Japonais

I know that this place is closed but felt compelled to write about it. It was truly an amazing dining experience. The architects really made this place beautiful. The drinks are delicious and even if you don’t see anything on the drink menu the bartenders are so good that they will create a cocktail for you. I remember the lobster rolls and simply this place rocked. I miss it but am going to the one in Chicago tomorrow. I cannot wait.

This place is so nicely designed, you feel good sitting here and the food is mighty good as are the drinks… I realize that transplant New Yorkers are kinda annoying and make big deals out of molehills, really this place is very nice, the waitstaff is pretty good the food is good to great and the drinks are awesome, what more do you want???
Its expensive– the only gripe, however when you look at the place its like you get what you pay for. My fiancé took me here for a few romantic lunches that I will never forget, the kind where he pulled out the chair for me and we sat and stared googly eyed :)
I always got the sushi which is very good, but he got the burger with brie cheese and sweet potato fries– unbelievable guilty pleasure!

They sat us near the cold window :(who does that!
Other than that — food was good. Came here for RW. Japonais burger was bomb, I am convinced it was the truffle oil. Mmmmm.

Fun, upscale, spot serving delicious Asian dishes perfect for sharing. I had a great time at Japonais.
We ate here with a large group (about 10 people). We ordered a variety of appetizers and mains to share amongst the table.
Service was much better than I expected given the size of our group. They did a nice job staggering dishes so there were always a few things on the table but we were never overwhelmed. They also made sure that each area of the table had access to a particular type of dish. Our waters were always full and alcoholic beverages replenished at a more than reasonable speed. When one person ordered a few bottles of wine for the table, the servers presented glasses to each diner and made sure to refill them often. Dishes were cleared in a timely manner and new courses presented. Five stars for the service!
The food was pretty dang good, too. Seafood items were fresh. The «rock» appetizer was a huge hit – it was fun to cook the meat on the stone and the meat had a delicious salty marinade. The duck entrée served moo-​shi style was also really good, and worked surprisingly well to share.
I thought a few items were less pleasing. The sweet and sour calamari was one of them. While the squid seemed fresh and well-​cooked, the sauce and breading brought this dish closer to Chinese take-​out than upscale Asian fusion. I also thought some of the sushi rolls suffered from an abundance of mayonnaise-​based sauce.
I tried both the chocolate cake and the apple crumble dessert and give thumbs up there, too. The apples were crisp enough that I believe that dessert was made fresh in-​house. I also liked that it wasn’t super-​sweet.
Finally, really attractive, upscale, romantic décor – I think this would be a great place to bring a first or second date. I would caution people to dress up a bit in here. I had just arrived from out of town and felt very underdressed in my traveling clothes (trouser jeans, cotton top, wool sweater). If I had to do it over again I’d at least throw on a blouse and some heels.

Arrived 20 min early for a Valentine’s Day dinner. They sent us to the bar area and said they would come get us when our table was ready. 40 min later (20 min AFTER our reservation time), we asked if our table was ready. All the host said was «yes» and had someone walk us to our table in the half empty restaurant. Real nice.
The best part of our meal was the Lobster Spring Rolls — and I don’t even like lobster. I just wanted to eat 100 of these crispy bouts of deliciousness!
Second best dish of the night, The Rock. Marinated NY Strip Steak slices that you cook on a hot Rock. Gimmicky but Fun! Sizzle Sizzle chOmp! (Pricey for what you get)
Third runner up! Tuna Steak. This was really good! But not as good as Asia De Cuba good.
The Japanese ribs were drowned in Hoisin sauce and tasted like a chinese dish. Good but not great.
Pumpkin Cheesecake — Tasty, nothing I’d go out and buy again.
Kabocha [pumpkin] cheesecake
New Harbord (think its a typo– Harbor) Vineyards, Pinot Noir 2008 — tastes kind of cheap. oh right, thats because the glass they served is the cost of the entire bottle.
The food was good, the service was great and I’m dying to go back and try the Tasting Hour Menu and have a famous Japonais Burger!

Restaurant week review.
Met an old friend for dinner. Loved the dark lounge ambiance and open space. Also, loved that you have five choices to choose from for appetizer and entrée. We ordered cocktails, geisha and strawberry martinis, sweet and light. The waitress told what’s popular and which ones would give us our money’s worth. This was the breakdown:
Appetizer: Fried Lobster rolls and Sashimi platter. Lobster rolls delish! The rolls still very hot as I was chewing. Sashimi platter was a surprise which included fried shrimp heads, raw shrimps, and tuna. I’ve never seen fried shrimp heads offered on a menu and tasted crispy delish! Raw shrimp have a sweet flavor.
Entrees: Teriyaki Shrimp Tempura with fried rice and Burger with sweet potato fries. Burger is huge, meaty and came with a big order of the fries. What I didn’t like is the sprinkles of salt all over the burger and fries. Teriyaki dish was delish as well.
Dessert: Cheesecake served in a mini bowl. Vey good.
I loved the ambiance with soft rock music more than the food, even though I got my money’s worth. This is not your typical japanese cuisine, more like american comfort cusine with japanese fused cocktails. I did like the appetizers very much and would try the sushi here next time.

went here for restaurant week but in true Paola & Brian fashion, we didn’t order from the RW MENU…
SETTING:
the place is super cute & totally belongs in the flatiron. nice décor, dim lighting & very cozy. it’s such a diverse crowd too — there are groups of friends, couples & some suits for some apres work dinner/​drinks.
FOOD:
TOKYO DRUMETTES: spicy teriyaki drumettes w roasted scallion dipping sauce — SO GOOD!!! crispy on the outside, perfectly juicy on the inside. the sauce is delicious. sadly, this was probably the best dish we ordered.
JAPANESE RIBS: hickory smoked + red miso barbeque sauce. this LOOKED so good! but sadly, they were pretty mediocre. i was really disappointed…
«LE BURGER» JAPONAIS: togarashi spiced burger + truffle mayo + brie. this burger was good, very juicy & i like the truffle mayo with the brie. comes with sweet potato fries that Brian LOVED. i thought the fries were meh…
BEEF FRIED RICE: w fried egg on top. this was very good. Brian & I shared this & it’s the my 2^nd favorite dish. if i come back here, i’d def order this as my meal.
APPLE TOBAN YAKI: apples w ginger cookie crust + vanilla honey iced cream. very good. it’s basically a sizzling apple crumble with a scoop of iced cream. i love anything hot & cold, tart & creamy. yum!
CHOCOLATE BEIGNETS: w green tea semi-​freddo. meh. i would skip this. it sounds good but it’s pretty plain. also, i had beignets at Brasserie a couple of nights ago & this place doesn’t even come close!
SERVICE:
waitstaff is great — super polite & attentive.
PRICE:
for two drinks (Floating Orchid + Lychee Martini) & everything above, everything came out to around ~150. i would have paid this amount for any good dinner but not this place.
maybe i’ll give it another shot.
xoxo

Ended up here for an after-​work dinner. My party split a bunch of appetizers: the lobster spring rolls were really tasty. the waygu skirt steak robata was really puny, even for one person, but tasty. The manju buns were out of this world! A definite must try!
After a recommendation from the table, I went with the Japonais burger. At first I thought «Hmmm Asian-​fusion place and I’m gonna try the burger!?» but what the hell I said. Turns out the burger is on the money. The burger is topped with truffle mayo, brie, lettuce & tomato; by far one of the better burgers I had in a while. The coffee and doughnuts dessert is a must though. Those chocolate beignets are like crack! haha
The place was a bit dead the night we came in and we went in smack in the middle of the dinner rush. Supposedly this location is known more for its bar and lounge. However, the aesthetics and décor of this place is great; from it’s cool, wavy looking ceiling, to the comfy chairs and it’s dim, edgy feel, it’s definitely a nice place to dine at. Our waiter was great as well. I’m not dying to come back in here, but I’d stop in again if I’m in the area.

I was immediately impressed with both the size and the aesthetics of the place. It’s absolutely gorgeous.
It immediately made me feel under-​dressed, but the hostess made me feel right at home. She gave a warm smile and directed me to the engagement party upstairs for my buddy, Geo Chen (congratulations!).
My friend had about 30 guests upstairs and they were having a ball up there. They food was presented very well and people were dogging the pretty dishes as if they were nachos. There was nothing but satisfaction on peoples faces.
I would definitely come back here again. I think it makes a great spot for a date and/​or to celebrate a special occasion.
Kudos to all of the staff that night. I was very impressed with their very attentive, yet not overly done service. They made us feel like they genuinely loved their job there.

Review is for «Tasting Menu» at Japonais… what we sampled:
WAGYU SKIRT STEAK ROBATA: tiny, tiny 2 bites (3 stars)
CRAB CAKE: a single mini cake (3 stars)
TOKYO DRUMS: chicken drum sticks, 4 pieces (3.5 stars)
JAPONAIS BURGER: burger was OK, the sweet potato fries were the best item of the night! (4 stars)
Overall, the tasting menu is really more of mini appetizers. Tiny bite size. The best value is the drink menu. Grab a table by the window and people watch the bar. =)

Review of bar and lounge area only. Went tonight for first time. Arrived around 6ish and sat at the bar. Was immediately impressed with the ambiance. Very nice place to meet for a drink. I had read about the drink specials and food specials on the tasting menu. But we ended up not ordering any food. Time to leave. So I ask for a check and paid without really looking too closely at the bill. Get home and see that they did not charge me the happy hour prices for my beers… but full price. Kinda lame. Not like I over paid that much, but it’s the principal… if they have drink specials they should bill accordingly.
Not sure if I will be back.

The food was great, the service not so much. Our party was made up of 10+ people and despite the numerous drinks, appetizers, and entrees we ordered our waiter did not show us the type of service we would have expected. Maybe with a smaller group it would have been a better experience.
No question — this place knows sushi. Their martinis were delicious. Food was slight overpriced, but its uniqueness and the restaurant’s the ambiance made up for it.
Our waiter brought us about 5 dishes that we hadn’t ordered (and didn’t apologize), forgot to put in a friend’s order all together, and then charged my sister’s credit card twice. Sorting that whole situation out was a mess in itself. This place might be better to go to with a smaller group.

I wanted to love this place more than I did. It’s definitely decorated beautifully and has a chill, contemporary, eclectic ambiance. It’s on the darker side, though some of the tables have brighter spotlights.
They had some fancy looking cocktails. I tried the Asian Pear Martini and the Floating Orchid. Both were über sweet and not incredibly strong.
The king crab rolls were nice, but I’ve had more unique rolls at other restaurants. The mushroom fried rice had a nice, unique flavor. The tuna flatbread was a little weird to me; the flavors didn’t really taste well combined, but that was probably just a personal preference. Similarly, the lobster tempura was a bit weird; the lobster itself was good, but the other stuff in the bowl didn’t seem to go. It was overall a little too gloppy. The crab cakes were probably my favorite; they had a subtle crunchiness and were nice and moist. The quack got the most attention from my table, for sure.
Our waitress was moderately attentive, a bit too practiced in the lines she’s supposed to say at the table.
Overall, it was a pretty good meal but not very memorable.

This is one of the prettiest restaurants. They have a lot of branches and whatnot around the restaurant and their bar is pretty packed. I came for restaurant week probably last summer and the food was SO CHEAP. their portions are so small and inhumane. I would literally look over to the next table (since they’re pretty close by) and drool at what they ordered, and wish that I had it too. I dont know if I would say I want to come back, just because restaurant week menus usually reflect how their real menu’s would be. If they serve small portions during restaurant week, that’s pretty much saying their regular menu would be the same, except potentially pricier. However, I know they have happy hour at the bar, so if anything, I’d probably come back to japonais for that. just because its really pretty and the ambiance is great as well.
The portions is the reason why I’m giving it 3 instead of 4 stars. and since i didnt take pictures here, i really can’t remember what i ordered. how unfortunate.

This is my new place to go when I’m in the Union Square and lookin’ to get swankified!
I’ve dined internationally and Japonais is one of the most visually appealing dining atmospheres I’ve experienced. If you can get a table next to the sushi bar, GET IT! I loved the lounge & bar area for the roomier, more laid-​back vibe… but it was genius watching these sushi artists work! Even the layout of the sushi bar itself was mesmerizing.
The wait and runner staffs as a whole were very friendly, über accommodating, and QUITE visually appealing! Our waitress, while fitting all three of the aforementioned attributes, was on the wrong side of occasionally absent-​minded. But, overall, we were well — if not overly — attended to.
We split some apps to start and were thrilled across the board! The Crispy Shrimp & Salmon Roll was one of the most flavorful sushi rolls I’ve ever enjoyed. And the Salmon was as fresh as I’ve had it in Alaska! The Katos Kakuni (pork belly) was shut your mouth tender and succulent. The complimentary mix of flavors were tremendous! It was a small, tapas-​sized dish… but more than enough. And it goes without saying that everyone was fighting to get at their second taste of the Tuna Flatbread.
We did the «get your own but we’re all gonna share» entrée shebang. Once all was said and done, none of us could decide what we liked more! The Japanese Ribs were huge (for a half rack), very meaty and nearly fall-​off-​the-​bone tender. The bbq sauce was delectable. And I warned everyone that they would get my fork in the back of their hands if they touched more than one bite of the best soy bean salad I’ve ever eaten!
The Chestnut Chicken was equally tender. They serve two nicely-​portioned pieces with surprise broccoli rabe between them! The kid who ordered this dish didn’t take one second to talk while trying to keep this dish to himself!
Surprisingly, the Japonais Burger was one of the best burgers most of us have had in the city! The spicing was phenomenal, it was the perfect size, it was dressed well, and the sweet potato pomme frites had us all scrambling to scarf down as many as we could claim! The Crispy Soft Shell Crab Sandwich was also quite good. My only issue was that the roll wasn’t the proper density to hold the sandwich together. The roll became slightly soggy throughout the course due to the moisture of the avocado and wasabi mayo. But the batter and method used to fry the crab made it taste out of this world! One of the best I’ve eaten, once again, in Alaska or in Baltimore.
The Miso Baramundi (pan-​seared bass with fried cheeks) was the only dish that wasn’t a huge hit. The people who tried it enjoyed it. But no one had bulging «GIMME MO’!!!» eyes as they did for other dishes. I personally didn’t try it because I didn’t even find the presentation appealing.
But, on an up-​note, while I didn’t drink that evening, those who ordered Japonais’ Signature Floating Orchid Martini seemed to be in heaven!
I can’t give a full 5-​star rating due to our particular waitress, the slightly soggy roll, and the Baramundi. But we had a great time and loved that most facets of our dining experience were on point. If you have the funds, I highly recommend this quality establishment!

**3.5**
The first time I came here was with the Chunster (when he was still drinking alcohol) and knocked back a couple of saketini’s and other drinks with the suffix ‘tini’. I remembered the one with a star on the rim as the best out of them all.
I have to thank Mr. Attenchun for getting this place on my radar because it is definitely a great go-​to spot for a drink or three early in the week. What? Sometimes a girl needs a drink on a Monday.
My friend and I popped over here after work and took advantage of their tasting hour menu — where «on the rocks» drinks are $ 4 a piece (a choice of two), martini concoctions are $ 7 a piece (a choice of two) and small bites range from $ 7-​$ 12 depending on the item.
I have to admit, the 2 maki rolls for $ 7 were pretty good (even though eating fish on a Monday is a no-​no) for what they were.
Favorite drink here — the Startini. While it isn’t really potent (none of the «special» drinks are), at least you can taste the alcohol and there is this lovely floral note that lingers on your tongue after each sip.
So if you need a place to chill with a friend, maybe bring a low-​key date or even have a large dinner party (this place is huge, but I’ve not tried the actual food… just the bar bites) — this place might just do the trick!

So apparently the word is that Japonais has gone down since its inception. Gone down in portion (prices the same), and in quality. I though it was ok– a lot of it was hit or miss. We went super early for a family dinner because the happy hour is supposed to be good; cocktail around $ 7 or less type of thing. The apple pear martini was good– it beats the lychee albeit that’s always the signature «Asian» martini haha. It was fresh, light, and had quality liquor.
I had already eaten a bunch that day so admittedly I didn’t order a full course meal. My Mom and Dad had the prefix, ($ 35) with teeny tiny portions. The menu is pretty eclectic for Japanese– it’s not sterile but rather very fusion and trendy. I think I ordered the Lobster type of BIsque– I forgot what it was called and it was baaaaad. Very tasteless– and not bisquey at all! It was very watery with scallions on top. Since when does scallion belong in a bisque?! Beats me.
I also had the Ahi Tuna Ceviche– that was pretty awesome. Deserves a whole star itself. Great texture of the fish, great citrus taste– all things I think about ceviche. The portion wasn’t bad for an appetizer (though I had it as a meal) because I wasn’t hungry), but I could see, if I was ravenous that I would have actually been satisfied! What a rarity in New York!
Other things: my sister in law had the burger– there was a huge patty reduction I heard. And the fries, while good (could have been crispier) were ¹⁄₃ the fraction of what it used to be. Booness to that. In the prefix, I tried the salmon– unremarkable and small. In fact, it was soggy! I hate soggy samon, I like that cripsy skin and that’s what this salmon lacked.
For prefix entrees, go with the Chestnut Chicken– this sounds so un Japanese but again, Japonais is not that kind of place. You need to try the avant garde items here, the chicken ended being a great blend of ginger and shitake mushrooms.
None of us had the sushi– not «real sushi» anyway, but this place is very untraditional. As a first course for the prefix, my Dad got the Spicy Mono Maki– which was great! Very rich– but people who appreciate real sushi will hate it. It’s kind of overcooked but hey, anything wrapped wit tempura flakes is good.
For dessert, the sorbet is a joke– in taste and in portion. Well, it wasn’t bad tasting it was just whatever. It had a beautiful presentation though; the server drips on watermelon sauce when you’re ready to eat. But, the Cheesecake is also baaad. It’s not dense at all– it’s so weird, it was almost spongey? And super tasteless. Maybe I’m biased because I hate all cheesecakes anyway.
If you want dessert, then order one a la carte. Best thiing is the coffee and doughnuts– WONDERFUL beignets (filled with melted chocolate!!) and green tea ice cream. They pimp out their Apple Turnover type of thing and that was underwhelming. It was like sauteed apples and bits of crumble. It was an apple crumble– but a more apple and less crumble. It was more like sauteed apples. Bagh.
The décor in here is fantastic– very nice place and you can rent the upstairs for a nice cocktail party. It’s huge, kind of ware-​housey but still beautiful. Random anecdote: the sushi chef was dancing by the sushi bar maybe because he was bored but it was so amusing haha. No one tells you that you can’t have the happy hour menu in the dining room, which is disappointing but I understand the point.
If you come for the food (lounging aside), then the highlights are the chicken, cevhiche and beignets. Otherwise, nah– until they up the portions a bit!

Very swift of you, Japonais. Maybe it was because I rescheduled so many times and this is the retribution. Well, payback came in the form of the somewhat misleading «Shared» courses; to fault myself, I should’ve more carefully read the subheadings on the RW Menu they had online before setting up our rendezvous (they’re apparently French here, as the «s» is silent). Once the protocol behind the shared menu was explained to us, it was fine.
Nice interior but trendy almost to a fault (Pandora and my living room near Christmas do not mix), with overly loud odd tunes considering it was nearly empty. Bartender was sweet but got a bit overbearing while I was waiting for my +1. Once seated, the soundtrack was offensive and too fickle for anyone’s tastes, and the service was patchy. The food, however, was excellent-​octopus rolls and lobster rolls, salmon japonais, and the cheesecake were phenomenal distractions from Katy Perry, house music, and the Space Jam score.
Often, when I’m not entirely sure I made the right decision in choosing a particular place to eat, I nervously await validation from my dining partner (s) to confirm I did well. At Japonais, I didn’t once feel so compelled; I knew it was good.
Add a more attentive/​better staffed wait crew (they’re VERY lucky the 20% gratuity was included, because I would’ve been hesitant to go 15%, let alone 18%) and change the soundtrack and I’m good for 5 stars.

One of the worst restaurant week selections we have ever made.
How is this restaurant even called Japonais when I tasted no Japanese influence in the dishes we ordered?!
Spring rolls, crab cakes, ribs, chicken, pumpkin cheesecake. Not Japanese. American fused w/​a bit of Asian: the food is suffering an identity crisis!
Nothing stood out as even good. Mediocrity annoys the hell out of me– GO BIG OR GO HOME! I got a $ 10 glass of wine that was better than the $ 35 meal. This is why AA can’t get me to quit drinking.

Summer 2009 restaurant week review
We had a dinner reservation and were seated promptly. Where I sat, there was a drop of water that would hit my back every 10 minutes or so. Maybe a leaky A/​C. I was willing to let it go because I prepared to reflect my discontent on my gratuity, only to find that tip (make that a whopping 20%) is included in the bill. But here’s the deal on the food:
For apps, we got the lobster spring rolls, and the crab cakes. Both were good. Portions small. Nothing I didn’t expect.
For entrees, we got the salmon japonais and the chestnut chicken. They were both alright, but not spectacular. The salmon could have been a bigger piece (you better eat that slice of lemon that comes with it, because you will still be hungry), and I don’t recall what was so chestnutty about the chicken. The chicken dish included rice and was a generous portion, so I forked over some food to my salmon-​eating hungry friend. But the chicken was just… chicken. Maybe if their cut it up and cooked it around a bit, it would’ve tasted more interesting.
For dessert, we both got the kabocha cheesecake, instead of the sorbet. Thank goodness we did, because it was my favorite part of the meal. The pineapple mousse whipped me up good. The pumpkin cheesecake was crazy nice.
The atmosphere is loungey-​clubby. The open-​air front is nice for letting fresh air in, and diluting some of the noise. The food took a while to come, and the waitress apologized; fortunately for Japonais, I was not with with my other friends, who prize eating before talking, because then this would’ve turned into a mess of a night. 3 of 5 stars because for the price, it’s not holy heavens, but it is an acceptable good time.