Yakiniku Gen East Village — Restaurant in New York

I'll start off by saying we loved this place so much, we already booked our next visit in May before we even left our table. Now I shall proceed to gush over every detail I can remember, because everything was phenomenal. From the moment we stepped into Yakiniku Gen, my friends and I were well taken care of by the incredibly gracious and welcoming staff. We had a dinner reservation so we were seated promptly; on our walk to the table, staff from the kitchen came out in a line and greeted us warmly; as other reviewers have noted, the hospitality is exceptional and it shows their dedication🥺. Our party opted for the Wagyuu Course Set (which isn't shown on their website's online menu, but it was in the restaurant's booklet)—definitely a splurge, but oh-so-worth it! The Wagyuu Set shares similar items with the Premium option, with additional cuts of wagyuu, and an indulgent niku-don topped with a raw egg yolk towards the end. The main items were brought out on a beautifully presented tray, and executive chef Yuta Kojima came to our table to talk to us about the meat, as well as share his business cards. His enthusiasm for the food was an absolute joy to share in! And wow… the quality of every bite of our meal shone through: from the salad and namul(seasoned veggie side dishes) to the thick beef tongue and various cuts of meat, it was all seasoned and portioned perfectly, the wagyuu so buttery-tender that it melted in our mouths. My friends and I were blown away, excitedly gasping and exclaiming over the deliciousness of each piece. I’m glad for the partitions between tables, as it gave us a wee bit of privacy from other diners 😅. Our waitress cooked some items for us, and also kindly informed how long each type of meat would take on the grill so we could do it ourselves if we wanted to eat at a faster pace. The table has excellent ventilation, as none of my personal items carried the smell of cooked meats which sometimes happens at other open-grill establishments. Dessert for this course set is hot tea and a lusciously silky milk pudding topped with fruit. It looks unassuming, but the refreshing quality of the lightly sweet milky pudding was a delightful end to our meal (we loved the pudding so much we ordered a second one 😁). Yakiniku Gen is a 1000/10 experience, one that I highly, HIGHLY recommend. The meal exceeded my expectations, and I felt pampered by everyone who works here. When we left, staff came to the door to bow and wave us goodbye, which felt rare in NYC, as I’ve generally only experienced this at restaurants in Japan. It was so heartwarming! I will note that we ate around 6-8pm on a rainy evening, and it wasn’t crowded, so that might account for how extra attentive the staff was? Still, anyone could see that the people who work here respect their chef, and care for a job well done. I will be dreamily thinking of the food we ate that night in the weeks to come, eagerly looking forward to our...

The best grilled beef tongue in my life!! This is where you can get premium Japanese BBQ in NYC without having to fly to Japan. The head chef and the staff members are all Japanese, delivering an authentic dining experience straight from Japan.

Unlike many typical bbq spots, the meal felt light and well-balanced, and I was thoroughly satisfied with every course. You can choose from their $50/$65/$80 tasting menu, or order à la carte.

While prices are on the higher side, the quality of both the ingredients and the service is exceptional. I only wished they could grill the meat for us as we almost burnt the beef tongue lol (the chef came to rescue us fortunately). The restaurant was modern and very clean.

＊ Gen Premium Course $80 My favorite cut was the thick cut beef tongue. Grilled to perfection by the head chef Yuta Kojima, it was both tender and chewy. A close second was the kalbi — it was so well-marinated. The beef tartare starter was also a standout. Other cuts included tenderloin steak, outside skirt, and rib finger meat.

Each cut was seasoned just right, not overly salty, allowing the natural richness of the meat to shine. The meats were juicy, with nicely charred edges that granted a smoky aroma to every bite.

Two dipping sauces were provided: a bbq sauce and a zesty lemon sauce. We found the bbq sauce paired best with the meats, while the lemon sauce complemented better with the lobster.

I loved that they gave us a side platter of housemade kimchi, namul and salad. These helped balance the richness of the meat and kept the meal from feeling too heavy. They also served cold noodles as a palate cleanser as you finished the meat.

To wrap up the feast, we were treated to milk pudding with fruit and a...

We walked into Yakiniku Gen East Village location with the expectation that we will get something close to, but not as good as Yakiniku Toraji in Midtown with less $$. But this new Yakiniku Gen, dare I say, is better than its high-end cousin.

1. Food: meat quality is great. They trimmed the menu a bit and honestly it was a great decision. The signature thick cut beef tongue got to stay! We ordered beef tongue and assorted premium beef. The assorted beef platter comes with both Japanese beef and American beef. I personally couldn't tell any difference between Toraji wagyu and Gen wagyu. The cold noodles was refreshing, a great complement to the meal.

2. Service: service used to be my biggest and singular complaint about Toraji (not Chinatown location, but Midtown location). Toraji was terribly understaffed during busy hours. Services at Gen East Village was just amazing. All servers, the manager, the chef were professional and friendly. No more waiting for the bill for 15 mins (cough cough Toraji). We were the only customers during the lunch time so I guess the chef had time to help us grill the second half the beef tongue, which had much crispier shell than the batch I grilled. And who said yakiniku restaurant doesn't need a chef??

3. Atmosphere: I had a disagreement with my partner on this. Gen East Village is apparently tuned for the younger audience. To me it felt intimate and cozy. My partner, on the other hand, preferred Toraji's the floor-to-ceiling windows, and earth tone furnitures.

4)Affordability: You can't beat Gen in this. Same money, more...