Happy Kitchen

I am appalled. I ate here with a friend a couple of days ago and everything was ok, not great but good enough. The spicy mayo was extremely spicy, the sushi was alright and I also ordered and udon soup which had a small amount of beef. Honestly I wasn’t expecting much, and I wasn’t upset and walked out fine. My total was $ 26, and I left a Cash tip of $ 6 which was generous considering we had to ask our waitress for spicy mayo twice.
The part that really angered me was the fact was when reviewing my bank statement today, I noticed that the restaurant took and additional $ 3 from my credit card as a tip. Granted it’s not a lot of money, but I had already left a 23% CASH tip, and for them to sneakily try and steal, and I say steal because that’s what this was, is not okay and professional at all. I hope my experience here helps others.
Always check you bank statements guys.

We came here one very cold evening.
We were very satisfied, ate a lot and for a good price. Food is fresh and it reminded us our Japanese experience in Tokyo.
Ambience is cozy and the waiter was really nice.
Very happy about it.

Decent prices and portion sizes. Friendly staff. The is always fresh. I’ve had everything from appetizers to desserts and sushi to hot food; it’s all good. Delivery is pretty quick too. The place recently expanded which means they must be doing well and that’s always nice to see. Also they finally started taking credit cards! FYI, they’re closed Mondays.

Had the terayaki rolls and they were awesome! Steamed dumplings are great, but I wish they were a little bigger. All in all, I like this place and I will definitely come back!

Let’s cut to the chase:
* nice folks
* pretty bad cooks
The food just isn’t good. I feel bad for saying it because the staff seems friendly. But Okawa has this place beat by miles. For example:
* our agadashi tofu was all different sizes arranged in a circle, with a bowl of bbq sauce in the middle.
* sushi rolls with some very pasty, thick rice
* the sushi looked like it was cut with a bread knife.
* the sushi rice was a perfect rectangle (ie-​molded in a plastic container)
Sorry Happy Kitchen, you need a new chef.

Awesome food and even better customer service. I had the steak teriyaki medium rare with tempura

I’ve been coming to Happy Kitchen for about several years now, recently they expanded and it has worked for them, as they are getting busier and busier. They now take credit card, for years it was cash only.
The place is super cute and clean and the owner is very friendly and courteous (great service overall). The food always taste fresh and my favorite platter is the chicken cutlet.
The reason I give it four stars is cause I’ve tried the sushi some time ago (although I must say the last time was about 2 years) and although it was fresh, it was okay taste-​wise (maybe I am just not used to fresh sushi??). However I like the actual plates (the cooked food), it remains one of my favorite place to eat in Jackson Heights.

Ok, I have lived in this neighborhood since 2003 and have been a semi-​regular of this place since day one for whenever I start really jonesing sushi. I always looked passed the New York Newsday (??Ha!) reviews from 1998 hanging in the window (still there) because it was until recently, the only sushi place in reasonable walking distance of my apartment. The place was always OK, nothing horrible, nothing special, it always served its purpose.
Today, I dont know what the hell happened. I kept it simple, sushi dinner with the usual salad and miso soup. As I waited for 20 minutes, suddenly my sushi appeared, uhmmm, what happened to my soup and salad I asked the female server??, she apologized, took the sushi away and brought my soup and salad. The salad, obviously made on the plate hours earlier with the dressing totally drenched on, now a very soggy wilted lettuce mess. I battled through, and ate half of it. My sushi returned, and this part is totally my fault, it was the exact same plate of sushi that they delivered to me 30+ minutes before, and I should have sent it back, but I didn’t. I tried, but it was obvious that everything started to «turn». One piece I actually spit back onto my plate mid-​chew, instead of doing the right thing of spitting it back into my napkin. I was done, signaled the male server that has been there forever, explained my issues, and asked for the check. He was very apologetic, made some adjustments to my check, we shook hands and I was on my way, stomach turning all the way home. The one star is for the male server, who since day one, has always given me good service. The second star is for the previous years of ok food. Good luck Happy Kitchen.

This place expanded and it’s better for it. The space is tranquil and the food is fresh. They have nice teriyaki boxes (salmon etc) too. As of this post their fish and rolls are better than Okawa across the way. Service is a tad slow at times is all.

I have issues with sushi, I love it but only if it’s fresh and prepared properly (call me a sushi snob lol). This place is freakin AWESOME! You can taste the freshness that’s how good it is. The menu is a decent size and so is the restaurant. I think they bought the store next to them and expanded a little bit. The servers are very respectful and knowledgable about the items on the menu. Only negative, it’s cash only which sucks bc I would order more food but I normally only have a $ 20 on me when I go. I’m sure sushi adds up when you have a large group. Other than the cash only everything is great good fresh fish, clean environment, and friendly staff. I highly recommend going.
****-Feb 14,16 they now accept credit cards :)***

So after many moons I have decided to update my review and add a star. I have decided to add a star because of the consistency of the quality of food served here. I can honestly say that out of all the orders I have made here over the 15+ years I have been a patron, I have never had to send anything back. The owner, who I never see anymore must know that he has his staff trained professionally to take control and keep the business from going under. I still get my Happy Meal (eel) and enjoy it fully each time, no questions asked. The prices also have not gone incredibly high in the years they have been open which is also a good surprise.
and after almost 20 years of being open, they finally expanded to the store next door and now offer a lot more seating which is amazing. I can see Happy Kitchen being a part of the JH family for another 20+ years easily.

small place but the décor is so nice and the staff is super nice as well. its okay pricing. cash only!

My love for Sushi started from the only «happy kitchen». Been to Japan tried Sushi there, but I must say I never loved it until I tried some from this cute little restaurant.
Owners are the best and most humble people in this earth. Restaurant itself is tiny but clean and spotless. what more do you want?
Go HAPPY KITCHEN!!!

This was our second visit to Happy Kitchen in about 2 months. We’re in love. It’s tiny, (three tables, and about 4 seats at the Sushi Bar). Staff is courteous and laid back, the restaurant is clean, the menu is simple and delicious. We had hot sake, which always warms us up nicely. We started with pork and wasabi shumai, then had a spicy crunchy white tuna roll, and a fire roll with crab and mackerel (when given the choice to add crunch, one must add crunch.). They were all fresh, and delicious. We also had Red Snapper and Yellowtail sashimi, which were buttery, smooth, and awesome. People-​watching with my wife out the front window is always fun, we always feel warm and welcomed when we step into this tiny piece of happy sushi heaven. Definitely a favorite for us in our quiet little Jackson Heights.

I’ve been to Happy Kitchen a couple of times and they never disappoint!
The staff is friendly! The restaurant, though small, is cute and quiet.
My husband and I started with hot sake and wasabi pork shumai. The shumai was served hot and the dipping sauce was a perfect accompaniment.
For our main course we had Red Snapper Sashimi and Yellowtail sashimi. The fish is fresh and delicious with a wonderful texture.
We also had a white tuna spicy crunch roll, and a hot passion roll (we added crunch). They were both so tasty and not too spicy.
This is becoming one of our favorite restaurants in Jackson Heights. A wonderful date night with fresh and scrumptious sushi! A must try!

Just ok. Not the best sushi I’ve ever had. Also a bit pricey for the quality. Given the very limited options in this part of town, it’s good.
Make sure you read the menu well. I guess jet lag had set in and I didn’t realize that the volcano roll here is fried. So much for trying to detox from my vacation.
Will go back of I get a sushi craving.
Good service. Attentive but not pushy.

This is my go to place for japanese food in my neighborhood. You cant go wrong here.
The Good:
Fast and friendly service, great tasting food, not too large of a menu, delivery, good prices, home style food.
The Gripes:
The restaurant is small, so it a bit uncomfortable for any group larger than three. They only take cash! Boo!
Must try:
Spinach Udon noodle miso soup
— HF

This review is for delivery. I really enjoyed the salmon special. It is really tasty and fresh. I was amazed by how intact the rolls appeared in spite of its commute. I’m really glad that I took out the time to try some sashimi. The wasabi and ginger are great too! I would totally come back to Happy Kitchen.

Happy Kitchen is our neighborhood Japanese spot. Nothing about this small 15-​seat restaurant is remarkable, but everything from the sushi to rice dishes and soba noodles have been reliably tasty and satisfying.
The service is friendly, the prices are decent, and that’s enough to keep us coming back!

Pretty shocked that good Sushi exists in Jackson Heights which is predominately dominated by Latin and Indian Cuisine. I order take out from here every once in awhile when I choose to splurge. The actual restaurant is a bit small but really quaint and at some point I would like to actually have dinner here. The chef/​owner is extremely nice and has a «customer first» attitude. The fish is always fresh and there were several occasions where I came by to pick up sushi for lunch and he was receiving his seafood delivery. He was so meticulous and I heard him fussing and returning seafood that was below his standards which I have to applaud him for.
On to the sushi/​sashimi/​sushi rolls etc. I have a staple few so this time I decided to also take pictures and post this review. We got the Red Dragon Roll, Spicy Tuna & Cucumber, Sunshine Roll, Rock ‘n Roll Special Roll, tuna sushi, white tuna sushi, salmon sushi, seaweed salad and miso soup. All the rolls were splendid and very yummy. The sushi was amazingly fresh and they do not cut little chincey pieces like they do in Manhattan. The seaweed salad was really good. Lastly, I really like their miso soup because the broth is really flavorful but not overly salty as is the case at most Sushi/​Japanese spots. I highly recommend this place if you live in the area. The prices are very reasonable as well.