Mickey M.
Yelp
Sad to report that Gogyo -- an IPPUDO project -- is a flop.
Ambiance is adequate, though the music was too loud and the lights were too bright for most of the evening. They dimmed the lights after another table complained (!). Decor struck me as the poor man's EN Japanese Brasserie, formerly of the West Village. Attempt at 'hype but classy' though kinda executed poorly.
Corn tempura ($14) was fine to start -- really flimsy, partial shavings of corn with flakes of salt. It was serviceable without the wow factor.
We also ordered the Shoyu Tsukemen ($38) and the Yuzu Nori ($33). And, no, the noodles don't come with anything, that's just how they are priced. My dining companion thought the half-egg and the small sliver of meat were embarrassingly slight. The Yuzu Nori was equally sparse: it only came with some seaweed and two teeny triangles of tofu.
Bar program here needs serious work. WEAK -- I'll say it again, WEAK!!! -- and thus overpriced drinks. OIJI MI has a much, much more solid alcohol program.
The waitress recommended the Evermore ($22) even though I specifically asked for an alcohol-forward (i.e., strong) drink. It tasted like a mocktail. Really horrible recommendation, which I remarked on, to which the waitress simply shrugged. Negroni with Roku gin ($19) was mediocre. Their namesake drink, the Gogyo ($25), resembles a Manhattan but is not particularly strong either. I asked the waitress if it was gin or whiskey based, because she made a point of mentioning that it was 'gin AND whiskey'. No real answer. Product knowledge? Minimal.
Service was spotty, and growing pains are not an excuse. We had several different waiters. The kitchen forgot to prepare our extra noodles (kaedama). They took forever to appear. Wait for the cheque was similarly arduous.
All told, the bill came out to ~$100 per person. Tipped 14% though I felt ridiculously ripped-off. Service was especially mediocre.
NOT RECOMMENDED.