KEI (Izakaya and Ramen) — Restaurant in New York

I wanted to gatekeep this so badly but this new Japanese hidden gem in Chelsea is legit so good!! KEI Izakaya is a cute date night spot combining warm, friendly service with exceptional food and drinks.

Every corner of the restaurant has been thoughtfully curated. The space feels cozy yet elegant. The food was so incredible that I would give them 10 stars out of 5 if I could.

＊Handrolls - Tuna Creamy $10, Salmon Yuzu $8, Scallop $12, Yellowtail $9 * Must get!! They offer fresh and premium cuts of fish, as well as plenty of vegan options. My favorites were salmon yuzu and scallop.

＊Kushikatsu Set $18 ＊Kushikatsu Vegetable Set $12** I was so excited to see kushikatsu (fried skewers/串揚げ) in NYC! The meat and veggies were deep-fried to a golden crisp, dipped in a sweet and savory sauce. I preferred vegetables esp eggplant and shitake mushroom.

＊Chicken Karaage $13 The caramelized sugar lemon took the karaage to a new level. It might be the juiciest lemon I’ve seen lol. Drizzle the lemon juice over the crispy karaage for a tangy, citrusy and umami flavor contrast.

＊Pork Katsu Sando $18 * Star of the show was undoubtedly their pork katsu sando. The pork katsu was juicy and tender, sandwiched between fluffy shokupan. The pickles and coleslaw added a refreshing touch. The fries were surprisingly so addicitve and not overly oily.

＊Pork Cutlet Curry $22 * The curry was not your typical store-bought cube curry. It was rich and fruity, serving alonside shredded beef, potatoes, cherry tomatoes, grapes (yes grapes!!). A heavenly combo with katsu pork.

＊Tokyo Banana Creme Brulee $12 * It tasted exactly like Tokyo Banana, the popular souvenir snacks! The creamy custard was packed with a banana flavor. The caramelized sliced banana skewer complemented with the creme brulee beautifully.

＊Yuzu White Peach...

Me and my friend stopped by on a Saturday for an early dinner. We made a reservation 30 min before easily on Resy.

Prices are on the mid range ($15-25 for dishes) but the food is fantastic. I’ve been to many ramen places, but I’ve learned that large portions are not always a good thing. I’ve had bland ramen before.

Kei izakaya is not bland at all. They have excellent, attentive staff thaf make sure your water is always filled. The tonkotsu ramen looks small but is really filling- and the highlight is the deliciously seasoned veggies and tasty, not overwhelming chashu that is sooo good. Thank god, I was starting to feel like NYC ramen is mid at best.

Holy cow, I will be returning. Thank you KEI Izakaya! They gave us complimentary dessert for rating them. The seasonal dessert is a matcha crumble that’s not too sweet, and not too bitter. Thank you Kei!

Bathrooms are also clean. We came around 5:30 pm for dinner, but try to come before 6:30 pm on Saturday - that’s when it gets busy.

Update: holy shit, there’s a speakeasy behind the bar. And it’s fire. Really affordable for in the city, love the vibe, and the City Pop Mocktail was savory and sweet. The pickled cabbage itself was mild, but the seasonings and picled carrots it came with were very flavorful!

Thank you to the server who told...

What an amazing experience from start to finish!! the food is super authentic and you can tell it’s made fresh and in-house. The cocktails are amazing and the bartender really pays attention to every little detail. I watched him as he went through several pieces of garnish to make sure each cocktail he made was absolute perfection. My day and I tried the guava cloud and Yuzu drink that we’re both really good. We ended up getting a second round, but honestly looking around. Everyone seemed super happy with their drink choice and lots of people were getting more than one drink because they have a really good variety of drinks to choose from that all sounds really delicious. The staff was super friendly & very informative with their product + Super Quick to assist whenever needed. The bathrooms were really clean and it was also really cool to find out, they also have a hidden cocktail speakeasy in the back definitely worth checking out with even more unique cocktails to choose from and an awesome Bartender named Jun. It’s a cute date spot or just a fun night out to enjoy delicious food! Highly...