Hakubai - City of New York

The atmosphere of the restaurant is incredibly soothing, and the service is exceptional. I visited for lunch with a group as a vegetarian (not pescatarian), and although their menu was fairly limited, they surprised me with an off-menu vegetable tempura that was the best I’ve ever tasted. The highlight of the meal, however, was the rooibos tea jelly, which resembles pudding in texture. One of my companions ordered the bento box, and it was truly stunning to behold.

The restaurant offers truly authentic Japanese kaiseki with perfectly sized portions. In Japan, a meal of this quality would cost about twice as much. We savored every single dish, and the traditional dessert was outstanding!

This is the best spot to satisfy your cravings for Japanese cuisine! They offer authentic and delicious dishes. I always visit when I'm in the mood for sushi. The staff is friendly, and the place is clean. Highly recommended!

This is an interesting place....to say the least. They have their menu outside, obviously that is to attract passabys and after walking past the restaurant so many time, today (6/11/2019) after work, I decided to look at the menu and stop inside to getsomething to eat/or to go. The host (old lady in her late 40s or 50s) asked me if I was staying at the hotel and when I said Ididn 't.......she simply said they do not serve food for customers from outside/people who don 't stay at the hotel ???????????? Ispecifically asked her so do you mean the restaurant is only for guests at the hotel? And she nodded and said yes, which is sobizarre!!!! Bizarre!!! Bizarre!!! So help me understand why you have your menu right outside the building if you are notwelcoming people from outside. Bizzare enough!! Dont waste your time or money going there!!!!

What a hidden gem! Some sushi restaurants in this area tend to be overly trendy—loud and packed. However, Hakobai offers a wonderfully relaxed atmosphere, with excellent service and the best sushi I've had in New York. While the prices are slightly on the higher side, especially for drinks, the overall value is outstanding.