Honzen - Japanese Eatery

Amazing authentic experience! The entire ambiance of the place feels so nice and relaxing. The staff were very friendly and accommodating, offering us insight into the dishes for specific dietary restrictions. We ordered the salmon and traditional rice. There is an amazing amount of variety in flavors across all the dishes. It was our first time having such an experience and it was very memorablel!!

Very cute Japanese restaurant with simple but delicious kaiseki style set meals. The food transported me to Japan. It has tables, low tables, and bar. The staff was friendly. It's quite modest in a good way. The basic meal with extra protein in the rice bowl left me 75% full, which is culturally appropriate, but it's worth being aware because it's not cheap.

Absolutely amazing Japanese restaurant! The ingredients were incredibly fresh, and every dish was crafted with care. The staff was friendly and attentive, making the whole experience even better. The restaurant itself is clean, cozy, and beautifully designed with a touch of Japanese elegance. Whether you’re here for a date night, family dinner, or catching up with friends, this place is perfect. Highly recommend, and I’ll definitely be back!

I love this place. The food is authentic to what you’d find in Japan. Fish is so fresh and pricing is fair. You get a lot of food in a set. I’ve been twice now and it’s easily one of my new favorite restaurants. They serve nodoguro, which is very rare to find outside of Japan. It’s prepared excellently, so try it if you get the opportunity. Service is fantastic. Staff is so friendly and ready to make recommendations for food and sake.

Located in Astoria at the former location of Koyo, Honzen was offering a refined dining experience that seeks to showcase traditional Japanese “honzen-ryori” cuisine (Japanese set meal). Since I read good reviews about this place, I decided to give it a try. When I entered, I was greeted with a modern and minimalist interior, lit with warm lights. I found the décor to be quite stylish and welcoming, making it a great location for intimate dinners and special occasions. Their menu featured a variety of Japanese dishes, but the premise of the “honzen-ryori” is serving select dishes arranged on a tray like a set meal. Everything came all at once -- The dishes set on trays featured carefully arranged sashimi, a rice dish of choice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, and more. I ordered rice covered with ikura (salmon eggs), and uni (sea urchins). The food was delicious and enjoyable. I found the service to be attentive yet unobtrusive. The server knew the menu well and made great recommendations about the food and drink options. I really liked the taste and quality of their food, and can tell they are one of the best Japanese set meal restaurants.

It was such an amazing experience! Came here with my friends, and we all had a wonderful time. The ambiance was super nice and fancy, and the staff were incredibly friendly and also very observant on keeping our water filled. Each tray comes with a main course, a rice dish, and side dishes. You can choose your main course and it normally comes with Japanese rice but you can substitute it for fancier rice bowls. I got the A5 Wagyu, and it was cooked beautifully and tasted delicious. For the rice bowl, I got the Bluefin Tuna, and that was beyond tasty! The sashimi were incredibly fresh. You can really feel the love and passion they put into the whole experience. Every dish is introduced in great detail and is meticulously prepared in front of guests in a very intimate setting. You can taste and feel the craftsmanship. It is a special place that I could not recommend highly enough.

Overall score is more of a 4.5 and I'll break it down below: The staff and one of the owner, Wei, were all very friendly, kind, and attuned, providing exemplary service despite juggling various tables. Thus, the overall service is 5 stars The interior design of the restaurant is beautiful, with traditional Japanese seating and decor arrangements! One of the best looking restaurants I've been too that provides a very warm, comfortable, and welcoming dining experience! The music is relatively soft and the various seating options are all well spaced apart. The communal floor seating fits 8 people max, but perfect for two small parties; it's very reminiscent of traditional tatami dining experience, and we loved it! Therefore the ambiance overall deserves 10 stars! Now the food: The entire meal is very well crafted with some minor areas that can easily be improved upon. My wife ordered the scallop main and uni gohan. The scallop was unfortunately overcooked and was on the milder side of its flavor profile. The staff was kind enough to replace it for us and we got the miso cod instead, which was light, flaky, and deliciously soft and tender! The uni were all incredibly fresh and sweet, where it didn't leave any bitter aftertaste, so highly recommend it! I got the wagyu main and salmon roe gohan. The wagyu was very good in quality, but was on the smaller side based on its price. I believe making the piece just a bit bigger or reducing the price by a little bit might make it more balanced in terms of price to quality/quantity ratio, especially since it is now 5 dollars more than it was previously. The wagyu was also a bit overly salty, in which pairing it with rice almost couldn't balance out the saltiness, but that's a simple fix. The salmon roe gohan was also quite fresh, which I highly recommend as well. Now the little dishes were mixed. Instead of the uni tofu that was displayed on the menu, we got tofu with salmon roe, which was unfortunately a bit disappointing, especially since I already have a whole bowl of salmon roe...Furthermore, instead of sashimi, we got the tuna tartare, which was good but also not stated on the menu. I think it might be nice to pair the small dishes based on people's main and/or gohan selection, or perhaps inform diners that the sides were subject to change ahead of time just so there wouldn't be any disappointment due to expectations. Nonetheless, the other sides were all flavorful, and the miso soup was not overly salty and perfectly balanced with the meal. All my criticisms are relatively minor, and hence why I believe Honzen can easily reach the 5 stars that I am certain they have the potential of achieving! By balancing the price a bit better and perfecting the various dishes I highlighted above, I think Honzen can easily become one of the best and most affordable Kaiseki restaurant in all of NYC. I have high hopes for Honzen and I can't wait to see what amazing new changes they are able to implement in the mere future; I look forward to updating my review to 5 stars next time, so please don't let us down! Thank you for reading and please give Honzen a try; they're still relatively new but they are definitely striving to reach perfection! (:

Honzen by Astoria is a Japanese eatery that brings you back in time serving Honzen Ryori which can also be described as an elevated version of Ichiju Sansai set. This traditional dining style emerged from the 13th century of Japanese Muromachi period (13th-14th Century). Join Chef Jay, head chef and owner of Tsubame and previously Koyo for this exquisite Kaiseki cuisine. Each meal is a carefully crafted to introduce simplicity and elegance of traditional Japanese culinary techniques satisfying all surfaces of your taste buds. The patio has been converted to a beautiful Japanese style indoor garden with a wonderful skylight. Enjoy your meal and drinks while gazing at the beautiful sky in this clean and cozy restaurant. Their staffs are also friendly and attentive taking care of everybody with a smile.

Koyo in Astoria, NY, is an absolute gem! From the moment we walked in, we were treated like royalty--the service was warm, attentive, and made us feel truly special. The restaurant itself is stunning, with brand-new furniture that adds a sleek yet cozy touch to the ambiance. The food was simply outstanding. My wife ordered the wagyu, and she couldn't stop raving about how perfectly cooked and flavorful it was. I had the cod, and it was melt-in-your-mouth delicious--so soft, delicate, and packed with incredible flavor. Every bite was a delight! To top it all off, the prices were surprisingly reasonable for the level of quality and experience we received. It's rare to find a place that combines top-tier food, exceptional service, and a luxurious atmosphere without an exorbitant price tag. We can't wait to return--Koyo is a must-visit!

Good, fresh Japanese food in Astoria! It's very wooden and cute inside. For the price though, I expected the food to be better (~90pp). You chose a set menu so I got the miso cod ($38) with the maguro/tuna don ($28). The cod was probably the biggest disappointment for me - it wasn't bad, but it felt unflavored and I've made much better at home. The tuna was really fatty, so I was only able to eat two pieces, and I usually enjoy the fattier cuts of tuna. The set also comes with spinach, uni tofu, kabocha & lotus root, pickled tomato/cucumber, and sashimi. My favorite bites were the sashimi, the pickled tomato, and the ikura don. All the seafood was very fresh and good quality too. Aside from the food, the workers were pretty chaotic and seemed frantic - maybe because it was busy since it was Valentine's Day, and I heard some of the workers were new. They also added an extra dessert on our check accidentally. I enjoyed my meal but I just had higher expectations for this place, and don't think it's worth the price or the trek to Astoria.

Overall score is more of a 4.5 and I'll break it down below: The staff and one of the owner, Wei, were all very friendly, kind, and attuned, providing exemplary service despite juggling various tables. Thus, the overall service is 5 stars The interior design of the restaurant is beautiful, with traditional Japanese seating and decor arrangements! One of the best looking restaurants I've been too that provides a very warm, comfortable, and welcoming dining experience! The music is relatively soft and the various seating options are all well spaced apart. The communal floor seating fits 8 people max, but perfect for two small parties; it's very reminiscent of traditional tatami dining experience, and we loved it! Therefore the ambiance overall deserves 10 stars! Now the food: The entire meal is very well crafted with some minor areas that can easily be improved upon. My wife ordered the scallop main and uni gohan. The scallop was unfortunately overcooked and was on the milder side of its flavor profile. The staff was kind enough to replace it for us and we got the miso cod instead, which was light, flaky, and deliciously soft and tender! The uni were all incredibly fresh and sweet, where it didn't leave any bitter aftertaste, so highly recommend it! I got the wagyu main and salmon roe gohan. The wagyu was very good in quality, but was on the smaller side based on its price. I believe making the piece just a bit bigger or reducing the price by a little bit might make it more balanced in terms of price to quality/quantity ratio, especially since it is now 5 dollars more than it was previously. The wagyu was also a bit overly salty, in which pairing it with rice almost couldn't balance out the saltiness, but that's a simple fix. The salmon roe gohan was also quite fresh, which I highly recommend as well. Now the little dishes were mixed. Instead of the uni tofu that was displayed on the menu, we got tofu with salmon roe, which was unfortunately a bit disappointing, especially since I already have a whole bowl of salmon roe...Furthermore, instead of sashimi, we got the tuna tartare, which was good but also not stated on the menu. I think it might be nice to pair the small dishes based on people's main and/or gohan selection, or perhaps inform diners that the sides were subject to change ahead of time just so there wouldn't be any disappointment due to expectations. Nonetheless, the other sides were all flavorful, and the miso soup was not overly salty and perfectly balanced with the meal. All my criticisms are relatively minor, and hence why I believe Honzen can easily reach the 5 stars that I am certain they have the potential of achieving! By balancing the price a bit better and perfecting the various dishes I highlighted above, I think Honzen can easily become one of the best and most affordable Kaiseki restaurant in all of NYC. I have high hopes for Honzen and I can't wait to see what amazing new changes they are able to implement in the mere future; I look forward to updating my review to 5 stars next time, so please don't let us down! Thank you for reading and please give Honzen a try; they're still relatively new but they are definitely striving to reach perfection! (:

Absolutely gorgeous little place! I love the small, easy-to-navigate menu, and the food was spectacular. The service was great, and I would definitely return, but it's not cheap. You pay for a beautiful experience, so if you have the money and want to try something new, I highly recommend Honzen.

I highly recommend this place ! Super friendly staff and the food was delicious. They do have floor sitting now where you have to take off your shoes. My group was sitting on it and we were a group of 5. I don't think you can go wrong with any main, I do recommend their wagyu or scallop! Both cooked to perfection! It comes with their seasoned rice or you can pay additional to upgrade and I highly recommend their uni! It was soooo creamy literally the prefect bite if you get the wagyu as the main.

I visited Honzen for a Sunday dinner and thoroughly enjoyed my visit! It seems like Honzen is a relatively new place -- which might explain its lower reviews while they work things out. I would say Honzen has great potential and worth checking out if their premium prices are within your budget. I did enjoy the side dishes that come with the set. I would say there were some misses like the miso soup (I didn't find this salty as the other reviews but rather bland), but the tofu, and the spinach were delightful. I thought the sashimi pieces were a nice addition as well. The salmon main (Sake) was well cooked, and the blue fin tuna (Moguro) don was yummy as well. Especially really liked the seasoning on the rice of the don! No notes on the service too, they were attentive and friendly. I probably wouldn't come back on a casual dinner setting due to the cost of the meal. The uni and wagyu were unfortunately out on this evening though -- would love to come back on a more special occasion to try them!

I think this review is more like a 3.5 -- it was fine, but I wouldn't come again due to the cost. I stopped by Honzen on a Sunday night as a party of 6. Unfortunately they were out of the Wagyu and Uni, so I went with the Madai and Ikura. The Madai (~$30) was cooked well with a delicate broth, while the Ikura (~20) was pleasantly salty. Unfortunately I felt a few of the side dishes were underwhelming. The miso soup in particular was quite flavorless, while the others were just forgettable. I think the best way to eat here might be to get a main and the standard rice offering to get a reasonably priced meal.

Really loved our dinner at Honzen! You get a big spread of small plates and appetizers, and get to pick your main and a style of rice from the menu - it's great for a nice dinner out that doesn't have to break the bank if you don't want it to. I went for the zuke hotate (soy marinated Hokkaido scallops) with maguro don (bluefin tuna over rice)--the scallops were cooked really nicely and had a nice light soy flavor, and the tuna was super fresh and delectable. My boyfriend opted for the A5 wagyu and the standard takikomi gohan, both of which he really enjoyed. All of the little small plates were great as well--the standout was the housemade tofu topped with uni, sooooo creamy and delicious. We finished with a slice of yuzu cheesecake which had a great citrusy flavor and was really rich and creamy. Our servers were super nice too and very attentive. All in all, had a great time and excited to come back! :)

Originally I was very excited for a new Japanese honzen/set menu cuisine to open up in Queens, but was unfortunately met with a disappointing experience. Note that my experience and review may just be bad luck or due to individual taste, but it is as follows: Their food was mediocre at best, with improvements to be made in the details. The overall presentation was good, and the side dishes were ok, nothing with the "wow" factor but also nothing that was insanely bad. However, the miso soup was undoubtedly lukewarm and overly salty. Additionally, the plating of the Akami, chutoro, and ottoro came out in the reverse. They should've plated the sashimi starting with the least fatty tuna to the most fatty tuna, but instead flipped the order so it was a little awkward using the chopstick to eat in the correct order. I ordered the seared Hokkaido Scallop and Hikiniku Don. I would have expected the scallop to be hot if not somewhat warm, but it came out seared and cold. The icing on top of all this was that while eating my soup (eating, because it was too salty so I forego the soup) there was a piece of plastic inside the soup which is a choking hazard had I mistakenly consumed it. I notified the waiter promptly who said she would let the manager know, and that was it. There was no response or acknowledgment from the manager for the rest of the meal. When we were done, the waiter came to clear our tables. We had originally ordered a 300ml sake in which there was still unfinished sake in our cup and the waiter wanted to take that away - we were very confused and told them we weren't done yet. After we paid, I asked for the manager and told him about my experience. He responded with sorry, they were too busy today and he had heard about the plastic in the miso soup from the waiter, would we like some complimentary dessert instead? I told him that it wasn't necessary. I feel like how the restaurant approached this entire situation was very unprofessional. First and foremost, I wasn't trying to request for any compensation from this experience. However, once the manager heard about the situation he should've came and made some acknowledgement instead of acting as if nothing happened so the customer had to finish paying and then ask to speak to the manager and then saying they were too busy today. Taking a couple steps back, this is a Japanese restaurant with a middle price range ($60-$100 per person). As a customer, I have certain expectations when I am paying above a certain price range, especially when it comes to Japanese cuisine - they are known for their customer service and attentiveness to detail. Personally, I really like to eat Japanese set menu, which was why I tried Honzen in the first place. However their food, service, and attitude should be improved upon.

We ordered the Sake (Salmon), and the portions were disappointingly small. After our meal, my partner and I were still feeling hungry. We expected portions that would be a bit more satisfying for the price. Additionally, it would have been helpful if our server had informed us about the sashimi of the day ahead of time. Knowing that could have helped us make a more varied choice instead of accidentally ordering a don with a similar type of fish. The miso soup that accompanied the set was somewhat disappointing. It was served lukewarm and had an overly salty flavor, leaving us reaching for water more often than we'd have preferred. Overall, the experience felt underwhelming. While the restaurant has potential, a few small improvements in portion sizes, staff communication, and attention to detail could elevate the dining experience.

This place offers an amazing Japanese Eatery experience. The food was artfully presented on every plate, and the chef's attention to detail was superb. Had an excellent dinner with my sister last night. The food quality was great, fresh, and delicious!! Great atmosphere ! Highly recommend, We will definitely be back again.

We visited on a Friday night with a 7:30 PM reservation made days in advance. When we arrived, we were told they were running a bit behind and were asked if we'd like to wait in the waiting area. No problem--we were fine waiting. However, we ended up waiting for over 30 minutes before being seated. By that time, we had already reviewed the menu and were ready to order immediately. Unfortunately, it took another 30 minutes for our food to arrive after ordering. It was clear we weren't the only ones experiencing delays--other tables were also waiting far too long for their meals, we even saw some parties get up and leave, while the table seated next to us were immediately served their food upon being seated after us. Timing was strange. We understand this is a new establishment and that they're likely still ironing out the kinks, but the experience was disappointing overall. By the time we were ready to order, we were informed that half of the main entrées were unavailable due to shipment issues related to the holidays. While some menu shortages are understandable, having half the menu unavailable is excessive. For the price point, the experience, food, and location simply didn't meet expectations. Additionally, be aware that the suggested tip on the receipt is calculated based on the total plus tax, which isn't standard. We wanted to like this place, but the long waits, limited menu, and overall disorganization make it hard to recommend at this time. Hopefully, they can improve with time.

Great food and service. Will be back. Portion is just right for me. Echoing other reviews about smaller portion, it's about having a balanced meal not overstuffed

Had really high expectations for this place but was honestly shocked at their pricing. You can 'upgrade' for a gyudon or other side rice bowl but they are priced like entrees. I got the Hamburg patty add on which was an extra $30+ for a tiny piece - and it wasn't even salted or had any flavor. Totally not worth it.