Kimura — Restaurant in New York

Sometimes, wonderful discoveries are hidden by the most humble exteriors. Kimura is one of these places that you are thrilled to have discovered. It's been in the exact location for 30 years, so I feel like a bit of a fool for never knowing about it, but now I know.

On a rainy Saturday afternoon, we were craving a homey Japanese meal and found Kimura, just as you have. Hidden among the barrage of shops and restaurants on Saint Marks Place, this little entrance hides a much larger and delicious operation.

The restaurant has multiple dining areas that start at the front and progress to a small backyard, which features a Japanese stone garden with dining huts. As our host escorted us through the whole restaurant and then back outside again, I had concerns as it was pouring rain, but when I saw how rustic it was, I started to get excited.

We could not have been more thrilled to find ourselves in a private little outdoor dining hut made from corrugated metal and rustic wood beams, making the entire experience even more authentic. The added feature of falling rain on the roof made for an exceptional soundtrack. Temperature was not an issue, as two heat lamps kept us nice and cozy.

Having never been, we decided to try one of the most popular choices: pork belly Nabe (hot pot), along with some Teppan-style gyoza and a yuzu miso salmon starter. We were informed the gyoza might take a while, but we were committed and rewarded for our patience.

First, the Nabe. This cast iron pot was filled with cabbage, bean sprouts, and leek and covered with a layer of pork belly and tofu. The server informed us that he would manage the hot pot as he turned on the flame to allow Kimura's classic chicken and pork broth to simmer and steam the vegetables. This dish was exceptional. The broth was delicious and light, which allowed the vegetables to stand out on their own. We ordered a single-person size, and it was plenty for us with the other items.

The Teppan-style gyoza slightly differs from what we expected, but we were pleasantly surprised. Instead of being fully enclosed, these gyoza were like small tacos, with the wrapper fully sauteed on the outside and a succulent pork filling in the center. Each one was two bits if you were aiming for graceful. Lastly, the salmon was equally delicious, with large slices served on top of sliced sweet onion dressed with ponzu.

I cannot say enough about the food, service, and experience. It was rather epic to show up and be seated outside while a storm raged all around us; while we were dry and cozy inside our little hut, I looked forward to coming back on a snowy night.

Rest assured that regardless of where you sit, you will be happy. The dining room is just as rustic in decor, and the food is exceptional no matter...

First thing first, fair food. The sukiyaki with A5 Japanese wagyu beef was good. Yet I’ve had the WORST service ever.

I’ve dined four times here. I enjoyed the food and service all the time. But not TODAY. Today I was served with a male server with long hair. He seemed impatient when we first ordered food one by one then switched to the tasting menu. I mean, if a server gets impatient so easily, they should find another job!

Second, the restaurant intended to charge me $10 for outside drinks. Although there is a sign in front of the interior door indicating no outside food/drink, my friend and I sat in an outside cabin and we didn’t notice that sign. No one ever told us about this as well. When we finished dining, we ordered two milk tea. The server seemed pretty upset about it and yelled at us “outside food is not allowed”. I was like okay and continued talking with my friend.

And soon we were thirsty, and we didn’t want to drink the tap water two hour ago, so we took a sip of the milk tea. The server saw this and said “no outside drinks” in such an arrogant tone. I mean I can understand the restaurant doesn’t want customer to have outside drinks instead of buying theirs, but the server never gave us a new water during the two-hour dinner. I mean, this is still acceptable, until I wanted to check and found $10 was added to my bill without letting me know in the first place. The receipt is digital, so no paper receipt, no warning, no confirmation. If I didn’t insist asking for the receipt, the sneaky server can just stole my $10 without my consent.

Besides, when I argued with him about this charge, he was soooo annoyed and asked me to never dine here again at Kimura. I mean, I was once a loyal customer here and you forced me to leave. FINE. You are not the only sukiyaki restaurant in NYC, and I believe people can find better service elsewhere.

Lastly, although I am way much unsatisfied about this server, I still paid 10% tip. I didn’t get a THANK YOU. If a server can’t learn how to respect customers then better take that lesson before being one.

This is the first time I wrote a negative review to a restaurant.

This is for people who want to dine in here at Kimura and get a service corresponding to the food price.

We paid over $200 and got such an awful experience. In short, I’ll never come back anymore, and I suggest anyone who would like to try this restaurant to...

Let me start off by saying thank you to our server, Soma, who was incredibly honest about us ordering too much food and for the impeccable service in ensuring our sukiyaki and scallops were cooked perfectly! Service by itself is 5 stars. Please know that you can only make reservations online (the welcome staff initially told me they don't take reservations, but when I heard someone mention they had reservations and were seated, she told me they only take reservations online - so make your reservation online if you have time). Below is our analysis of tonight's dinner:

Appetizer -

Yuzu Salmon Roll - basically tasted like a regular salmon avocado roll, which was delicious but nothing special. The yuzu was too mild and most bites didn't taste like any yuzu at all. Delicious nonetheless but can do without!

Pork-toro - very delicious in a sweet and salty sauce that reminds me of Korean pepper paste! It also came with a bit of wasabi which paired perfectly with the pork cheeks, since it's pretty fatty! Pairs perfectly with beer for you beer drinkers!

Grilled mackerel - meaty and perfectly cooked with barely any bone! Not too expensive and grilled to perfection without it being too charred!

Buttered scallop and mushroom - incredibly buttery and a bit heavy on the black pepper (the girls didn't taste the black pepper but I did for some reason). Nothing too special about this and I wouldn't order it again. Nonetheless, it's a new experience.

Entree, the main star -

Sukiyaki - so incredibly delicious! Every aspect of this was perfect and the sukiyaki sauce infused the veggies, meat, and noodles just right! Dipping the US wagyu into the egg adds a rich silkiness to the meat and it was delicious! Soma was also kind and honest in informing us that sukiyaki for 3 was too much in addition to all our appetizers, which was a lifesaver because we barely finished the sukiyaki for two. This was incredibly refreshing and helped save us 30 bucks! (Sukiyaki is 30 per person now). Definitely get this and I guarantee you won't regret it!

Overall our experience was perfect thanks to Soma and his amazing service. We will definitely be back to try their many other Japanese selections!

Thank you for reading and...