Mt Fuji’s IMOCHI is one of the best mochi ice creams, they are also referred to as Jpanese ice cream bonbons. They can be found in Japanese/Asian grocery stores and in the dessert portion of some Japanese restaurant’s menus. In grocery stores, they come in a disposal ice bag and can be had in green tea, sesame, or in an assorted offering (2x green tea, sesame, strawberry, and vanilla) for $4.50-5.99USD. I like the assorted pack, it provides a good variety of favors, it’s especially good for newbies of this delicious treat. My favorite is the sesame, but you really can’t go wrong with any of the flavors. The mochi is soft, the ice cream is flavorful and when combined it provides a pleasurable texture and flavor in every bite. Be warned, these things are addictive, you can find yourself finishing an entire bag in a matter of minutes.

Not the best, but decent for a midtown lunch.

Menchanko Tei serves decent ramen, not the most authentic but definitely acceptable. The service is fast and their prices are not too bad. They have two locations, both in midtown (131 E 45th St & 43 W 55th St), the 55 St location was under renovations a month ago and I’m not sure if they have re-opened yet.

During my last visit to the 45th St location I tired their Hakata and Shoyu ramen, both were respecable but not comparable to Ippudo nor Santoka. Their gyoza gets a huge “Don’t Buy”, it  not fresh and tastes like it’s from a package. Overall, I like Menchanko Tei for lunch, but only for it’s ramen and nothing else.

Pork Dumplings – $4.75

Hakata Ramen w/ Mochi – $10 (8.50+1.50)

Otafuku is usually crowded with people eating their takoyaki (hot wheat-flour balls with a piece of boiled octopus inside) outside of the shop because they don’t have proper seating and the customers can’t wait to eat their takoyaki (me included). There’s often a 5-20 minute wait for takoyaki because they sell so well, but you can call ahead with your order so you don’t have to wait. In addition to takoyaki, they also sell yakisoba (pan-fried noodles) and okonomiyaki (Japanese-style unsweetened pancake). Try one of their four combos, I often order combo B (6pcs takoyaki & 1pc okonomi) or C (6pcs takoyaki & 1/2 yakisoba). They don’t accept credit cards, remember to bring cash.

Combo C (6pcs takoyaki & 1/2 yakisoba) – $9

Sapporo is a “has been” in the ramen market, they’re no longer what they use to be. I came here last saturday hoping to have some decent ramen, but instead I was greeted with watery ill flavored broth, overcooked noodles that taste like cardboard and toppings that were bland. The waiter also forgot to put in my order of gyoza, but I’m glad she forgot. It saved me $5 on flavorless dumplings that I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed anyway, this coming from my friend who previously ate at Sapporo and had the dumplings. In addition to their tasteless ramen, they also enforce a 18.4% service charge on your bill regardless of party size. I can understand enforcing a service charge on large parties, but for a party of two where the waiter does not take my order properly they’re not deserving of a 18.4% tip regardless of the actual amount. Now I’m a fair tipper and I tend to leave a larger than average percentage, but this is just wrong. One can only image why Sapporo started enforcing a service charge, perhaps many left low or no tip because their food/service is so awful. Needless to say, I won’t be dining here again.

Menma Ramen – $7.50

Shio Ramen – $7.50

Yokohama St. Honore is a Japanese bakery that can be found next to Italian Tomato in the New Jersey Mitsuwa Marketplace. It specialize in Japanese style bread and pastries, but is best known for their Kyoto Bologne, a danish-style bread made by layering dough and baked in a loaf pan. You have to be quick to snag one, they usually sell out in a matter of minutes. There’s also a good variety of Japanese buns and sandwiches to choose from, I like their curry croquette bun ($1.6) and
raisin ball ($1.5).

Overall, St. Honore is a great place to grab fresh Japanese bread or pastries. Do remember to bring cash, they don’t accept credit cards.

Curry Croquette Bun – $1.6

Katsuhana is tucked in the food court section of the Mitsuwa Marketplace. They offer a good variety of katsu at decent prices. The majority of their sets come with miso soup, tofu, Japanese pickles, shredded cabbage, rice and fruits/ jello dessert. My usual at Katsuhana is their berkshire pork tender loin cutlet set, which goes for $7.50. Their portions are fair and it’s the closest to authentic katsu I’ve found in New Jersey. Remember to bring CASH, they don’t accept credit here.

Berkshire Pork Tender Loin Cutlet Set – $7.50

Realistic replicas of items on their menu

Go Go Curry is a hole in the wall curry house that offers one of the best deals on quality curry and katsu in the city. Their name is inspired by Yankee slugger, Hideki Matsui. His jersey number 55 can be pronounced ‘go go’ in Japanese. The owner’s obsession with the slugger can be seen in the form of wall to wall memorabilia throughout the store, but that obsession translates into value for the customer because everyday night Hideki Matsui hits a home run, the following day customers are awarded with one free topping of their choice.

The menu is simple, it’s all curry with your choice of katsu (pork), chicken katsu, shrimp or sausage. There are four sizes to choose from: walk ($7), medium ($7.5), large ($8.5), and extra large ($9.5). Additional toppings like fukujinzuke, cheese, and natto range from $1-2. You can also opt to get their Grand Slam Platter with two katus, two sausages, a shrimp and a boiled egg with rice for only $12.50. If your feeling really hungry, try their 5.5 pound World Champion Platter that contains a katsu, chicken katsu, four sausages, two shrimps and a boiled egg with rice ($25). I often order their medium katsu if I’m eating alone or the Grand Slam Platter to share.

Overall, Go Go Curry is a great spot for a quick comforting lunch or dinner and I highly recommend this place if your a fan Japanese curry like me. Remember to bring CASH because this place does not accept plastic.

Their Grand Slam Plate – Perfect for 2 to share or one really hungry individual – $12.50

An ad for their World Champion Plate – weighs 5.5 pounds – $25

Santoka is well known for its ramen shops in Japan, where they have dozens of locations. Outside of Japan they have only seven, six in the States (one in New Jersey) and the remainder in Hong Kong (Causeway Bay). They’re famous for their delicious ramen noodles in a full-flavor soup. When it comes to ramen, the soup is just as important as the noodles and Santoka has them both. Their noodles are fresh and their soup is amazingly good. They have three serving sizes (small, regular and large) and four soup bases (salt, miso, spicy miso and soy sauces) to choose from. My favorite is the shio (salt) and if your like me who likes an egg with my ramen, I recommend getting the set. For additional $2 you get an egg and your choice of side rice. You can find Santoka in the food court section of the Mitsuwa Marketplace in Edgewater, NJ. Be prepared to wait on line, this place has a huge following and gets really busy on the weekends. In like-Japanese fashion, Santoka only accepts cash so don’t bank on using the plastic here. Overall, Santoka is great place for ramen, probably the best in New Jersey, but Ippudo is still the best I’ve ever had in the US.

Realistic replicas of items on their menu

Their menu as of April 16, 2009

Shio and Shoyu Ramen set

Cube 63 is a extremely small restaurant that serves Asian inspires entrees and fresh sushi. Their entrees and sushi are not all that appealing, but their rolls are quite good. What make Cube 63 extremely popular is that they offer BYOB without corkage free, it’s hard to find a quality japanese restaurant that allow BYOB in the city. They have two locations, one in Manhattan and the other in Brooklyn (not BYOB). I had dinner at their Manhattan branch and the experience was not the best. Their food was satisfactory, but the way they run their business was not. Their restaurant is small to begin with, but they insist on cram more people than they can properly seat, which made dinner very uncomfortable. I came with a party of four and we were laterality sitting on top of each other. I don’t recommend eating at Cube 63 in the city unless you like to be limited to the amount of body moment you can make during dinner. In addition, I don’t think dinner at Cube 63 is worth it if they don’t allow BYOB, so their Brooklyn branch of out of the question. If you go against my recommendation and decide to dine at Cube 63, reservation and confirmation of reservation on day of dinning is a must.

Soft Shell Crab Appetizer ($13)

Sushi of Gari 46 is Chief Gari’s third sushi restaurant in New York City, his other two are located uptown on 78th St. bet 1st and York Ave (headquarters) and Columbus Ave bet 77th and 78th St. Sushi of Gari is not a traditional Japanese sushi house, they pair fresh fish in a very creative way. I recommend the omakase ($100 – depending on how many rounds), where Executive Sushi Chef Aoki delivers the freshest fish with a truly unique combination of condiments and ingredients (stewed tomatoes, sauces, chopped truffles). They also have cheaper options such as sushi and sashimi patters that range from $25-48 depending on quantity. The fish here is incredibly fresh and just melted in your mouth. I would also suggest sitting at the bar, if possible. I’ve been here twice and you don’t get the same felling from siting at a table.

Clear Clam Soup

Our Amuse Bouche