Hi-Collar is a chic East Village Japanese cafe that serves upscale coffee and delightful omurice by day, transformed into a cozy sake bar with charming bites by night.
"Visit this spot that’s a kissaten during the day and an izakaya at night. The cafe serves pour-overs and siphon coffee from single source beans and blends. Lunch options include Japanese-style spaghetti, variations on hayashi rice, and Japanese omelets." - Eater Staff
"Hi-Collar offers Japanese culture two ways, as a kissaten (a Western-inspired Japanese coffee/tea cafe) by day and izakaya and sake bar by night. During the day, drop by for siphon coffee and a classic kissaten menu of katsu-sandos, omurice (fried rice omelette), and pancakes. Meanwhile, come 6 p.m., charcoal-grilled squid and rice wine take over. Owner Sakura Yagi explains the cafe’s moniker and concept: “Hi-Collar or haikara, is a term that evolved to mean avant-garde; high-collared Western shirts were considered to be modern compared to traditional Japanese kimono.” The narrow, counter-style restaurant is reminiscent of the Japanese Jazz Age, with a mix of sliding shoji screens, stained glass doors, and Tiffany-style pendant lights." - Kat Odell
"This East Village kissaten (a Japanese tea room and coffee shop) is one of the few places where you can get siphon coffee. Sit at the bar, surrounded by decorative mismatched china and stained glass lampshades, and your barista will prepare your order as meticulously as any mixologist. Each cup of coffee is made via one of three brewing methods (pour-over, aeropress, or siphon), and they have an exciting bean selection featuring Japanese roasters. You can also get a proper lunch of omurice and various sandos. Just get there before they turn into a bar at night." - neha talreja
"This East Village Japanese cafe is one of the few places in NYC where you can get siphon coffee. The space has lots of kitschy elements, like decorative mismatched china and stained glass lampshades. They take coffee and tea very seriously here, and the bean selection is exciting and eclectic and includes options from small Japanese roasters. You can get a great proper lunch here, and there’s really no wrong choice. They make our favorite omurice and mentai cream pasta in the city, and the katsui, egg, and fruit sandos are destination-worthy. " - carina finn koeppicus, bryan kim, hillary reinsberg
"If you sit at the bar at Hi-Collar, you'll see coffee and tea prepared as meticulously as any cocktail at a speakeasy that you had to call a secret number to get into (three weeks ago). This place takes hot beverages very seriously. You can choose from a selection of coffee beans at this kissaten (a Japanese tea room and coffee shop) in the East Village, and each cup of coffee is made by hand via one of three brewing methods (pour over, aeropress, or siphon). Owner Bon Yagi, who was born in Japan and moved to NYC in the 1970s, is responsible for many of the other restaurants and bars around this place (e.g., Hasaki, Sake Bar Decibel, and more). During the day, you can order dishes like omurice with bacon and fluffy Japanese-style pancakes to go along with a cup of hoji cha tea. At night, this spot turns into a bar with a large selection of sakes and Japanese whiskies. If you're the type of person who's on a first-name basis with several mixologists, and you also love coffee, Hi-Collar is the place for you." - esther cho, with warm welcome, kenny yang
