14 Top NYC Restaurants That Feel Like Japan | Eater NY

"Modeled after an upscale izakaya — a bar that serves food which complements booze — Yopparai has been feeding guests salted squid guts beside an expertly curated list of approximately 50 sakes since 2012. The space itself is narrow and intimate, with most of the restaurant’s 30 seats dedicated to a bar that spans its length. Behind that counter, chefs prepare a lengthy menu of mostly small dishes using a variety of cooking methods: fried, roasted, simmered, and raw. Some dishes are more familiar, like sashimi and agedashi tofu, but Yopparai shines with the lesser-found bites, such as tofu stuffed with mochi, and chopped wasabi with sake lees. The restaurant even opened its sophomore effort in Tokyo in January 2019." - Kat Odell