Sake Bar Hagi Is A Thumbs Up Despite Times Square Locale

Sake Bar Hagi - Times Square

152 W. 49th Street, New York, NY 10019

I work in Times Square, which is immeasurably convenient when it comes to transportation (almost all the subway lines converge in that area), but inconvenient in almost every other regard. Once in a while I smile when I see Times Square as the backdrop to a Hollywood movie, which reminds me that my daily doldrums are other people's fantasies. However, most of the time the mess of tourists and overwhelming advertisements makes me curse Times Square (sometimes aloud). The mix of indecently high prices and blatant tourist traps also makes me steer clear of dining in that area; even after taking in a show I try to dine 5-10 blocks from the epicenter.

However, Sake Bar Hagi surprised me. Neither a tourist trap nor price gauge, this restaurant was mildly decorated and highly affordable. We settled in at the sushi bar with hope.

We had been lured there under false pretenses. As we were choosing a restaurant, my dining mate had seen a picture of salmon rice balls on yelp and became fixated. Yet one glance at the menu confirmed that this was an all-ramen joint with far fewer options than Yelp pictures promised.

Nevertheless, we each ordered a bowl of ~$10 ramen, which came with a more traditional wooden spoon and chopsticks, and began to slurp. Uneasy about the quality of the meat from the unconvincing menu photos, I had ordered vegetarian. Seeing the sliced pork in person quieted my qualms, but I was still happy with my choice. Hot, flavorful broth backed a medley of Asian add-ins--bok chou, seaweed, and a boiled egg in particular--which warmed my belly from the inside out.

In the Hell's Kitchen area there are two or three trendy ramen restaurants that almost always have a wait of an hour or more--no reservations or take out allowed. Sake Bar Hagi is no four star restaurant. These are not magic noodles. Yet, I was pleasantly surprised to find this little gem in proximity to Times Square. And, there was no wait to dine.

Mika Isn't Worth The Sushi Deal

Mika Japanese Cuisine & Bar - Chinatown
150 Centre Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10013

Groupon currently offers a $29 prix fixe meal for two at Mika that includes beer or warm sake, one appetizer, two rolls, and two special rolls. More than enough food for two for only $15 per person (plus tax and tip).

But, it's not worth it. The restaurant's three out of five star rating on Yelp is too generous.

It started off well with an efficient waitress and a prix fixe menu that offered plenty of choices. We started with a nicely present plate of well-browned gyoza--flavorful, thin skinned, and not too greasy.

A small disco ball hung over a pot of fake orchids, and a childish mural of the Japanese countryside looked like it belonged in a pediatric dentist's office. Yet, the cheesy 90s music was more amusing than annoying, and the tacky bar visible in the next section was just funny.

Though the dim lighting drew attention away from the brownish tinge of the over-ripe avocado (my roommate didn't notice), the blood red slabs of fish draped heavily over our "rainbow roll" were too suspicious to ignore. I can't remember tasting such fishy fish in sushi. It was almost difficult to eat, and the sake was too pungent (usually quite smooth) to wash it down. There was plenty of food, but I'd rather spend my $15 on one, quality roll than on four that I can't enjoy.

Upper East Side Chinatown Restaurant is Japanese

Chinatown Restaurant - Upper East Side
1650 3rd Ave., New York, NY 10128

A friend invited me and my roommate to a restaurant called Chinatown Restaurant to celebrate his birthday--with 12 other friends. Aside from smirking at the simplistic name, we assumed we would be eating Chinese food, maybe squeezed around a Lazy Susan.

We walk in to the crowded restaurant, wood paneled and minimalist like many Japanese restaurants, past the sushi bar and down the hall to a private room. However, I overheard the waitresses bantering in Mandarin. The restaurant has split personality syndrome.

Chinatown Restaurant is a sushi house: an all-you-can-eat, all-you-can-drink sushi house. Dining with a big group felt like the right way to tackle this culinary monster. We ordered platters full of almost every sushi variety, pitchers of beer, and silver kettles of sake. For $33 you can eat and drink all your iron stomach can handle--in two hours.

After the first order the waitress brought the check, half-joking that sometimes patrons would forget to pay after too many sake bombs. I don't know about the rest of the crowd, but I felt it was a prudent yet still mildly offensive gesture. An addendum on the menu stating that all leftover sushi would be charged at a la carte prices provoked a similar prickly feeling. When the waitress practically ordered us to pay as our meal was winding down, I knew this was not the type of establishment whose bottom line is to put the customer first or make the customer feel at home.

Despite the service flaws, it was an enjoyable evening. The sushi was presentable and colorful, made from fresh sticky rice and ripe avocado. Thought the waitress warned that the sushi orders may be delayed slightly, we received our food in a timely fashion. All in all, this was a nice way to celebrate our friend's birthday. We ate, we laughed, we drank.