Sake Bar Hagi — Restaurant in New York

This place was a nice little surprise. It's kind of like a blend of many kinds of small Japanese restaurants into one, almost like a restaurant sampler and a great bar in one. What this meant to us is that while I am not sure that any single food dish we had was a 10/10, the vast amount of unique foods we could try alone made the place a good spot. The vast selection of sake and other Japanese beverages that pair well with those dishes made it a great spot. There were grilled meats, ramen, sushi, onigiri, okonomiyaki, and more.

If you are an adventurous eater, you would likely be satisfied with many of the options. From the grilled meat side we tried beef tongue which we both agreed was good and chicken gizzards which split our group texturally. We had gotten the pickles with this (oshinko) and I would highly recommend pairing any grilled meats with those and a drink. I would comment that the kimchi didn't really fit with the pickles, but we loved the pickled daikon and the spicier green pickles. The monk liver and salmon roe (ankimo) was another adventurous dish that we thought was okay. The spaghetti with creamy spicy cod roe (mentai pasta) was another very unique one, we could have taken or left.

Overall though, I would suggest trying maybe fried and grilled meats with the pickles and booze. We also tried two types of onigiri which were both very good, plum filling the non grilled one and spicy cod roe filling the grilled one. Both of the onigiri were excellent, but I really think the grilled onigiri stands out as perhaps the best dish of the night.

We did try the miso soup, which was very good, however there is a lot of salt in all the food so I would tell anyone to consider if they really need that much salt before ordering. We tried a sushi roll, which was good, but it was hard not to find the sushi selection just a little bit disappointing. There were maki rolls and sashimi, but no nigiri or temaki which just seems like such an easy miss. There's a big difference between a quality slice of yellowtail nigiri and a maki roll.

I wish we would have gotten to try more, but we left very stuffed and also a bit tipsy. We were very free flowing in our orders, ordering just a few items at a time and the staff seemed very prepared and acquainted with that. We also ordered a nigori bottle of sake to start (this was a great deal and kicked us off properly) before we later finished with a higher proof shochu and mixed drink. I do think I would have appreciated the option to get flights here to lean more heavily into the trying everything vibe. I have never had shochu before and while my selection was fine, it would have been nice to know if I just picked the wrong one or if I'm just not a huge shochu fan without having to order several entire drinks. Same for the sake honestly, need flights.

The restaurant itself seemed fairly clean, was popular but not overcrowded, and was very well themed. There were anime posters, manga, a vertical standing record player, the bar looked cool. Overall...

My recent visit to the newly relocated Japanese restaurant left me with a heavy heart and a longing for the once delightful dining experience it used to offer. In the past, this place was known for its excellent food and reasonable prices, but alas, since the move to the new location, the quality has taken a serious hit.

The signature dish, Takoyaki, which used to be a savory delight, now leaves much to be desired. The excessive raw flour used in its preparation has resulted in a doughy and unpleasant texture, overshadowing the taste of the octopus filling.

The Kara Age, a Japanese fried chicken dish that was once a favorite, now lacks essential seasoning like salt and pepper. The lack of these basic flavors has rendered the dish bland and unmemorable.

The Okonomi Yaki, which was previously a savory pancake-like treat, has transformed into an unfortunate thick and sticky mass of flour. The enjoyable experience of savoring the various toppings has been replaced with a heavy, doughy consistency that doesn't sit well on the palate.

One of the most disappointing aspects was the Ramen, which seemed suspiciously similar to instant noodles. The broth lacked depth and the noodles were underwhelming, leaving me questioning the authenticity of their once-praised Ramen.

Even the usually delightful Omu Rice has suffered a disheartening fate. Drenched in an overpowering tomato sauce, the omelet loses its charm and delicacy, making it prone to break apart easily.

It appears that the restaurant may have changed their cooking staff or methods, as the decline in food quality was evident across multiple dishes. The lack of attention to detail and the questionable ingredients have led to this once delightful establishment now being undeserving of a recommendation.

Sadly, I must advise against visiting this Japanese restaurant in its current state. With the decline in food quality and the disappointment that follows, it no longer holds the charm and appeal it once possessed. I sincerely hope that the management takes these critiques into account and strives to reclaim the reputation it once held as a cherished culinary...

Awesome Japanese Izakaya-style restaurant with interesting and creative takes on a lot of great Japanese pub food. The best part is that they are open for lunch and dinner while many Izakayas in NYC are only open for dinner and late night.

Located in Theater District vicinity, this is a great spot before or after your visit to "The Great White Way" of Broadway.

Hagi 46's menu runs the gamut with Yakitori, Fried/Sautéed , Noodles, Rice, Sake/Beer and desserts. On our first visit, we only had a few samplings because it is easy to fill up. This place is also great for groups where you can share food together.

The decor and interior design is very minimalist. I really enjoyed the vintage Japanese beer photos which were used to promote beer in Japan. I could not help but take some photos of the posters.

Here is a few items that I had the pleasure of eating.

The Omusoba is a creative take on the standard Omurice which is a omelette with Rice. This Omusoba is combining an omelette and yaki-soba which is a noodles with pan fried egg and chicken.

Next was a pizza tempura. I have had a lot of tempura of different vegetables and meat but never pizza. The tempura was light and just right not overcooked so I was VERY pleased with this selection.

Another small appetizer was the Ebitem Kushi which is Shrimp Tempura skewered with spicy mayo. The kitchen did make a mistake by not putting the mayo on. We asked our waitress who fixed it as soon as we could wave her down.

I really enjoyed the Natto Jaco Pasta. Now on the whole, Japanese people will say that non-Japanese do not like Natto, a bean curd, but it is surprisingly tasty if you get over the initial odor. The Natto Jaco Pasta was super yummy. Another reason to love Natto is that is very healthy for you.

I would like to have many more items but I do not want to have to rolled out of the restaurant. Don't forget to snag a stamp card for the repeat visitors.

One finally funny note under the restaurant's store which you see in my photos, they have "Heaven's Kitchen" vs. the neighborhood's name,...