got to Okonomi on a Saturday morning with a friend about 5 minutes after opening, and there was already a 40 minute wait. No big — not too much to do in the area, but it was nice to walk around and get some fresh air. We got seated almost exactly at the estimated 40 minute wait time, which I appreciated.
Because the space is so small, you are likely to share a table with other diners if you have a smaller party. Although I prefer having my own space, it wasn’t bad at all. The server came over (super friendly young man) and described the three brunch choices and optional additions available for the day. That morning, they had a cooked perch, cooked bass, and a sashimi option ($ 26, $ 31 for the first two, respectively, and forgot the price for the sashimi).
Onto the food: not bad but far from stellar. I guess I expected more based on the pricing and presentation. Although the small assortment of pickles/​side dishes were beautiful, I only really enjoyed one of them — the steamed kabocha with tofu dressing (wonderful flavors and textures). The rest were on the blander end and some components seemed to be there purely for the aesthetic purpose. My perch was disappointingly dry and tough — it wasn’t flakey and moist, and the juices were somehow lost during the cooking process. My friend also felt similarly about his bass. The miso soup was nice and a step above that typically served at restaurants — it had more substance and didn’t seem like an afterthought.
We also ordered the egg add-​on (uni, ikura, and poached egg), for an additional fee (~$ 15 if I remember correctly). They recommended that you mix the concoction into your rice to add flavor. I guess I was expecting too much because it is literally just uni, ikura, and poached egg and no additional (or at least very minimal) spices, but again, I just thought things fell short in the flavor department. Mixing it with the rice almost took away with the flavors and textures of the egg mix because the rice is multi-​grain and thus had much stronger textures.
Service was above and beyond standard. Server was attentive, smiling, polite, and accommodating. A diner next to me desired that her meal be gluten-​free, and he was very scrupulous about making sure that she was well-​informed about what parts of the meal contained gluten, and trying his best to incorporate substitutions. Also, they do not accept tip as the prices of the food already have service incorporated into it.
Overall, my experience was stellar overall, but the food itself (which is what I came for) fell short :/​3 stars.

I’m a fan of this traditional Japanese breakfast which I had in Japan from my host’s own kitchen. The only difference is that Okonomi’s portions is much smaller, especially given the price.
If you come here you should definitely opt for the onsen egg or uni on the side. I usually mix that into the rice for more flavors.
Definitely a small and cozy place. Be sure to allow more time since they make it when the order goes in.

Charming, quaint, delectable. Indeed, I am a fan! Place is so out of the way for me to reach but I am glad I visited. The staff is patient and helpful. The meal was refreshing and unique. Loved every bit of the the experience! Price was a smidgen high but that comes from the restaurant being the sole business to offer authentic Japanese breakfast/​brunch.
Come early, and I mean early. There will be a wait but at least you can enjoy some coffee next door while you do so!

Delicious fish!
Pricey but delicious food in a small, quiet spot where they serve simple but pretty Japanese breakfast. They don’t have a written menu but will explain their daily options. Then, you’re asked if you want to add things like uni, and you say ‘yes’ to all. I wish they gave us small spoons to eat the rice with egg and uni & ikura.
One negative is when you sit at the end chair of the bar, your eye will burn (this was confirmed by my friend who had sat there and experienced the same in the past.)
Yum. I want to go back for dinner.

One of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Brooklyn and Manhattan. Authentic Japanese food you won’t normally see in America, and the plating is excellent.
Make sure to get rice with uni and poached egg on top as a side — so good.

So today they had 2 kind of fish on the menu which we ordered both and weren’t disappointed.
Nicely grilled fish, some veggies on the side, small portions but will fill your stomach at the end with miso soup and rice. Ah! Yes, we ordered onsen tamago, poached egg as Unilocalers have recommended!
I wish someone can cook for me like this at home everyday. Haha
Sweet staff had let me know about the ramen option on weeknights and omakase on weekends. I am not a fan of ramen, yes, it happens even if you are Japanese, so I’ll try omakase on girls night out. $ 100 per person, and I am hoping it’s worth it. (I think it will be)
Went in with my daughter and have to say, although the restaurant was lovely and I was glad she was able to try some good food, I may not recommend if your little one is a picky eater like mine.
Just one note, I wish the miso soup was a little warmer. That’s it.
Otherwise, I loved the simple food they are offering and hope they continue to do so for a long time.

*Allow this review to reflect the food; concise and on point. Okonomi is cozy, stylish, fresh. Simple menu, never printed, only explained, in wonderful detail. Feel malnourished? Feel hungover? Feel nothing? Go get your rejuvenation on.
Saki Tuna is cooked and tasty, however I preferred the Donburi Tuna, which was raw with a lightly seared exterior. Optional lightly poached egg yolk — obvs get.
Pricy, but perfect.

I saw pictures of this place on instagram and everything looked so amazing. Decided to go on a brunch date with my mom. We got there a little before it opened and was seated promptly at a shared table. The restaurant is small so there might be a wait if you don’t get there early.
The staff is super friendly and accommodating. Because the restaurant is so small and they are cooking fish the smell is very strong. As the meal went on it seemed to be a little hazy and my eyes were stinging. Better ventilation would have been good.
They have the traditional japanese breakfast. The poached egg was key to make the rice perfect! I got tile fish which was smooth and delicious. The salmon was a little salty but that is probably cause it was salted on the outside haha. The miso soup was nicely flavored and it had little pieces of okra! Overall the meal was very yummy and my mom also enjoyed it a lot.
The price of the meal came out to be 26 $ a person, 2 $ for the poached egg and then tax and tip. Based on the other Unilocal reviews i was expecting a price of around 17 – 20 $ a person so that was a bit of a surprise… It was a nice experience and worth a try but i’m not sure i’ll be making my way back for brunch. maybe to try their ramen?

Very cute, very tiny little place. In the mornings and early afternoon, they serve traditional Japanese breakfast, which comes with miso soup, rice and a nicely presented plate of food, delicately arranged. The plate has fresh fish (changes daily), vegetables, and a little egg custard. All in all, a photo-​worthy breakfast, as you can see by the many pics on Unilocal.
We had a choice or perch, bluefin, and porgy that day. I went with the bluefin. It was really delicious, oily with just a touch of salt, and a nice texture. The other foods on my dish were also really great. It’s a simple, clean breakfast that will leave you satisfied. Service is very good here, though with 12 seats, you might have to wait or share tables. Definitely would recommend to others.

«Okonomi» is Japanese for «what you like», and I can say with certainty that I definitely liked the traditional Japanese breakfast I had there.
It’s a tiny shop with about 12 seats (if you sit at a table, they’ll ask if it’s okay to potentially share it with others).
They don’t have a real menu. You get Japanese breakfast, consisting of miso soup (ours came with okra), rice (with the option of adding a poached egg with sweet so sauce for $ 2 — highly recommended!), a tofu/​egg thing, and some veggies on the side (the veggie du jour was chard).
You get to choose from different fresh fish, depending on what’s available. The day I was there, the options were bluefin, perch, and porgy.
I went with the perch, which was wrapped in kelp. It was crispy, flakey, and cooked perfectly. Loved mixing it with all the other colorful ingredients on the plate. Everything was very artfully presented.
My favorite thing was probably the sweet soy sauce poached egg that you put in the middle of your rice (they recommend you dig a hole and then toss the egg in). For a breakfast, I wouldn’t say it’s light, but I wouldn’t say it’s heavy either. It’ll keep you full for a few hours, and through lunch unless you have a voracious appetite.
Our server was also a super nice guy, and the décor is incredibly cute. Thankfully, Okonomi fits well in Williamsburg with all the people who don’t have to go to work on weekday afternoons. So if you somehow have time to sit down for a Japanese breakfast, definitely go for it!

I’m so happy we got to try this place! This is one of those places you must try! The only complaint is the space is very small and they should consider to expand, because they have great food and service!
After our 45 – 60 minute wait for a table, we got seated to try the brunch version of their menu. We got to choose between two different kinds of fish and also select sides such as poached egg (there was no uni because it is off-​season). They do not have a big selection of drinks but have hot tea and several Japanese beers and sake.
Their presentation is probably one of the most photogenic we have seen. The fish is also very fresh and tasty. The flavors were very strong and cultural; it felt as if we were in a restaurant in Japan.
We also got to try their ramen the night before brunch, and they were amazing! My favorite is the clam and corn ramen :-)
Lastly, area is very calming, therapeutic and zen. It is in a good neighborhood in Williamsburg and they even had two benches outside by the entrance, so you can wait for your table while conversing, admiring the nature and listening to birds chirp.

A little house under a shady leafy tree on a random residential street in Williamsburg has that Japanese brand of zen home sweet home — quiet and comfortable, no nonsense and calm. Limited space to squeeze you in adds to the Nipponese ambiance, plus the lack of a menu, and a clean open kitchen with graceful young men in T shirts baking fish heads, making omelettes and meditatively preparing our plates.
3 fish choices, including mackerel and tuna were offered with their Japanese breakfast $ 17, which is served as lunch, includes an omelette, vegetables, rice, miso and tea with the option of an uni or egg add on. Sashimi was also available, and I imagine if asked, other items could be obtained.
The food was fantastically simple, clean, fortifying and as tasteful as my Japanese sister in law’s. The uni was buttery and divine for $ 4 as a side. I paired it with my tuna.
I felt uplifted and energized and transcended enough to brave the New York City Streets.
Go after 1:30pm for a late lunch so you’ll have more room and less of a wait.

A really adorable, intimate ramen spot in Brooklyn tucked away on a side street. The place only seats about 12 (4 of which are counter space) and the tables are communal.
I’m definitely a fan of seafood, but when it comes to ramen I really prefer to have some kind of meat or pork based broth. Okonomi offers a different and probably healthier spin, with fish based broth and an array of fish toppings for the protein in the four different ramen bowls offered.
The portions are also smaller than what you usually see at ramen shops, which I’m not against since it didn’t leave me feeling ashamed of myself the way I usually do when I down an entire bowl of this stuff.
All in all I’d say that if you’re looking to try a new spin on ramen, give this place a shot. But with such small seating options, be prepared to wait.