Cafe O'Te by HOUSE Brooklyn

I really wanted to love this place, for I'm such a big Hamburg enthusiast. Unfortunately, this was by far one of the worse Japanese Hamburg set I ever had. Firstly, let's start with the good. The servers were all very kind and friendly, where they even allowed us to get both sauces for the hamburg to try when we asked, which we thought was very sweet. However, both of the sauces were only mediocre at best and couldn't save the disappointment of the Hamburg. The Hamburg itself was very lightly seasoned, small (size of one's palm or less), and the interior had both a gamey and rough texture, which didn't provide the typical bite a hamburg would. The meat itself wasn't tough per se, but the interior texture was flavorless and rough which made it taste a bit grainy; its a bit difficult to describe but it was nonetheless not enjoyable and by far the worst one I ever had. The potato salad was very mild in flavor as well which didn't make it stand out. The rest of the sides were also just okay but not really that tasty at all. For the price of $35, this was one of the most expensive and least enjoyable Hamburg meal I ever had, which is such a shame because the staff and atmosphere were both top-notch. I definitely recommend trying other stuff instead of the hamburg. I am rooting for Cafe O'te for I know they have such tremendous potential, so I hope they can continue to improve and adjust both the quality and quantity to make it as perfect as possible. Thank you for reading and best of luck!

You’ll find high-quality matcha here. I was pleasantly impressed by the staff’s attention to detail and level of care that went into the menu items. It was a fun first time tasting of the Shirasu Croque Madame. I would come back again just for the matcha and any seasonal bites they may serve.

Came here around 11:30am, place was already very busy. They only had 2 workers at the cafe so it took a bit to get us seated since the waitress was busy helping out others. When we got to the table, they forgot to give us water and utensils. Although 4 more staff showed up later, none came around to check if we needed anything. The Wagyu burger set was okay, there was little to none seasoning in the patty, the ponzu sauce paired was way too sour. The small side dishes were tasty. The tea cup was too small in size for a $8 drink. Overall: eh, 🤷🏻‍♀️

Hmm. There was a very small selection of stuff to choose from food wise. I got an 8 dollar matcha milk which they only had regular milk for (I'm lactose intolerant and had to take a pill). It was a very astringent matcha but also not very strong matcha taste (I actually prefer astringent but it was lacking some of the freshness profile to offset it). The milk was just added in, but I guess as the name suggests, it is just matcha milk. Overall very strange. My partner had the cafe au lait and honestly it tasted like bean water. Not like coffee bean because I couldn't even taste a hint of coffee but literal bean. Again, very strange. I think for the price and flavor, I was left confused and felt like I needed to finish it fully even though it wasn't as enjoyable. I'd like to be supportive of local businesses but I think they can improve their offerings.

TLDR: If you like hambaggu - probably one of the best versions in New York. The catch is it's also one of the priciest. If you are a light eater and value quality - this is the place. I came on the weekend because there's no way I wasn't going to try the NYC hambaggu shop. On the weekends they only sell the sets which are $35 and come with rice, a soup, pickles, sides and potato salad. The patty is a 50/50 American/Japanese wagyu blend, you have the choice of three sauces. We got the demi-glace which was deliciously rich and velvety with a strong wine flavor. The grated daikon and ponzo was also tasty. We didn't get the pomodoro but I'd imagine it would be a bit brighter. The patty is well-seasoned but the blend is a bit leaner than I'd expect. If you've tried Hikiniku to Come, this is juicy but not as fatty or soft. The portion size was a bit small even for my wife who doesn't eat much. I found myself taking comically small bites so I didn't exhaust my patty too quickly. The sides themselves were very tasty but I wish there was more of it. A la carte is supposedly served during the week. If I could have gotten an extra patty a la carte or larger portions of the sides - it might have been okay. Between two drinks and two sets, we spent around $100+ and left hungry. It's early days so we'll see what happens. It also gets incredibly crowded so come early and its a small team so you'll wait a bit for your set too.

Good Matcha, delicious wagyu Hamburg set. It is simple and cool vibe. Customers can eat and shop within the warehouse.

Service was amazing, super nice staff. Food what spectacular, meet was cooked perfectly, and the atmosphere was fantastic. Super rustic but cozy atmosphere.

$7+tip for a cafe au lait (warm coffee with milk, zero foam) is outrageous. The coffee didn’t taste like anything. It was basically watered down milk.