Dancerobot

Dancerobot’s brunch was amazing!Everything we tried was delicious, and I must give a special shout out to the cinnamon bun, omurice, and teishoku. The cinnamon bun was moist, had great structure, and just the right amount of sweetness. The omurice was soft and it was incredibly satisfying to watch it be cut at the table. The salmon teishoku was also excellent and would probably be my go to breakfast order. I loved the variety of foods in the dish and the miso soup was delightful. I would also recommend adding the onigiri or bao bun to split with the table. The waitstaff were so attentive and friendly!!

Was really excited about dancerobot but the food fell a bit short. Beautiful place. Love the design and theme. However, the food is kind of overpriced for the portion size and its nothing that will blow your mind. Don't get me wrong, it is good. But I dont think its worth the price. Kare pan was good. Love how crispy it is and had decent amount of filling. Takoyaki was not my favorite. It had a slight vinegar taste which I've never had with takoyaki before. Also had pork katsu curry. The curry itself was a bit spicy for me. Absolutely loved the crispness of the katsu, but the meat itself was too fatty for my personal taste. Favorite item of the night of the veggies dishes. Loved the variety and how fresh they were. I would say all the fried food here is insanely light and crispy compared to other places I've had katsu before at.

Dancerobot is one of Philly’s divisive new openings - I finally got a chance to check it out! We came on Thanksgiving Eve (slow night for restaurants) and sat at the bar. Our bartender, Anwar, was the best. So informative, helpful + conversational. The bar area was large and had enough space on the counter for several plates. I started with the black sesame espresso martini. I get them everywhere I go. This one was good, not great. I prefer mine to be a little bit more foamy, this was on the watery side. I would get a different drink next time. The menu is small plates style, which I love. We got the hamburg steak, kanpachi, french onion soup and cabbage bao. The two standouts for me were the kanpachi and cabbage bao. The kanpachi was so fresh and the pickled thai chilis gave it this heat that was addictive. The cabbago bao was executed perfectly, with a crisp outer layer and pillowy inside. The hamburg steak was good, but I personally cannot justify spending $28 for one large meatball. The french onion soup was overly savory/umami. I prefer a regular french onion soup that has caramelized onions in it for the sweetness. My friend absolutely loved it though. The interior was dimly lit, decorated with anime and a cozy feel. It’s cute for a date night. The service was great and food came out quickly. The prices are high for portion sizes, but for the area and chef behind this restaurant, it’s to be expected. I could see myself coming back in the future to try more items, I’m just not running to do so.

Really enjoyed my first experience at dancerobot. The bartenders were pure class, attentive but not overly present. Cocktails were fun and the food warmed the bones, perfect for a cold rainy day. Indoor vibe is sort of confusing, a mix of old school and retro punk. Nice overall.

I was really excited to try this retro Japanese diner — the concept, vibes, and menu all looked amazing. Unfortunately, the food didn’t live up to the hype. The Mentaiko Cream Pasta had good flavor, but the noodles were way too hard and dense, with no satisfying chew. The Miso Marinated Salmon was a bit too pink inside (almost undercooked) and lacked depth, even with the miso yuzu sauce. The Menchi Katsu Sando had promise, but the pickles were way too salty, the meat had no real flavor, and it came out a little burnt. The Age Takoyaki tried to reinvent a classic, but it honestly would’ve been better frozen — the twist didn’t work. And the French Onion Soup à la Japonaise, which I was most excited for, tasted overly fishy from the dashi base, with the cheese and crouton feeling completely out of place — easily the weakest dish of the night. The Japanese Eggplant was visually confusing — random cauliflower on the plate was overly vinegary and pickled, which overpowered the dish. I actually thought the eggplant was the best bite of the night but still nothing overly special. Some flavors were decent, but overall the execution fell flat. Beautiful concept and vibe, but the food just didn’t deliver. The service and atmosphere were fantastic, just don’t come here hungry.

So happy Dancerobot is finally open! I made myself a reservation and sat by the kitchen window. The service was incredible! My waitress was so kind and was knowledgeable about the menu, and I got to speak to the executive chef Justin throughout my meal and he told me about different ingredients which was so fun to hear! The food and drinks were amazing! My favorites were definitely the takoyaki and the Hamburg steak! I can’t wait to come back and try more dishes on the menu!

Came for date night and we enjoyed the vibes and flavors of this Japanese-inspired comfort-food tapas. The flavors and textures of our dishes were fantastic, though portions were small, and we were glad we only got dishes <$20. We loved the Karen pan (delicious curry bread with a perfect texture), omelette (so fluffy and rich), eggplant (amazing flavors and melt in your mouth texture, but wish there were more!), while the “gyoza” and bao helped fill us up. For dessert, the hokkaido cream soft serve had a wonderful richness. Would definitely come again for drinks + appetizers!

My girlfriends and I had the best time dining here this week. I started at the bar and I got their Toasted Chu-hai, which was super refreshing. We ordered the tsukemono, ebi gyoza, kanpachi, the stuffed pepper, french onion, pizza toast, mentaiko pasta and chicken katsu curry. Two dishes that I thought really were a surprise hit for me were the tsukemono and stuffed pepper. I don't really like pickles so I was hesitant but they were perfectly delicately pickled. Plus they come in these adorable glass bowls! The stuffed pepper was incredible, don't tell my mom but way better than I have ever had! Pasta was perfectly cooked, the shrimp gyoza were awesome and definitely get the curry. So fun to have different options of chicken, pork or vegetables. I am coming back to try the Iberico pork one! Our server, Jaida, really helped us out by explaining the menu and giving us their opinion on what to order. We are already planning our next visit!

We landed a 7:15 PM reservation on a Friday evening. Reviews for this place are mixed so we didn't know what to expect. We had just completed a cheese class at the Philly Cheese School, so we weren't starving but we were definitely snackish. Everything is tapas-style and encouraged for sharing. We ordered the pickled vegetables, the fried eggplant, the creamy pasta, the gyoza, and the Katsu Curry (vegetable). I must say, we selected well! Our server was efficient and didn't try to force us to order more than appropriate. We truly appreciated that! The Katsu Curry was our favorite. We were expecting a more eclectic atmosphere, but it was pretty generic. Not a bad thing though! I am still thinking about that curry...

Vibes were really great and the food was pretty tasty. There were some standouts, but overall I think I was a little underwhelmed. The table loved the kanpachi, the omelette, and the curry. I thought the drinks were decent enough. I liked the kosho matador, but the second one I tried, the miso boulevardier was NOT for me. I don't mind whiskey cocktails but this one was undrinkable. I thought the portion sizes were perfect for our table of 3. I was anticipating the dishes to be on the more fresh and light side, but everything was really heavy. Heavy on the Japanese COMFORT food.

The vibes are immaculate here! The decor and layout of the restaurant are great, allowing quite an intimate environment without feeling like you need to whisper. Walking in, you are greeted with a waiting area that feels like nostalgia crossed with city punk. The drinks are made with a heavy hand, but with cool selections including matcha and yuzu inspired options, as well as some for our non-alcoholic friends. Maybe I am just big back, but the portions felt child sized. I understand they were going for a japanese tapas vibe, so just plan for small plates to graze over instead of a full dinner. The kobachi felt the most worth it to us, with a smattering of different textures and tastes. The hamburg steak was about the size of a small hand's fist, but very tender and well seasoned. The unfortunately most disappointing dish was the katsu curry, which seems inappropriately named as there is no Katsu without adding a protein add-on (we got the conbini chicken which while well-cooked, was nothing to write home about). Visiting on a weekend, make sure you have a reservation and good luck securing a parking spot nearby. The storefront is also easy to miss, so make sure you are looking out for the neon pink. If you are looking for a spot for some drinks, catch up with friends, this is definitely a great option! For a catchup dinner meal? Maybe look elsewhere.

Super fun and super tasty option in Philadelphia. Came here while on a work trip with some coworkers. Everyone enjoyed every dish. Honestly, everything was great. Would HIGHLY recommend trying the small eggplant dish- unexpected star of the night. I also really enjoyed the katsu curry- cooked perfectly tender, very flavorful. Def check this spot out if you're in town.

Instantly when you walk up to the door, it gives off an exclusive dining vibe, but walking in you're welcomed by a wall of nostalgic posters and retro tv behind the host stand (very fun!) Staff were friendly and swift to get us to our table and gave us a run through of the menu. Our server was knowledgeable and answered all our questions before giving us some time to review the menu. We went with another couple to try a wider range of items. The suggested amount to order was about 2-3 plates per person as the serving sizes are small and meant to be shared amongst your table. The 4 of us ordered kobachi, 2 kare pan, kanpachi, age takoyaki, cheesy mentaiko omlette, mentaiko cream pasta, 2 menchi katsu sando, and hamburg steak. The 4 of us have dined at Jesse Ito's Royal Izakaya and came with some high standards and were very excited to try DanceRobot. The food was delicious, but to our surprise, we felt the overall flavors were more mild than they could've been. Certain elements of each dish were packed with flavor but the rest of the dish didnt stand out quite as much. Additionally, we felt the hamburg steak could've come with something on the side considering the price we paid. And we thought the katsu sando would be more similar to traditional sando instead of a sandwich. The food was still good and worth the visit, but we weren't as wowed as we were hoping to be. We look forward to the menu options in the works and will be back to try new items.

Finally checked this place out, and it did not disappoint! I came without a reservation and easily found a seat at the bar around 6pm -- by 7pm, it was packed with no seats left! The bartender, Athan, was super friendly and patient as I was being indecisive. Loved the overall vibe here and can't wait to return next month. The head chef even came out to greet us and offered a taste of their simple yet refreshing and delicious salad. Jaida, one of the waitresses, was also exceptional and really made the experience even more memorable. We ordered the kobachi, cheesy mentaiko omelette, kissaten green salad, hamburg steak, and the black sesame brownie with vanilla ice cream and miso caramel. Everything was delicious, but my favorite was definitely the omelette -- cooked to perfection! Pro tip: order a side of rice and enjoy the omelette with the hamburg steak for the perfect bite. Can't wait to come back!

Jesse Ito strikes again with his new location, featuring elevated takes on common Japanese street and comfort foods. The front door looks intimidating, but behind it spotlights a welcoming indoor with bar and table seating. Reservations are relatively hot with its opening still recent, but I'd say it's worth the stop. Service was great, with our waitress providing a breakdown of the menu and how the many cocktail options complement certain items. My partner and I ordered a number of dishes to try between their veggie, meat, and fish selections. This is a location where sharing is encouraged! My favorite surprisingly was the Saba Shioyaki, I think mackerel is a criminally underrated fish and it was grilled to perfection. I'm not a ginger person, but putting it together made for an excellent (and very filling) bite. The Hamburg Steak was also a favorite between us. Detractors might call it a glorified meatball, but the quality was excellent and also great to share. Our Kanpachi also had a good kick, which was a pleasant starter along with the veggie that was served banchan-style. I had higher expectations for the Katsu Curry, where it's worth it to try but the additional $9 for the pork didn't push it to become my favorite of the evening. I'd say newer restaurants will always be under more scrutiny, but this was a definite "Yes" in terms of a visit to try. I think some dishes are much more worth the price (i.e., that mackerel will be in my mind for a while), but the overall atmosphere made for a great dinner.

Unfortunately a bit of a letdown! Service was amazing and I have no complaints about that but the food was really average. Apologies for the low quality pictures but the food quality didn't warrant flash photography. Tsukemono (3x pickled veg)- for $10 I expected a lot more food. For the amount you get it should just be complimentary or offer free refills. I did enjoy the flavors but it was impossible to split between two people. It's basically one piece of celery, MAYBE 1/4 of a pear, and 3 shishito peppers. Gyoza - I enjoyed the shrimp filling but it was nothing outstanding. I didn't like that the gyoza was basically marinating in chili oil, I wanted a paper towel to dry off my gyoza. The oil should be served on the side. Kare pan - this was a highlight for me, would order again. It's decadent and rich in flavor and very crispy on the outside. Takoyaki - they were good but not better than any other takoyaki I've had. If you have more than 2 people you'll want 2 orders of this. Cabbage Bao - this one was a miss for me but my husband's favorite dish. The texture was weird and I wasn't a huge fan of the fried bao bun. Wagyu roast beef - this really solidified my disappointment in the meal. It could've been what redeemed our experience but it was so bad. It's literally 2 bites of meat each and our mashed potatoes were so runny I thought it was a sauce on the side. I can't believe it was $34 because it was less food than some of the appetizers. Do not order this. Cocktails - matcha spritz is refreshing but not much matcha flavor in my opinion. The Negroni sour and espresso martini are both great. Our waitress recommended 2-3 dishes each and if we had ordered 2 each we would've been starving. Ambiance was fine but didn't feel like it matched the vibe of the menu or description of what the restaurant is supposed to be. My husband agreed that it was a bit all over the place. $200 for this meal was very frustrating!!

First, the overall atmosphere for the restaurant other than the entry way did not match the theme nor the vibes that the menu and the name and the entry way convey. This in itself didn't bother me and did not factor into my review. Perhaps I expected to much from this restaurant after hearing that it's supposedly from someone who is behind the supposedly best Japanese restaurant in Philadelphia. I expected it to not be the standard they have in Japan, but not meh, bad, or uninspiring with tiny portion especially for the price they are charging. We got there early for our 9:15 reservation and they were out of two things (Hamburg and the pork katsu for the curry were out. We knew the portion wasn't enough after a couple of dish, something we were worried about and communicated with our server about. She was great and let us know that she can do one last call for us so we ended up getting two curry b/c the menchi katsu was out. Overall we tried 11 items and I got the Kosho Matador which was very middle of the road. Kobachi ($20) & Tsukemono ($10) - ordered at the recommendation of the server and it was a bunch of small plates. For the price I just expected bigger portion or better or just more interesting. I felt like these were pretty standard taste wise. I've have much better kobachi at chain restaurant (albeit famous chains). The Great Cheesey Mentaiko Omelette - Actually excellent! Egg was super soft and the cheesey sauce was original and went well with it Kanpachi - Good crudo esque dish, acidity and salinity is well balanced The Good Kare pan - crispy, filling on the sweeter side but not offensively so. The Solid Menchi Katsu Sando (best portion wise) - didn't stand out for me but left a good impression overall. Bread was good. The Meh Kobachi - meh Tsukemono - meh Nasu Dengaku - so unassuming. I forgot we had this dish at all until I was going through photos. Bad Age Takoyaki - literally I've had better at takoyaki parties Pizza Toast - can make at home but I wouldn't, taste like frozen pizza but on shokupan. Wagyu Roast Beef - $34 for six slices of meat that does not taste like wagyu (which is fine) but is tasteless and bad. Offensive Katsu Curry - the dish that dropped this restaurant to 1 star for me They ran out of the tonkatsu which honestly I was fine with by the end because i don't expect that to be good at all so there's no more disappointment there. It is also the item that is highlighted on the menu. The portion of the curry is smaller than JAPAN, which is insane to me especially considering how there is absolutely nothing special or good about the sauce. I don't understand how you can serve a curry sauce that is watery, tasteless other than sourness that had neither richness, freshness, complexity that is literally worse than box curry and chain curry (and completely incomparable to actually curry speciality restaurant in Japan). The rice was so bad it was offensive. I use koshihikari rice for my own cooking and the rice here was so undercooked and that's literally the basics. I can taste the uncooked hardened bit in every grain of the rice and rice is literally the most basic thing. Seriously a waste of koshihikari rice. You're literally charging $26 (base price not including protein) FOR FLAVORLESS WATERY CURRY AND UNDERCOOKED RICE. Coming from the people behind supposedly one of the best Japanese restaurant in Philadelphia is insane when literally any random store in Japan has better rice because at least it was cooked PROPERLY.

Dance Robot just opened at Rittenhouse Square and is part of Royal Sushi & Izakaya, my favorite Japanese spot in Philly. I walked in right after they opened and only waited about 10 minutes for a bar seat (walk-ins only, tables need a reservation). The food is fresh and high quality, though portions are a bit small and prices on the higher side. I loved the dark, cozy vibes and the bar area. Staff are friendly and helpful, and their cocktail selection is amazing! my favorite is the Black Sesame Espresso Martini, so good. Drinks are reasonably priced. Overall, food was great but not mind-blowing. I'll definitely be back for the drinks and atmosphere!

Considering this was the Foodery a few years ago, it's mind-altering what it looks like now. It has transformed into a really fun, dark but colorful space with cute Japanese touches (check out the Pokémon everywhere). They have a very large bar, and it's walk-in only. What's nice is that there is a standing rail just behind the bar where you can stalk seats while ordering food and drinks that are then transferred to your bar tab. The bar tenders we had were very lovely and were fun to watch interact with other guests. We ordered 3 plates for our party of two, and that was enough food. Any less, and we might have been hungry, as they are on the smaller side. Our favorite dish was the omelette, which came with an amazing sauce we couldn't get enough of, and we loved the curry as well, which was a sizable portion; don't forget to add the cheese on top. The gyoza were tasty, but we liked the takoyaki more since it's not as common. The eggplant was also tasty but a small serving. We also tried the bao, which we would skip next time. We also sampled four cocktails, and despite loving a fancy cocktail, I loved the matcha spritz the best. All of them were really fun and good, though. The bill was $200+ so save this for a special occasion. I think we'll be back at the bar sometime before a late dinner in Rittenhouse.

I was really looking forward to trying this place because of the rep that royal izakaya has. The service was super attentive and I like what they did to the interior (altho I'm not really sure it screams izakaya at least in the dining room close to the entrance). It's nice but it's like a lot of restaurants in the city and if you told me this place served American, Italian, or other European food I would believe you. My server, Emma, was knowledgeable on the menu and I overheard her saying it was her first "real" day of service so that's good. She was super nice and attentive. One runner explained what the dish was that came, another did not altho I would say my first dish (kare pan) is probably much more unfamiliar to Americans so that's fair. I liked the Kare pan and the beef curry inside was good. The outside flavors were a bit subtler. It was a good size considering its 15$. I didn't think it was that spicy tho typically Japanese curry isn't anyway. The Hamburg steak had good reviews and was recommended to me, and the portion was good altho I prefer to have it with some rice typically. Might not be a problem if you order the recommended veggies on the menu but yeah. I thought the demiglace wasn't that flavorful and the ratio was lacking (very thin amount on the plate). The matcha spritz was refreshing altho not very matcha-y and more light and the yuzu stood out more. I still enjoyed it but wouldn't consider "matcha" as the highlight. Everything came out in a reasonable amount of time but I was there around open. I will give this place another shot once it's established itself a bit and try maybe some other dishes. I liked the karepan so I'd recommend sharing it between two people as an app and ordering other items.

Brand new to Rittenhouse, I went on night 2 of opening. Reservations booked up within two hours of going live so we got bar seats, which were perfect! Great environment, nice staff! FOOD - French onion a la japonaise: 5/10, has a smokey flavor, the mushrooms were very chewy inside - Cabbage bao: 5.5/10 came out cold which was a little disappointing, the bao bun itself was delicious, as was the sauce that it came with though - Katsu sando: 9/10 absolutely ginormous portion, it didn't fit the rest of our food for size. Flavor was perfect and it came out right as it was done cooking. DRINKS - Matcha spritz: my favorite drink of the night, not too strong but very flavorful - Tasted chi-hai: has almost a nutty flavor, very delicious - Green negroni sour: 10/10, great drink, the melon added great flavor overall - Kosho Matador: very strong, overpowering, has a licorice aftertaste DESSERT - Black sesame espresso martini: very good but it was less black sesame and way more espresso martini, it didn't taste any different to me Overall, had higher expectations given the success of the sister restaurant. However, it was still good. Just not sure Id rush to go back

Another dinner at dancerobot a month or so later to end the work week. This time we came with friends so we could try more of the menu. As before, service was kind, attentive, and well-paced and our dinner mates remarked on the pretty ceiling (though there was a spirited debate about whether it was "blue" or "green" or some combination of the two). Our foursome tried a number of dishes, in order of listing on the menu: - Tsukemono (pickled cucumbers, celery, and pears): the pears were the table favorite with their slightly sweet, slightly tart, and slightly pickled flavor. - Ebi Chili Gyoza (spicy pan fried shrimp dumplings, vinegar soy, chili oil): gyoza is always a crowd pleaser. - Nikumiso Stuffed Bell Bepper (ground chicken, karashi, tama miso, beni shoga): a fun mix of flavors. - Kare Pan (braised beef cheek, spicy Japanese curry, aonori): the mixture felt richer than last time. One diner noted it reminded him of a soft pretzel. - Age Takoyaki (fried octopus balls, brown butter, fish sauce, caramelized shallot): perfect texture on these (and I write that as someone who doesn't usually enjoy takoyaki because of the texture!). - Pizza Toast (Shokupan, Japanese style pizza sauce, roasted vegetables, black olives, prosciutto, mentaiko cream, mozzarella): surprised by how much I enjoyed this dish--the toast was crunchy and soft at the same time and the flavors were great. - Yamitsuki Cabbage Bao (fried steamed bun stuffed with braised cabbage, shiitake mushroom, Japanese sweet potato, kanpyo, and served with a creamy chili sauce): first of my two favorite savory dishes of the night for its well-balanced umami. - Menchi Katsu Sando (breaded pork and beef cutlet sandwich, shokupan bun, Japanese style tartar sauce, red cabbage, shibazuke pickles): second of my two favorite savory dishes of the night--would have loved a play of fries on the side. - Wagyu Roast Beef (Koji rosemary marinated Wagyu eye round, miso mashed potatoes, dashi gravy, rakkyo zuke): while not the prettiest, this was a solid dish--wrapped the beef around the onion for a great mouthful! - Hokkaido Soft Serve over a chocolate brownie, drizzled with salted caramel: soft serve was great--would've liked a more chocolate-y, softer brownie.

Vibes: retro, casual, minimalistic; bring a friend or a few to sit at the bar, a table, or the chef's counter Tasting notes: - Tsukemono: a refreshing, light, crunchy trio; my personal favorite was the shishito and garlic - Ebi chili gyoza: crispy on one side, saucy on the other; loved that the shrimp were chopped to a medium size allowing for flavor and chew; surprisingly not a lot of heat in this dish - Takoyaki: slight caramelized, crispy exterior with an airy chew; appreciate the topping to ball ratio - Kanpachi: the thickest cut sashimi I've seen; fresh and clean even with the accompanying sauce - Mentaiko pasta: textured, al-dente strands pick up the cream and roe for a salty, slightly doughy bite - Saba shioyaki: perfect execution of a classic dish - skin was crispy, fish was flaky - Koji-marinated squash: on the firmer side but with an excellent char and a slightly sweet, funky mayo to pair - Menchi katsu sando: a tall burger setup with a satisfying, savory crunch to every bite with a touch of tang from accompanying vegetables - Soft serve (taiyaki edition): creamy and not too thick; accompanying taiyaki were fluffy and fragrant with the lemon curd Other thoughts: - The plate ware is eye catching and simple at the same time - Service is well-paced and friendly - Chef's counter is a unique peek at the action in the kitchen - Above meal (along with a chicken katsu curry) was satisfying for 3 adults Impression: incredibly solid meal and dining experience, cannot wait to come back and try the rest of the menu and brunch!

trendy new restaurant by the royal sushi team! cute, but definitely overhyped. i was very excited to try this new spot as i love royal sushi izakaya. dance robot focuses on japanese comfort food, and unfortunately, i was not impressed. the decor is eclectic. when you walk in, you're greeted by loud anime wallpaper, but the inside is dark, moody, and classic. i don't mind either vibe on its own, but together they clashed. the tables were rather close together/cramped. it felt like we were invading our neighbor's space, we could easily hear the conversations of the people next to us. i started the night with the melon yuzu drop, a frozen drink. the drink wasn't very frozen, but it was still refreshing and delicious. my date and i snagged a last minute opening around 8p, so the both of us had actually already eaten beforehand. we shared the kobachi and the kare pan. the kare pan was rich and decadent, i enjoyed it. the curry filling was warm and homey, the buns were crisp and generously filled. the kobachi was... confusing. it was a selection of six seasonal vegetable small plates, and frankly was underwhelming. none of the plated were particularly memorable in a good way. one of the dishes was a single pickled tomato... it was awful, probably one of the worst things i've eaten. none of the vegetable small plates were particularly good, we had quite a bit of leftovers left. we didn't want to bring the leftovers home, but were pressured by our waitress into doing so. they were not eaten. our waitress was friendly, but our table was a little neglected. maybe it was because we weren't eating our kobachi, but our waitress never came back to check in on us. we eventually had to flag her down for the check. i would be willing to come back for a drink or to try something different, but it would be a tough sell. definitely avoiding the kobachi.

Trying a new restaurant means eating dinner at 4. lol It's a nice spot with a unique menu. I especially enjoyed their Green Negroni Sour as well as their Kanpachi, Age Takoyaki and Cabbage Bao. The frozen aperol spritz was a little too bitter for my taste? Service was great and the vibe there was nice. Thanks for a lovely meal!

Worth trying this new restaurant with its own take on Japanese comfort food that's been getting buzz from its association with Royal Izakaya. Our group tried 3 dishes each which was probably too many and better if we had targeted 2.5 per person. The standout dishes were the omelette, hamachi and miso eggplant. Other dishes were decent and very well executed regardless. The disappointment was the katsu curry... which was really more a watered-down (Americanized?) Japanese curry dish with an optional add-on order of fried katsu. Our server was really efficient and friendly which is a plus to the overall vibe. One quibble is that everything comes out quite quickly which felt a bit rushed at times. This is an ideal tapas/small plates type place to enjoy a meal with company. Overall a decent dinner with good and rich food. Not a high repeat type restaurant but a place I'd be happy to go after several months with friends if others wanted to check it out. So a 3.5+/generous 4.0 rating.

Realistically this is a 3.5 star review. I made the reservation as soon as books opened - unsure really of what to expect, we avoided reading any pr about the place and went in mostly blind. Royal being one of our favorite spots in the city - this new place brings back one of the dishes we have missed for a long time, the takoyaki. 10/10 on pricing - we left pretty satisfied for 2 people and the bill was $97 before tip. We are pescatarian though, so avoided some of the more expensive menu options that include things like wagyu beef. There is no coursing here so expect a cadence through your meal. To be expected because they just opened, the pacing of our meal for a tuesday night (they are fully booked) was a bit slow. Service was great. No complaints :) Now the food: The server recommended 3 dishes per person to share, we ordered 5 plates total. #1: Braised cabbage Bao - this was really so yummy! The cabbage and mushroom filling is hearty and has deep flavor (the mushrooms worth mentioning twice whatever the marinade is is perfect) - made me want to be walking around with it handheld. It was crispy on the bottom, bao tasted amazing. Little spicy sauce on the side was very good. Forgot to take a photo. #2: the tsukemono. We love pickles - especially tsukemono because it's a surprise and were delighted that they weren't "boring" vegetables. Celery and Dates, shishito peppers, and chunks of pickled cantaloupe! wish the portion was a little more. These also came out a solid 10 minutes after the Bao (which confused us because they are cold and presumably made the day before) forgot to take a photo until we had already started picking at them haha. #3 the takoyaki - my partners favorite food arguably. They loved the octopus and we believe it is smoked which is a unique flavor for takoyaki in the city. 5 per plate and appreciate the topping to ball ratio. Only thing we noted was that they were maybe a bit over-cooked. #4 saba. Arguably what we came for - we are freaks for mackerel and this was soooo good. Its an unapologetic fish. While we noted it was maybe a tad over-salted on its own, if you couple with the grated daikon they're very harmonious. No bones so you don't need to be careful digging in. #5 grilled delicata squash. This was okay, we were torn between trying this and the shrimp dumplings. One piece of squash was undercooked and hard in the center. It was also pretty dry - recommend to up the sauce to squash ratio. but a nice portion size to help fill us up! We will be back again to try the curry and the omelette (and dessert) (: thanks for a great meal!

Our waitress Jaida was amazing. We got tired of the standard sushi/ramen Japanese spots so glad this was opened. Well done Jesse Ambiance was kinda mixed of everything but looks like great for date night and hanging out with few buddies

Really good Great service (Kashi) Interesting menu, not what we expected going in. I hope more people try this restaurant

Definitely expensive for its casual concept but overall we enjoyed the food. At least finally something actually interesting at the block

I genuinely don't understand the 5 star reviews. I think people are gaslighting themselves into saying it's great simply because of the Royal Izakaya association. The restaurant entry/holding cell was the only "themed" part of the restaurant (plus a sign by the bathroom). The food was, fine? I get it's not meant to be a traditional Japanese experience with sushi, etc... but the menu is just trying way too hard to be unique, and the output felt rushed and manufactured. Everyone saying the softserved ice cream is great, well yeah, it's softserved ice cream. I had that at my dining hall in college. In conclusion, I believe there is opportunity for redemption, but there needs to be an acknowledgment that the concept is simply missing the mark.

This place is awesome. The staff is super friendly and accommodating. The GM is a veteran of the industry and does regular and very cordial check ins with guests. The bartender that we sat with (Anwar) is so knowledgeable of the menu. He walked us through every step of the way and never lost patience with questions from the guests. My wife is a heavy water drinker while she eats and she said this is the first restaurant we've been to in years that she hasnt had to ask for a refill. The sake selection is incredible. If you're not sure what you want, let a bartender know what tasting notes you're interested in and let them steer the wheel. Every single dish we had was delicious but the kanpachi crudo and the kare pan were out standouts. From the service to the decor to the amazing food and beverage, I just can't recommend this place enough.