Bara Restaurant

Pretty good food here, the crispy pork cheeks were really good, loved them and the duck breast too. Portion is just right.
I need to come back to try their brunch, heard they serve the bacon donburi

I came accross this restaurant when I was browsing online and wasn’t too sure how the food’s going to taste. I know that it’s a fusion of Japanese and French, that right there is intriguing for me.
So, I made reservation for and took my wife here. The menu was a small plate concept, so it’s good because you can order multiple plates and keep ordering more. Menu was interesting and one thing that I noticed after finished eating everything, all the food was very light and refereshing. It wasn’t heavy and make you feel like you need a stretcher when you’re done eating.
Anyway, I was so confused with the menu because I wanted to order everything-​so we did! We ordered everything except the oysters.
I just have to say that everything was on point and delicious. The only thing that could use bit more improvement was the melon drink that I ordered, it could use a little love and care. Other than that, everything was awesome!
I was disappointed that they don’t have the Pork Belly Donburi on the menu, I learned my lesson and found out that the Chef change their menu regularly based on seasonality and what’s available in the market. So, if they have something that you see or think it’s good… Make sure to get it!

I enjoy the creativity of the food at Bara, and what better way to appreciate it than by ordering a bunch of different small plates? I tried the Quail Egg Onigiri, the Crispy Pork Cheeks, and the tuna handroll with caviar.
My favorite by far was the tuna handroll. Perhaps because I love sushi anyway, this handroll was fresh and the rice perfectly plump, with a little spread of caviar to add an extra oomph to the handroll. The quail egg onigiri is a cute play on the traditional Scotch egg, but with a rice exterior and a molten yolk quail egg interior. I liked the mayo dip that the dish came with, and the crisply fried exterior of the onigiri, but I believe the dish would have been much improved with a full sized egg and a smaller rice to egg ratio. Lastly, the crispy pork cheeks came in little bite-​sized nuggets. It was tossed in a vinegary sweet and sour chili sauce, and stayed light and crispy.
Props also to the cocktails available on the menu. I was immediately drawn to the black sesame fizz, and it tasted like a fancy version of an ice cream soda at a diner.
On a parting note, the décor of the restaurant, with its white marble top surfaces and black seats was quite striking and I loved the ambience.

Menu is interesting.
Food is okay.
I think this restaurant has a great intention. I liked all their dish but I couldn’t love it; the thing I didn’t like was the heavy taste. They literally put too much sauce/​seasoning on the food (pretty much all the dishes we ordered). Would suggest to reduce 50−75% of the sauce they are using for a balanced taste. Will be so much better!

Wonderful, simply wonderful. My husband and I used to be huge fans of Prima, an Oyster Bar/​Seafood spot that formerly was in this spot. But Bara Restaurant blows Prima out of the water.
Such fun, interesting food. And the ambiance and service is spot on. We loved everything we tried, and there were so many other interesting/​delicious sounding things on the menu that we already promised ourselves that we would be back again soon :)
FOOD:
Duck Meatballs (3 stars): While good, not great — these were the least favorite things of the night. Wouldn’t order again. But it was fun to try, and offered good variety to our meal.
Crispy Pork Cheeks (4 stars): These were very tasty; and went so great with the sweet and sour sauce they were served with. Would order again.
Whole Roasted Black Bass (4.5 stars): Fall off the bone, so tender; very juicy with a perfectly crispy skin. The sticky sweet sauce was amazing as well — very balanced, not overly sweet. Would definitely recommend this dish and would most definitely get again.
I think we also ordered one more small plate or salad — but I can’t seem to recall what it was.
Overall, this place offers a very cute atmosphere, wonderful customer service, and delicious food. Oh — and the prices are very reasonable for what’s offered. Definitely can’t go wrong with this place!

A dim, candlelit restaurant found in the East Village area. I was really excited to try Bara because I love fusion food, but to be honest the food was not my cup of tea. I think the concept is great, but I feel like the options at Bara are still sort of limited and need to be developed a bit more. At the time they had $ 1 oysters so we got a round for the table. We also ordered the Duck meatballs, Crispy Pork Cheeks, Fried Chicken, Spicy Lobster Noodles, and Roasted Mushrooms. Portions are on the smaller side and prices are not cheap either. Even so, service was really good and the restaurant itself had a nice ambiance (tables w/​couples, bar in the back). The food though honestly was a miss for me. I thought the food was interesting, but not necessarily something I would want to have again. My favorite dish was the Crispy Pork Cheeks.
If you are feeling adventurous to try something new, I would definitely check out Bara to judge for yourself. As for me, once was probably enough.

Came here with a group of 4 for dinner, place was small with not too many tables, but we sat comfortably and noise level was moderate enough for us to talk without shouting over each other.
Ordered drinks from their cocktail list to start (brownstone, desert lily, revival meeting), but were not what we expected so we had to send them back. The drinks were too strong for us with the alcohol overpowering the rest of the ingredients.
We decided to approach dinner family style so we could all try a few of the dishes on the menu. Mackarel tataki and duck meatballs to start, followed by flat iron steak, spicy lobster noodles and the whole snapper.
Wasn’t too keen on the whole fish when we were ordering, as I had imagined it steamed and bones were going to be tricky, but it turned out being hands down my favorite dish of the night. It was slightly crispy on the outside, and although not deboned, the fish fillet came apart easily and was extremely tender. Flavor was simple with the ginger soy glaze, yet felt surprisingly right. We devoured the fish.
The mackarel tataki was a bit too fishy and sinewy for my taste even though I usually love sashimi and tartare. Felt like something was missing from the ingredients to make it stand out.
Duck meatballs, steak, spicy lobster noodles were great. Exactly what you’d expect to get based on the menu description.

Great restaurant.
I ordered the duck and it is amazing. Delicious.
Fried chicken was a popular dish at our table. It comes with a side of chopped radish mildly pickled.

Came here with my friends over last weekend on a busy Saturday night for a 8pm reservation. At first arrival, I was not expecting the location to be so small. However, they were able to sit all 5 of us comfortably, and even next to us there was a party that had around 10 people, so despite the size of the place, if you plan well in advance, I think they can accommodate you!
That being said, the location is on a quieter part of the street, not as busy with traffic because its not on 1^st avenue, but right off of it, so I think if you came on a weeknight, it’s really a great place for a date night also. Because it was a weekend night during a peak hour, the noise level was a little louder, but it was still complimented with great service and a happy mood around the place, even though it looks cozy and dark with dim lighting, its hardly a somber place. It had energy and the waitstaff were all equally kind. Our waiter was great with recommendations, and the cocktail menu varied with new ideas.
The main entrees were a little smaller in portion, but high in quality and taste. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience! I’d recommend it!

Phenomenal restaurant with delicious food and great service. This is one of the most memorable meals I’ve had in a long time!
We ordered:
Seaweed salad
Quail egg onigiri
Fried chicken
Lobster noodles
The fried chicken was, quite literally, the best I’ve ever had. Completely unexpected. I also really enjoyed the lobster noodles, which were a bit spicy and full of flavor.
I can’t wait to come here again and try more dishes.

One of THE BEST meals I’ve had in awhile. Well I’ve had a lot of good food lately, since that’s what I look for, but this was a STANDOUT place. First, the place is really nice. Light grey marble tables opposite dark accents with candle light make it really minimalistic chic mixed with the inviting quality that candlelight adds. Really enjoyed the feel of the place as soon as I walked in.
Our waiter did a great job of confirming up our choices and making sure we tried great menu items. Highly recommend the pork cheek fritters and the duck meatballs to start. Both had dynamic flavors distinctly different from one another. Everything tasted super fresh. My friend and I both opted for the fish special that evening. I came in fixed on the steak, but was diverted quickly from the waiter who really couldn’t praise it more. It was a durad filet that was cooked to perfection. Nice crispy flavorful skin atop a flaky moist fillet. It was complemented with a side of buttery greens, something (damn it’s escaping me) in a curry sauce and then a garlic yogurt style aioli. Seriously good. The flavor didn’t let up. Then we finished the meal with a cake that was served with an apple purée and crème fraîche to dip it in. Really good.
I can’t wait to come back with other friends to try even more things.
And you can’t beat the prices! 2 cocktails, 2 apps, 2 entrees, and dessert for $ 48/​person. Yeah, it’s good.
Deal Seeking Diva tip: Check out their happy hour specials every day from 5 – 7:30PM. Saw they had HH on a sandwich board outside the restaurant when I arrived.

Food: pretty awesome actually. A little fusion. Duck awesome. Steak awesome. Actually my friend’s lobster noodle yum. Great find.
Place: chill. Not too crowded on wed. Which surprised me. Dug it. I wouldn’t come with more than 6.

Bara represents any eater’s dream. And I find challenging to describe Bara’s style. I am not sure it should belong to any category or would I say it is fusion cuisine. It is simpler than that. Ian Alvarez’s food is like the work of an artist. It is unique, it is unexpected and surprising. It awakes your emotions.
For instance, the Quail Egg Onigiri, is reinvented into what reminds me an interpretation of Scottish eggs. The rice ball containing a soft quail egg in the middle is coated with a thin crispy batter that is tasty by itself. The highlights: flavor, looks and texture. Equally attractive in the three senses was the Mackerel Tataki. A layer of soft raw fish covered with herbs in the bottom, a hint of horseradish here and there topped with crispy rice and trout roe. Man, was this guy just gorgeous. Crispy Pork Cheeks in sweet and sour chili sauce was another surprise, particularly on execution. The sweet and sour was wonderful. I missed a bit more of spice which I think it would have elevated the dish even more. But I was surrender to the texture. Soft and crispy. We also got a side of Furikake Rice, and Duck Breast to share. The rice I can hear my very good friend saying «it is just rice!» Well, you gotta try this one. About the duck I could easily see it as a featured dish at many starred restaurants if that is even important. To make it short, I will just speak of the texture, medium rare to perfection presented in the perfect size slices to enjoy it in a single bite. The sauces, separate on the plate but meant to be eaten together, were the own duck juices, together with citrus, foie gras and cherry chutney that worked incredibly together with the meat.
Drinks menu does not fall behind by any means offering a good selection of sakes, shochu, a few beers, wine and cava. There is also featured cocktails that I will make sure to try next time. The service was casual but refined at the same time. There was a few details that made a big impression on us. The ambiance is unique as well with its own style. Like a street style pop up eatery that does not follow any trend rather want to be functional. And it is. But appealing to your eyes as well. Reservation is available, happy hour happen every day of the week, menu changes by the season and also offers some specials.
My bf and I are agree that perhaps 5 stars should be reserved for those that you have visit in a few occasions at least. However, Bara stands up from the rest not only because of the above, which is certainly enough, but also because of the way they handled a customer with a challenging food allergy. A role model in my book instead of showing up fear or annoyance as many others. The story behind the name is not to be missed. A Japanese word, written with traditional Chinese characters and a tribute to Ian’s mum and nature’s beauty: Rosa
If I had to define Bara with a word, I would say it is the culinary expression of NYC. We have visit only once but I can assure you it will not be the last.

At first glance, it might be easy to overlook Bara. There’s a plethora of restaurants offering similar «fusion» themes, and the concept of shared small plates is nothing particularly novel. One shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, however; take note that Ian Alvarez, the chef behind Bara, has done time behind a varied number of kitchens, including Frank’s, Momofuku Noodle Bar, and Buttermilk Channel. It’s, perhaps, a little confusing as to why he would open up a restaurant offering dishes with roots in Japanese and French cuisine, but needless to say, I was certainly curious.
The space is minimalistic, with the typical set up of rows of two-​tops and a small bar area that allows some peeks into the kitchen. We were only one of a few of parties seated, so service was on point throughout the meal and our questions regarding the food and drinks menu were quickly addressed. The menu is split out into small «1^st» and large «2^nd» plates, with a handful of sides available as well; they’re ideal for sharing, especially for those who want to try as much as the menu as possible.
From the small plates, the East Coast Oysters are an easy starter for lovers of these bivalves. The Montauk oysters we had definitely leaned on the brinier side, but the addition of water kimchi and yuzu helped make them more palatable. A more unique bite are the Grilled Duck Meatballs, which were surprisingly tender given the nature of the protein, and had an added punch of umami thanks to a generous side of miso mustard. Also worth an order is the Chawanmushi Custard, a modern take on the traditional steamed egg custard that’s topped with crab salad, radish, and celery; the added freshness and crispness is a welcome counter to the soft egg base.
I’m sad to see that the Bacon Donburi is no longer available on the menu, but it’s one of the heartier dishes that we tried. Just imagine: a hearty base of warm sushi rice topped with a slow-​poached egg, pickled cucumbers and mushrooms, umeboshi, a generous serving of bacon, and a drizzle of plum sauce. Of all the dishes we tried, it was probably the most «fusion”-esque and one of the more successful in execution. The bowl had the ideal balance of savoriness, richness, acidity, and texture — and the plum sauce contributed just the right amount of sweetness to round out the dimension.
Bara doesn’t seem have to have received the amount of the love and publicity that I think it deserves. For those that are hesitant, their newly launched Happy Hour (available on both weekdays and weekends) appears to be the perfect way to sample what the restaurant has to offer — and I can assure you, it’ll be worth the chance.

I experienced Bara at Edible Brooklyn a few weeks ago and fell in love with their mackerel tataki. So after attending a charity event in Tribeca, a friend and I headed over to Bara for some light bites. At 7:45PM on a Thursday night, Bara was pretty empty. We were maybe the third table. Service was prompt and friendly. After looking through the menu, we decided to go with a few appetizers and sides. We ordered the mackerel tataki, duck meatballs, crispy pork cheeks, fingerling potatoes, roasted mushrooms, and ended with the black sesame crème brûlée.
Mackerel tataki — The cut of fish wasn’t as great as I remembered trying in Edible Brooklyn. There were chewy tendon pieces. Also, it was pretty salty. But I still think this was the best dish we had all night. The crunchy rice crisp provided the needed texture for the dish.
Duck Meaballs — The order came with 4 mini meatballs that were overally salty and made the mackerel tataki seem mild. We actually paired the meatballs with the crispy pork cheeks because the pork cheeks lacked salt.
Crispy pork cheeks — This was rather odd. It had a taste of Chinese salted duck pieces and the color of the meat is red which seems to confirm to us that the meat is salted. However, the flavor is very mild. Since we did take food home, this went bad the next day.
Fingerling potatoes — I tried very little of this but it wasn’t anything special. Basically, it’s smushed fingerling potato, with mayo and bonito flakes. I can’t find anything unique with this.
Roasted mushrooms — This was okay. It had a variety of mushrooms cooked different ways. It had this mushy purée at the bottom which we’re not sure what it was.
Black sesame crème brûlée — This was basically flan. The black sesame sprinkled on the top looked more like the flan fell on the kitchen floor and dirt was stuck to it. The texture is denser than flan and not as smooth as regular flan or crème brûlée. There’s a dash of salt on top which didn’t blend very well with the sweetness. I wish I had passed on the dessert.
Bara, in my opinion, needs to step up its game. the mackerel is special but that’s just about it. I’ve seen some pretty positive reviews about their entrée and some of the pictures look super appetizing, so I’m hoping I get to try some entrees next time.

It was one of my treat myself nights where I try out a new restaurant. I was the last guest of the night and the service was still impeccable. They’re attentive and simply nice.
I ordered the Gem Salad and Flatiron Steak. The salad was fine, but nothing special. But my steak was simply delicious! I loved the asian twist to the steak. The sauce might be a bit heavy for some, but it was perfect for me. For $ 22, it was just an awesome value in the city.
I am definitely coming back with a friend for their lobster noodles and mushroom side! I don’t think anyone can go wrong with giving this place a try.

SPICY LOBSTER NOODLES: A. My favorite, this dish was very well executed with perfectly al dente noodles and garlicky lobster (not spicy at all).
ChawanmushI custard: B+. I have rarely tasted chawanmushi (savory egg custard) I did not absolutely love, and this one sounded incredibly promising with its crab salad and celery hearts, but I was disappointed to discover that it was served cold! The flavors were great and it would have been amazing if it had been hot, especially on this cold and stormy night.
Whole roasted black bass: B-​. A bit fishy and overcooked — skip. This would have been a 4-​star experience had it not been for this dish.
Roasted mushrooms: A
Fingerling potatoes: A

This place is small and cozy. I got the duck as my entrée and it was delicious. It was a little on the chewy side. My friend got the fish. That dish was really big. The fish was also good.

This place is super tasty. I discovered it through the Reserve app. Though, I feel in hindsight I could have been fine with OpenTable since they were not super packed (but not super empty). Because you have to pay them $ 5 a booking, Reserve is one of those apps you want to use like a Chef’s Table-​like experience with, where you need to order days in advance and call a specific number repeatedly Monday at noon. And when the check came– they knew what to do (i.e. you pay the check through Reserve so they give you a paid receipt) which made for a smooth transition.
Anyway, all that aside. Service was pretty good. Our waiter was new but so genuine and made good recommendations. The food wasn’t even slow given we were dining late — around 9 (and also, we were late to the res thanks to lack of parking– they were so understanding). They also had a huge party of like 20 which seemed like a lot to manage but they seemed to be doing fine. The restaurant is not big. I wouldn’t come here with a super large group. There is bar seating, which helps.
Anyway, FOOD! Food is good. It’s marketed as Japanese fusion but it seemed pretty Japanese. We decided to skip out on the smallish looking appetizers, and share 3 mains. We used the egg noodles as an appetizer– this was good but our least favorite dish. The sauce was just butter and I guess some kind of egg yolk. but it did not taste like much. The oxtail it was supposed to come with was sparse. but all in all it was good and a good portion to share. I enjoyed the micro greens and the pickled shallots, as well.
By far, the best thing were the two other mains we shared, which were neck in neck. I loved the whole stripped bass (and we got the last fish so be sure to come on the earlier side!) which was so artfully prepared with soy glaze, cucumber– unfortunately while the fish was a good portion, it was filled with a lot of bones which was a downer.
The other dish I completely loved was the fried chicken which I feel they don’t promote enough. This is SO delish. There isn’t a lot of fried stuff on the menu so I feel it’s a they fry to perfection — not greasy or nasty. It was surprisingly heavy and light at the same time. I really enjoyed the combo hot sauce slash BBQ sauce, which was tangy, smokey and spicy. I also enjoyed the kohlrabi slaw which was perfect and not overly dressed– very refreshing.
We skipped out on dessert because we were full but I’m glad we choose to come here and would recommend it to others.

With no shortage of Japanese Tapas spot in NY, Bara is a welcome edition to the bunch. Came for brunch with a friend and practically had the place to ourselves.
The brunch men is small so even ordering everything on the menu will probably run you a tiny bit under 100 bucks. Everything was fresh, well made and respectfully on point.
Started with some east coast oysters that came dressed in a fermented radish mignonette. Refreshing and citrius-​y that was perfect on a hot and humid day. Next up with the egg custard that came in a Chinese tea cup that was mixed with crab salad, radish and celery hearts. Mild in flavor but ever ingredients really peeks its head out when taking each bite. The bacon donburi was amazing! I’d actually come back to sample this again… and again. A somewhat heavy dish only made to feel like you’re not cheating on your diet (you definitely are) since it’s countered by the brown rice on the bottom.
I liked the place overall but If I had to make one suggestion… It would be to add 2 to 3 more standout dishes. I find the repertoire slightly lacking in that department.