Village Yokocho

Came here last night and got the okonomiyaki, tuna ball, seaweed salad and miso soup. okonomiyaki is huge and I had large portions to take home.

THE spot for cheap authentic Japanese izakaya food with a group of friends. Always packed and for good reason. There are yakitori chefs grilling up the skewers one by one. Sooo Yummmmmm

Chicken skin yakitori and green tea tiramisu are my favorites. I think this is more of an everything restaurant. a mix of Japanese, Korean, American cuisine.

Village Yokocho
Good, cheap Japanese tapas food in a casual homie environment.
PRO TIP: get one of everything

Definitely one of the more spacious izakayas I’ve been to in NYC. The spacing is really good for the restaurant and they have plenty of tables for groups. Also, there’s a not so secret hidden bar called Angel’s Share right next door, which is accessible next to the staircase in the restaurant. Apparently, this has been one of the more popular Izakayas in NYC for several years so I don’t know how it’s escaped my presence! I guess I’ve just been living under a rock?
To me, the food was typical Izakaya fare — a Tapas heavy menu and other Japanese dishes, including yakitora, soups, dumplings, seafood, noodles, pancakes and, of course, what would an Izakaya be without tons of beer and sake! Many of the dishes can really be shared with a group so yes this makes for a great group hangout spot, especially late night!
I won’t comment on the food too much as it was all pretty good to me and I can’t remember ra dish I didn’t like a whole lot. We ordered the following and here are some of the opinions I had on some:
1. YAKITORI COMBOS (TAKE AND UME) — Definite must get! Meat was flavored really well!
2. GYOZA
3. KAKI FRY (FRIED OYSTER WITH SALAD) — Arrived with 3 huge pieces of oyster
4. SOFT SHELL CRAB — If these were less expensive, I definitely would’ve went for another round.
5. TAKOYAKI
6. BUTA-​KIMCHI (SPICY PICKLED NAPA CABBAGE) — A big surprise. One of the best kimchi dishes I’ve had in a while.
7. OKONOMI YAKI (CABBAGE, PORK & SHRIMP PANCAKE WITH BOHITO FLAKES & DRIED SEAWEED)
8. SHIOJAKE (BROILED SALMON) — Was a little underwhelming and plain.
9. TATSUTA AGE (DEEP FRIED CHICKEN WINGS) — Was plain and didn’t have much flavoring.
From what I’ve heard, the crowds fluctuate for the Izakaya depending on the day and time. Since there is a bar next door and the Izakaya is open until 2am, I would assume it can get very crowded on late nights for weekends. We came here on a regular Tuesday afternoon at 5:30pm and it was pretty empty. We were here until 8pm and there were still tables available, with the occasional people strolling into Angel’s Share. Service was quick as well. As with all Izakayas, the bill can go up pretty fast when you’re just ordering Tapas and with Village Yokocho it is no exception. The prices are a bit high, but the spacing, food, service and next door bar more than make up for it.

I came here one late night to eat some sashimi and swing by Angel’s Share. Angels share closed early unfortunately. This place is authentic– they don’t serve sushi rolls. They have a good selection of sashimi to choose from, and we got some octopus sashimi and the sashimi tri color plate. The fish was good, no cheap quality or color. This spot is good for having authentic Japanese food, all their menu items are in Japanese and no typical dishes and fare. Good place to go before a drink as well.

I love this place for cheap price and good quality salmon bowl.
Salmon bowl comes with salmon roe, crab meat, salmon, and uni with seasoned rice.
I always get tuna sashimi salad which has tiny bit of spiciness in it and lots of good leaves and thinly sliced daikon.
I tried deep fried combo from kushiage menu.
And fried squid legs. I love the mayonaise sauce.

Village Yokocho gives you an Izakaya dining experience. This place is always busy and they are open late 7 days a week (closes around 2:30am-3am). Their menu is pretty substantial so read down below for some must haves.
The Sashimi Bowl is amazing! All their seafood is very fresh and fairly priced. They are known for their tasty skewers ranging from chicken, beef, and quail eggs. I also highly recommend their fried squid legs!
The only con about this place is that they do not take reservations and seating is pretty tight so I do not recommend this place for large groups (5 or more) or children.
Food is great, service is quick, and the fish is always fresh. Yokocho you won me over, I’ll be back!

We (my foodie partner and a friend) came here for an early dinner in the summer. Once you walk past the noren, you escape the East Village and feel like you’re in Japan. We ordered a lot of dishes to share. After eating so many things one after the other, I’ve stopped keeping track of which ones were which but everything went well with each other. If you don’t pay attention, you could get surprised when you get the bill because it does add up pretty fast. The standout was definitely the Hotate Bacon so get that if you can. We washed everything down with some cold refreshing Calpico.
Tuna Salad — lightly roasted tuna sashimi salad with yuzu citrus dressing.
Gesokara — deep fried squid legs
Agedashi Tofu — deep fried tofu in tempura sauce w/​bonito flakes, ginger & scallion
Wafuu Shumai (3 pieces) — steamed crab, shrimp and vegetables dumplings.
Yakitori Combo — Matsu — Asparagus, onion, shiitake, green pepper, scallion.
Yakitori A la Carte — Aigamo (duck with scallion), kawa (chicken skin), udama (quail egg), sunagimo (chicken gizzard), tan (beef tongue), and shishitou (small green pepper)

This has become one of my go-​to spots in St. Mark’s. Unlike the other two yakitori spots in the area, it’s nice when my presence is acknowledged rather than ignored. *cough*LIKEATYAKITORITAISHO*cough*
This place is not as packed as the other restaurants in the main block so I never have to wait more than ten minutes here. That’s a definite plus since sometimes I just can’t deal with long wait times especially when I come in the area starving and/​or intoxicated.
I definitely prefer their beef tongue skewers here! The addition of karashi (Japanese mustard) really helps add to the taste as well~
One of my favorite go-​to dishes here is the unagi don. I love the grilled, charcoal taste of the eel. It’s cooked well and it’s quite filling. The addition of shredded egg and chopped up green peppers are nice touches to an already tasty dish. It also comes with miso soup and yellow pickled radish~
Another delicious dish is their miso cod! When you take a bite, the fish is very soft and easy to chew. The only downside is this dish is too small for me and the fish bones though. I have a tendency to be so hungry, I swallow multiple bones without a care…
The okonomiyaki here roughly takes around 25 minutes to makes but it’s a great dish to share. It’s not as thick and doughy as the other yakitori spots, so I definitely prefer it over here as well.
This place is consistent with the tasty dishes and short wait time, so I’m a bit confused at why this place has such mixed reviews. Yes, some dishes can be average (ones that I haven’t mentioned in this post) but I appreciate the better service and food at this restaurant. Eh, whatever the case… I’ll definitely be back for some more eel and tongue here!
P. S.–No sake bombs here is a blessing. God forbid some drunk frat boys want to make a mess near me and other patrons…

I’m having some mixed feelings about Village Yokocho. It’s hidden away on the second floor which adds to the private nature of the space. When we walked in, it was packed. I was glad we were seated in the back area — that way we weren’t in the thick of it all. In order to get to my seat I had to dodge other customers and waiters… and those poor people trying to eat their meal in such a tight space! But after some thoughtful maneuvering, we sat down.
The menu was surprisingly not what I thought it was going to be. It was my first time at Yokocho and I was shocked to see that there wasn’t a single piece of sushi offered on the menu. I guess, I just assumed wrong? Well on the flip side, they offered a lot of excellent unexpected options like Korean dishes! So naturally I went right to the Dolsot Bibimbap and we ordered ourselves a couple of beers and Yakitori to start.
Beers were very reasonably priced here. However, I would probably pass on the Yakitori next time. It’s like $ 2.50−3 for the smallest skewer with probably two pieces of meat on it. You’re better off ordering a nice big bowl of ramen for $ 10 instead. My cousin ordered the «Spicy Tuna Bowl» which is more like a «Spicy Tuna in a very small dish». It was very good. However, very small portioned (for the price). But I should mention my Bibimbap was excellent. It was piping hot and a hearty portion. And my cousin ended up ordering Ramen which was delicious as well.
Most of our food was on par. But the service wasn’t great. Good thing my food was in a hot dish because if not for that, my food would have been cold by the time he got his. The space is a bit tight for my liking but I guess given the area — it’s the norm. Overall, I had a nice time though. I’d come back.

I ate here out of convenience with a friend (you rarely have to wait as opposed to most restaurants on St. Mark’s). The food is very generic izakaya food. This restaurant is on the second floor — just follow the signs!
We shared an okonomiyaki, fried squid legs (which were my favorite), steamed egg custard, and some yakitori. We each had some drinks as well. The servers here are nice and patient, even allowing us to loiter for a bit after our food.
Good place to talk with a friend, not too loud here. Just don’t expect mind blowing food.

Really packed small japanese place hidden away. I totally thought this was just a japanese grocery store, but had no idea it had transformed a part of the store to a restaurant.
Plenty of seating, albeit most being narrow and small tables, so expect to be seated quite fast unless you have more than five people in the group.
I had the sashimi bowl, and it was a solid meal. I was surprised they dont offer miso soup on the side though, I thought most japanese entrees come with a miso soup. Only surprise was that you have to order every condiment separately — at one point i asked for more gari and was told it would be a side dish. Gari. As a side dish. I will say though I wasn’t charged for the soy sauce.
Anyways, the sashimi bowl is the only thing i’ve tried here, and it’s totally worth it, but I did hear the people at the next table grumble about how small the skewers they ordered were. But size is all relative, right?

I’ve been in here like a bzillion times since 2010. Nothing has changed.
It is still not as deelish as Yakitori Taisho or Oh Taisho, around the corner. You see, there just aren’t as many options for yakitori in here.
What is nice about this spot is that there is a ton of space, for large groups of honeys (which I witness, night-​after-​night).
I won’t even mention Angel’s Share because Unilocal dumb-​ass reviewers have already kill’t it.
F’n Unilocal NARCs. STFU about hidden spots, already.

I’m such a dope. I totally thought I was in Angel’s Share until writing this Unilocal review one week later. No, technically you have to enter the «secret door,» which all the cool kids know about, which I guess I *once* was (or maybe never was. After all, I thought I had been to Angel’s Share before). But hey, according to the New New Yorkers, I’m no longer a *real* New Yorker… or something… Then again according to the last wave of New New Yorkers I knew, I stopped being a *real* New Yorker the second I moved out of Manhattan, to Brooklyn.
Let me stop being snarky & bitter (you can take the girl out of New York…) I really am OK with not finding Angel’s Share, because I quite enjoyed Village Yokocho. Plus, we needed a late night dinner, being that it was 2:30 am or so.
The vibe isn’t nearly as dark and urban as Decibel around the corner. I mean, that’s not at all what they’re going for. If anything, it reminds me of a Japanese version of Congee Village (which hey, I like!) or a really cool Japanese diner, if such things exist. Upon arrival, we were kindly seated at the bar (restaurant was closing) and taken care of by a really nice server. I ordered sparkling sake that came in a pink bottle! Lookit my photo! I need more of this in my life.
Being that the menu is not vegetarian friendly, I stuck to miso soup and plain white rice, which is one of my favorite comfort foods. I also ordered a perfectly acceptable (but not earth-​shatteringly amazing or anything) vegetable gyoza.
Decibel has far more vegetarian options, so that will always be my first choice for late night Japanese food when in the area. Three stars only because I’m comparing it to other Japanese in the area and if it wasn’t that it was super late, I probably wouldn’t return (for food). Maybe some day I’ll get it right and find Angel’s Share for cocktails, too.

Came here for a midnight hunger crave and was satisfied.
1) Combo yakitori
–Shrimp, beef, quail egg, scallion with chicken, chicken meat ball
–Was it good? yes, but not the best I’ve had like the other yakitori places in St. Mark, but still tasty
–Was it worth the price? no, I thought it was a bit small for what it was and definitely not something to share unless you are just trying for taste
2) Kaisen don
–Uni, salmon sashimi, salmon eggs, and crab
–OMG YOU MUST HAVE!
–Great price and the mixture of under the sea meats were delicious!
–It was a little on the salty side, but mixed in with the rice made it taste more bland.
3) Tea
–I wanted tea for a cold night, however it was on the warm side. Even when I got a refill, it was still warm. Bummer.
Setting:
–The structure of Angel Share extends into the restaurant giving it that outside feeling.
–I love how there was a string of lights hanging above and a dim romantic night setting.
–Date night approved!

Great place to come to hang out, have lots of fun, eat a lot, and drink a lot.
Great times pass very fast. It was soo fast that we didn’t realize how long we stayed at this place. But we had lots of great time, that’s for sure!
This place offers a variety of food that you can choose. They come out very quickly, average 10 – 15 minutes per average plate. There are some that takes long time to cook, but if you are having an awesome time, then that long waiting time shouldn’t be a problem for you.
The only problem is that they do not allow «Sake Bombs» at the place. That would have been awesome. It is understandable because of the loud noises and that they would destroy most of the furniture. Oh, well not a problem!
Anyways, this place is well recommended to have a great time hanging out with your friends!

First izakaya in the East Village neighborhood and 20 years later, still crushing it. When you walk in, it’s like you’ve been transported to the streets of Tokyo. At the top of the stairs, you’ll see a makeshift yakitori-​ya where the cooks are preparing your food. Small red lanterns with the character for Tori (or bird) are decorated all around the restaurant, just like what you would see in front of the yakitori-​yas in Japan.
We ordered the following:
+Také (chicken with scallion, beef, chicken meatball, pork, duck with scallion)
+Hiyayakko (fresh cold tofu with grated ginger and bonito flakes)
+Tatsuta Age (deep fried chicken wings)
+Okonomiyaki (cabbage, pork, and shrimp pancake with bonito flakes and dried seaweed)
+Momokawa sake
The také was fantastic. I especially liked the chicken meatball yakitori. Everything else tasted really great too. The okonomiyaki was a suggestion of my boyfriend’s brother, who had it when he was in Japan. Okonomiyaki is Japanese soul food. It’s similar to a pancake made of flour, grated nagaimo, eggs, shredded cabbage, shrimp, and a bottom layer of pork. When it was placed on the table, it was so enthralling watching the bonito flakes dance! This is because when the katsuobushi are placed on top of a hot steaming dish, the heat waves cause the thin katsuobushi to move and curl. If you order this dish, be sure to watch this special «dance.»
This place can get loud and bustling. Unfortunately, they don’t take reservations so plan wisely! Afterwards, grab a drink at Angel’s Share.

3.5 stars. The food was actually quite good, but I wouldn’t be able to justify 4 stars – too many «meh» and «ick» moments.
First off, we came here simply out of convenience. Angel’s Share was our plan for the evening, but we wanted to strategically plan our meal around the wait time for the wondrous establishment that’s hidden (not really) behind the unmarked door. So, I wasn’t necessarily expecting to be wowed.
This night started off on a BAD note. Exhibit A: Crying baby at the table next to us. Not Village Yokocho’s fault, but that’s no fun. Exhibit B: my dining companion’s cup for the «meh» sake we ordered. He was about to take a sip when… there it was. A mysterious pink stain around the rim. Cautiously, he wiped his finger across said stain. It smudged off. He handed it to me. I inspected and then confirmed: lipstick. Our flustered waiter came back with a new glass quickly, but the damage was done. And the sake wasn’t even good either. Even worse, our water glasses were rarely refilled (even when I asked), so if I needed to wash something down with a beverage, I was stuck with the damn sake.
But onto the positives. The food. Overall, fresh and tasty. We ordered:
–Tuna sashimi salad (one of the night’s specials) — A+
–Steamed dumplings w/​shrimp, crab and veggies — A– (it’s hard to royally screw these up)
–Grilled shiitake mushroom & onion with ponini sauce – B– (I’m so disappointed – I love mushrooms. Like, really really love them. These were not good)
–Fresh cold tofu with grated ginger & bonito flakes – A
Would absolutely recommend everything but the mushrooms. The tuna salad was by far my favorite (it was over lettuce with a few different kinds of seaweed mixed in, carrots and onions – can’t remember the dressing), but the tofu was also surprisingly good. I mean, it is what it is. Cold tofu. Nothing special about it. But for whatever reason, it was actually quite satisfying and a nice complement to everything else we ordered.
So, the food here really is worth trying. But the sanitation grade… don’t know what to tell ya on that one. According to my date, the bathrooms did not bode well for the cleanliness factor of this place either.

I have to say this place is amazing. I think the mixed reviews happen because of two reasons: 1. You have to know what to order 2. You have to like the Japanese style of raw food from #1.
I first came here with a friend who is a New Yorker and this was one of her spots when she was attending NYU. She ordered for me and this is y second time coming and the food so consistent and so amazingly delish!
A must dish is the raw octopus– it’s amazingly fresh and has a bit of a spicy kick. Highly recommended. The next top dish is the Ikura which you also mix with radish and order a side dish of rice and it’s a perfect combo! Order shisamo which are three small fish that is super flavorful and so delish!!! I also love the fried octopus legs, yakitori, thin pan fried noodles. The mushroom medley is good but a bit too buttery for me without much unique flavor.
Overall it’s an amazing izakaya experience! Don’t forget to order sake or beer! By the way, no sake bombs allowed. :)