Tsuru Ton Tan - Midtown, NY — Restaurant in New York

I had the unfortunate experience of having my birthday here. I was running late to the reservation, my friends ended up there before me and went in to be sat. The male, short host with curly hair says it’s policy they can’t sit a group without everyone there. I get there, there are so many tables open…. I would understand if it was packed but seriously? What kind of policy is that? And as I greeted my friends, the same host comes up to us and asked “Are you done?” in an impatient tone. Not the most welcoming and did not appreciate the attitude. Mind you, it wasn’t even busy! We were the only people at the entrance.

We went with the cheapest hot pot option and to say it was a disappointment is an understatement. Firstly it is NOT “all you can eat” as this place claims. They make sure they empathize that you can not order more food until you finish EVERYTHING. And there’s a limit on certain food items! False advertising!

Some food items were a miss completely like the poached egg, it was very watery and didn’t taste like much. The corn tempura- the corn had no taste like it was frozen and you just had the fried taste of tempera. The waygu sushi tasted below average and oily. The Old Fashion tasted watered down. The noodles- what this restaurant is literally known for- was not thick and very average. The udon tasted were like prepackaged ones.

Also my bf was called by the restaurant because we left a comment about bringing a cake. They tell him there is a $25 fee to keep the bday cake in the fridge, even if we didn’t eat in the restaurant. Nowhere on their website does it state this fee! They could be making up policies out of air, you wouldn’t know. It’s ridiculous. Then when we get there the manager says something completely different, no charge for keeping it in the fridge. But to eat the cake in the restaurant is $25. Even though it was MY cake, I brought MY own candle, even my own lighter! When they brought it out, there was no singing happy birthday or did anything special that would justify a $25 fee. They only thing they did was light the candle and brought dishes out. I’ve been to restaurants that have done a lot more for a ZERO dollars, no fee.

Honestly for the price that you’re paying, the quality of the food is NOT worth it, not even close. The bill was over $300, around $70 per person not including drinks and tip!! I hyped up this place because it was decorated well, I’ve ate here before but this bad experience overwhelms all the pros. I feel horrible that my friends paid that much, it’s a ridiculous amount. Lesson learned, I’ll spend my birthday in NJ spending much, much less. NO extra fees and not spend $300+ in NY. I would have saved at least $200 if I did hotpot in NJ. I’ll never step foot in this restaurant again....

Food is amazing. Visited 2 days ago and it was good, I came back today. The reason I gave it 3 stars is because I was really taken back that as a single diner, they would not let me occupy a table. I was only offered a seat at the bar or a seat at the sushi bar. I asked why I couldn't have a table and I was told because I was dining alone and they needed those tables for a party of at least two. When I came in, there was no one else waiting to be seated and there were PLENTY of tables. They had high top tables in the bar area and I was told that section wasn't open yet. I didn't opt to sit at the bar since it was so out in the open, so opted to sit in the back at the sushi bar. Big mistake because my only ambiance was staring into a busy kitchen, hearing all of the kitchen comradery as well as servers back and forth at the sushi bar to grab plates and bowls that were placed there for guests. From the time I sat down to the time I left, which included an appetizer and entree, I was there for 1 hour and 20 minutes. When I came in there was an empty table for the size of two guests. The entire time, no one sat there. Also, there were parties of 2 seated at tables large enough for parties of 4. Within that time, not only did that table stay empty, but 2 more two-top tables became available so clearly there were no reservations waiting for those tables. Also within that time, another table with 4 chairs was given to a party of 2. So if they can seat 2 people at a table for 4, why couldn't I as a lone diner sit at a table for a party of 2? I thought this was very discriminating and it was very uncomfortable. People want to eat their food in comfort to enjoy it. Not facing a dank kitchen filled with people working and having kitchen talk with pots and utensils clanging. Another reason I gave it 3 stars is because the reception in there is horrible and they don't offer wifi like their neighboring restaurants. Even The Elgin next door offers wifi, but it you need a password to access it. So if you are expecting a business email or call during lunch, don't come here because you will definitely not be able to communicate unless you have a great data plan. So yeah, the food is great, but it was extremely disheartening to be relegated to the catacombs of the restaurant instead of being offered a table like normal paying customers ESPECIALLY when they definitely had the space to accommodate at a table and clearly had no reservations waiting for the tables I could have sat at. I will not be back unless they...

Party Size: Four Adults and One Toddler

I recently dined at Tsurutontan Midtown for a Saturday lunch with my family, and I must say that the experience left much to be desired. We were a party of four adults and a toddler, and while we were excited to try the renowned Japanese cuisine, our visit quickly turned into a disappointment due to an inexplicable and unreasonable bowl policy.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, we were seated promptly as the lunch crowd began to trickle in. Our group was not overly hungry, so we decided to order three main entries and two appetizers to share among us. However, when we kindly requested an extra bowl so that we could divide the dishes amongst ourselves, we were met with an astonishing response from our server. She claimed that the restaurant's policy only allowed one bowl per main entry, and if we wanted another bowl, we would have to order yet another main entry.

Puzzled by this arbitrary policy, I asked to speak with the manager in hopes of clarifying the situation. After a short wait, the manager approached our table and explained that the policy was indeed in place, citing it as a corporate directive. I requested to see this policy in writing, but to my astonishment, the manager stated that it wasn't documented, only a part of their internal operations.

This baffled me even further. With the restaurant only at 40% occupancy and no shortage of bowls evident, I couldn't help but feel that this policy was designed to pressure customers into ordering more than they intended. The manager's claim that the restaurant operated on a "lean" model seemed incongruent with the situation, leaving me skeptical about their intentions.

Ultimately, this experience left a sour taste in my mouth. The lack of transparency regarding the bowl policy, coupled with the refusal to accommodate a simple request, made it abundantly clear that customer satisfaction was not a priority. It felt as though the restaurant was more interested in maximizing profits than in creating an enjoyable dining experience for its patrons.

In conclusion, my visit to Tsurutontan Midtown was marred by an unnecessary and restrictive policy that soured the entire dining experience. The lack of clarity and customer-centricity demonstrated by the restaurant's management was disappointing, to say the least. Regrettably, I cannot recommend Tsurutontan Midtown based on this unfortunate encounter, and I will certainly not...