Teshigotoya

This place used to be really, really good. And now that it has been revamped (slightly new concept after closing for a couple months), it is downright spectacular. Menu options are a lot more limited now, though the choices are much more reasonably priced, and items seem to be prepared with more care. Had an omakase assortment the other night for $ 45 that consisted of a very solid 5 courses, many of which had multiple components. Easily worth the money and the recommendation. PS — I lived in Japan for 2 years, so I am picky when it comes to Japanese food in NY.

This place is definitely a hidden gem in east village. Their omakase set, which is about $ 100 per person (they will give you the options when you call and reserve), is by far one of the best ones I’ve ever tasted in New York. Their dish is made in the traditional Japanese way but their presentation is very contemporary. I will definitely recommend it for those who are not afraid to try new Japanese food. They told us that they design new menu every season, so I will definitely come back again soon!

Picked this place because of the positive review on Unilocal.Highly disappointed. I called them to make a reservation and they said a table for 2 was available for the day I wanted to make a reservation. I walked in and saw my friend waiting for me at the counter table. I asked her if we had to sit at the counter table. She said «that’s what they said. They said they told you about that when you made a reservation.» Obviously they did NOT. If they had told me that, I would have considered… I asked them to have a table. They said «No, we cannot» without any apology. The place is tiny and there were about 10 servers standing around the counter and we were the only customer there then, so if we had sat at the counter, our conversation would have been caught by them for sure. Would you like to stay there or leave? We left. They still didn’t apology or didn’t tell us to come back.

This place was good albeit confusing. I wasn’t sure how much to order or what to order. You definitely need to order several dishes to be full.
We ordered a sashimi off the specials menu which came chopped up in a jar and was good but not at all worth $ 15. We also ordered autumn vegetables which were sauteed in a delicious sauce (this was our favorite). We order seared salmon which was good but quite small again and came with weird unseasoned and barely cooked vegetables actually one brussel sprout cut in half and a carrot. We also ordered the smoked salmon salad which I thought would be more asian flavored but instead tasted like regular smoked salmon which was slightly offputting. The salad that came with it was quite basic and could’ve used a bit more thought.
I will definitely order based on what I see is liked on Unilocal because their menu is quite expansive and confusing. This seems like the type of place you have to know what’s what to order the good/​right things.

What an amazing surprise this place was! It looks unremarkable from the outside, but that just adds to the speakeasy vibe.
Eating here is an experience: the food puts on a show, and everything was delicious. Two dishes in particular really stood out:
— The egg croquette, as many other people have mentioned. They bring it out sizzling and pour the sauce over it at the table. This was one of the tastiest things I’ve ever eaten, ever.
— The house-​made tofu. They mean it when they say house-​made. I thought that meant they made the sauce or something, but no, they make the tofu itself from scratch AT THE TABLE. It comes out in a bowl with a flame, and cooks for a while at the table. When the fire goes out, it’s ready to eat. It comes with whipped soy sauce (very interesting) and some fancy salt. So simple, but so good.
The atmosphere is intimate yet edgy. Perfect spot for a nice date!

Me and my friends picked this place because of the positive review on Unilocal.What a mistake.
I am Japanese and felt responsible for it and almost wanted to pick entire bill for friends and treat them elsewhere.
The food was less than ok, nothing stood up. Plates are seasoned mostly overly salty which you know makes you drink more and we feel tasty when it has good amount of salt. Salt and seasoning are overpowering and you don’t even taste the flavor from the food or vegetable. You can go to much better tapas place or Japanese place.
It was my friend’s one of the last meals in NYC before relocating. VERY disappointed. Not going back for sure.

Simply amazing. This restaurant is what I love about living in the EV. Spectacular, well-​executed food that is innovative.
It is small plates style, and they have an extremely large menu (which usually I dislike, but I just love it here.)
My favorites of the night are the carbonara (smoky perfection) that is mixed tableside, and the egg croquette which is a soft boiled egg inside mashed potatoes that are then fried and covered with a cream sauce. Drooling yet?
I also liked the sashimi fondue (very creative uni dipping sauce) but felt it was slightly overpriced for the amount of sashimi you get. But it gets points in creativity. The steak with rice was also tasty but far from mind-​blowing, rather standard.
My new favorite restaurant in the EV. Will definitely be back!

I’m not sure why this place has such good Unilocal reviews. I came here a few weekends ago with high expectations, hoping this may be a hidden neighborhood gem. Unfortunately it was another run-​of-​the-​mill EV Japanese joint.
The food wasn’t very memorable — the only thing that stuck out was everything was way too salty. The portions are tapas sized, so expect to order 2 – 3 items per person at least. I feel that for the price point there are definitely other places I’d rather go.
Our server was great though and very friendly, and I liked the general atmosphere of the restaurant.

First time here by Unilocal recommendation… I like the ambient like Japanese house… I sit at the bar in front of the chef… So I can see every movement in the kitchen… I try the signature dish here like Sashimi Fondue, the egg croquette and Chef choice omakase dish… Every dishes are interesting and delicious… Surprise me…

Teshigotoya is definitely one of the most unique experiences I’ve had with Japanese cuisine.
Came here on a Friday night and we were lucky enough to get a table, since it is a small place. Most of the tables had reserved signs on them, so I definitely recommend making a reservation: it seemed like they were holding the tables for awhile. The interior was small and cozy, and the lighting was dim. The chairs were soft and couch-​like, which I thought was really cool.
The menu is pretty unique. They had a wide range of dishes, some of which I had never heard of. I would definitely recommend asking the server for recommendations: the dishes are of different sizes and they recommend sharing different dishes. Our server told us most of the dishes were small, but pointed out the dishes that would make good portions for an entrée. Service was definitely 5 stars.
We started off with the $ 28 «Omakase» set. The chef selected a couple of items for us. It seemed like the selections were fusions of different cuisines. We had cheese, cured meats, octopus, etc. on our tasting platter. The presentation of the dish was really cool, but I don’t necessarily think the items added up to $ 28. My favorite of the tasting menu was the Octopus and Salmon Roe. I would recommend getting this just because it’s fun to eat and it looks cool. My friend ordered the fried chicken liver & heart. She said it was decent, but that she wasn’t used to having it fried. (The menu didn’t specify t was fried). I ordered the Salmon Filet and I thought it was great. The flavor was on point.
The meal was a bit under $ 35 dollars each person including tax and tip, which I think is reasonable for a Japanese restaurant. I definitely want to come back to try some of their other menu items: the Salmon Fondue seemed really interesting.

Last night after days spent moving to a new place I decided to try out something tasty and new around the block. This restaurant really put up a good fight for the top 3 Japanese food I had in NYC.
First of all, the menu here is humongous, not only what you seen on the normal menu, there are three chalk boards dedicated for today’s special. All of the dishes are something I haven’t seen in any other place. I have to say, $ 30 per person for a such a good meal is worth every time.
The atmosphere here is very ambient and suitable for dinner with anyone, what the heck, even on your own. The waitress is very nice and patient, I did ask her a lot of question and she didn’t show a sight of annoyance.
Lastly, the freshness of the seafood, in my case bluefin tuna and sea-​horse, were top notch regardless of the portion side, after all, quality beats quantity in places like this. I have ordered two appetizers and two entries (btw, they don’t have entries, at least that is what I have been told) and me and my friend were stuffed. As I mentioned before, great value. I would recommend anyone who is tired of usual Japanese food and give this place a try.

So yummy and unique. Great ambiance, and as everyone else said. you have to have the egg croquette. It’s like a soft boiled egg wrapped with mashed potatoes and then fried. Yum! Great spot with endless options for anyone.

Awesome experience! Try the sashimi fondue and the bacon steak! Also check out the bar and have some Japanese whisky.

Absolutely blown away by this gem in our neighborhood! Every dish on their huge menu (check out that chalkboard of specials!) is crafted with creativity and great attention to detail. Needless to say, everything is DELICIOUS. M liked it so much he came here two days in a row, the second time to bring me and show me how good this place is! The ambiance is nice too, with exposed brick wall, dim lighting, reminds me of a bar. My review of the food:
— fresh tofu: I’ve never had tofu that is this fresh, with such silky texture and bursting with soy flavor. It comes in a little pot that is cooked on your table for about 10 minutes before you devour it. Definitely recommend this.
— Chicken meatballs: a plate of meatballs each with a different dollop of sauce for pairing with an extra ingredient on top of the meatball. There’s sweet potato, basil pesto, shrimp, and more. This was such a creative take on a run of the mill dish.
— Crab risotto: excellent, not too creamy. Weirdly comes in a plate but I’ll eat it on whatever it comes on.
— Bacon steak: too fatty for me personally. I don’t usually like pork belly or other meats that have a thick layer of fat on them. I probably would not order again, though M seemed to enjoy this.
— Shrimp toast: imagine a thick slab of shrimp/​crab on top of a fresh piece of bread, then all deep fried with a deep fried shrimp on top. It was a bit too much for me but nonetheless delicious. I just felt bad for my arteries getting clogged.
— Want to try: mushroom bacon salad, boiled egg croquette, everything else on the menu.
Will definitely definitely be returning and bringing lots of friends as well! So happy this opened in our area!

Phenomenal food and an incredibly long menu with a wide variety of specials. wonderful atmosphere and service — great place for a quiet dinner, either together or alone.

I don’t review much anymore — lack of time I guess, but I had to come and sing some praise for Teshigotoya.
We are relocating to LA tomorrow and my husband and I were struggling to figure out what would be a fitting farewell NY meal for our last night here. It of course, was risky to go to a spot we hadn’t gone to before, but I think it’s fitting, since choices in NYC encourages people to try new things. Teshigotoya also came highly recommended by some friends whose taste buds we trust. Well, this decision paid off and we were rewarded with one of the more memorable, delicious meals we had in NY for a long time. Given the number and variety of Japanese restaurants we go to, this was no easy feat.
First, restaurant ambience is relaxed and chill. Not too crowded for a Tuesday night around 7. You have option of bar or table seating. If you’re part of a small party or dining alone, I recommend grabbing a seat at the bar. You get to see chef at work.
Next, restaurant is clean and well kept, which is always a great thing. The kitchen is open and small, which is amazing that they crank everything out in the space. Upon looking at the menu, we realized there were more options on the special menu, so we had to struggle to read the specials on the board. Small suggestion — ask your server about the specials and recommendations.
We ordered four items– crab omelette, carbonara, egg croquettes, simmered black cod. I realize now that three out of the four dishes were creamy and had eggs, but seriously all were so delicious. I would now know to order more variety in our choices. Each and every dish had amazing flavors. We will want to try something more traditional Japanese next time, but for tonight, it was perfect. One thing I will note is that the cod was not what we expected, it was a little tougher than cod I’ve had. I guess we were expecting something more like miso cod that’s more buttery and soft In texture and this was different. Flavor was good, but we will prob skip and try something else next time.
No room at the end for dessert but the options looked great. If you’re looking for a solid japanese restaurant and don’t want typical sushi/​sashimi/​ramen, give this place a try. Well worthy for a last meal in NYC.

One of the most exciting meals I’ve ever had in Manhattan. Experimental Modern Japanese food shines through exquisitely textured and delicately flavoured dishes. I cannot wait to come back!

No one is doing Japanese food like this in NYC. NO ONE! Sans sushi/​sashimi for the most part; truly inventive cuisine — beautiful both on the inside and out :).
First, it’s true what everyone so far has said: you HAVE to try the magic soft boiled egg croquette with cream sauce on a sizzling cast iron plate. They run out fast so make sure to get your order in as soon as you sit down! Other menu highlights from my incredible meal: the octopus carpaccio, garlic & steak fried rice (!!!), house made pickles, potato salad cake, simmered black cod, broccoli rabe with bacon and anchovy, order ANY sashimi specials they have. You know what else sets them apart from the rest of the Japanese restaurant mass in NYC? They have a REAL dessert menu with serious desserts. So don’t forget to check the small blackboard, bar left, to see what they’re offering for the eve.
The service is on point. If you don’t know how to navigate their specials heavy menu, the staff is tremendously helpful and attentive.
Though I was there with 9 of my friends for my bday and that worked out, I know it’d also be a slam dunk date spot. All candle lit, open air eatery/​café-​ish type vibe. Not to mention their music selection is first-​class.
Oh! And it’s BYOB for now til their liquor license comes thru.
Can’t wait to go back!

The most amazing boiled egg croquette ever. This place is gonna be packed very soon.

I wanted to surprise my best friend with a good japanese restaurant and the course menu they had there was perfect.