J's Kitchen New York

I had a super good time at J's Kitchen! The staff was really kind and accommodating and the food was delicious too. When it came out it was super hot because it was straight from the kitchen which was so nice. I also really appreciated that the hamburger came with sides like fries and pickles :) It was definitely a new kind of Japanese food experience for me but the quality of everything was great. ++++ you also don't have to wait a long time to get it! Everything about this restaurant is very quick and organized. They definitely get your food to you quick and the interior is very neat and aesthetically pleasing.

Warm and woody decor was a nice touch. The black curry had a few beef crumbs in there and was pleasantly flavorful. The fried pork chop was made to order, hot and crunchy. Very friendly staffs too!

Amazing, authentic Japanese food!! Ordered the Chicken Cutlet Don, and the chicken was so tender and the sauces paired perfectly. Servers were very nice and service was quick even though we could see that they made everything fresh. Highly recommend if you’re nearby and want to try something new!!

The concept of the restaurant is really cool! They feature dishes from six popular brands in Japan. The brands also change with the seasons! We got the katsu don and black curry. It was freshly made and perfectly salty and savory. The meat was juicy and I’m happy I stepped in. It’s a good, no frills Japanese meal.

If you want to try Japanese food, but don't want ramen or sushi, try J's. It's excellent. You can save money if you choose a special, or if you're really hungry, you will be totally filled up by the regular entrees. Every dish is cooked on the spot, and comes out of the kitchen hot and fresh. The food is really good. This restaurant has ties with a company in Japan, so their chefs are very well trained in regional specialties.

One of my go to Japanese spots for lunch. I have had so many dishes from this little spot and they are all pretty good. It can take a bit to get your food(which means the food is freshly made to order) so either order online or come in when you are not pressed for time. My favorite dish is the chicken katsu don. I usually get pork from other spots but the chicken here is SO GOOD. This dish is closely followed by the black curry. I always get it when they have the special on the 2nd and 4th Monday~! I only dock a few points off because its pretty expensive. I mean its worth it but once in a while. I utilize the points card to work towards the very expensive dishes and get half off~.

Amazing curry!! Took a while for the food to come out, but the restaurant is cute and comfortable. And the curry is SO GOOD. And the chicken is crunchy yet tender. And when it's 1/2 off for the 2nd & 4th Monday of the month, it's super worth it! Do yourself a favor and come here immediately. There's also awesome lunch specials 👀

Amazing place. Delicious and pretty place to eat. We ordered Terirama Hamburg and Pork Loin Cutlet Don. I’m coming to to try more dishes. Also their dishes are from different places in Japan, it’s impressive 😍

J's Kitchen is possibly my favorite casual Japanese spot for quick meals. Everything is wonderfully cooked, from sando to don to udon. The ingredients they use are premium, and the taste very much reminds me of the food I had in Japan. ＊Pork Tenderloin Cutlet Sando w. Cheese*** Listen, their asakusa sando is TO DIE FOR, comparably to those in Japan! The pork katsu is so tender and coated with crispy thin breadcrumbs, while the honey mustard adds sweet tangy flavor. They use milk bread, which is nicely toasted on the crust and very pillowy on the dough. I'll 100% come back for their sando. ＊Roast Beef Don** They strongly recommended us this roast beef don and I'm so glad we tried. The roast beef is well seasoned with pepper. The raw beef somehow tastes like tartare. It was actually my bf's order but I kept stealing beef from his bowl. ＊Shake Udon w. Roast Beef & Tofu Pocket ＊Shake Udon w. Onsen Egg & Mentaiko Of course I can't resist but get their cold udon again. The soy sauce soup is so yummy I wish I could recreate it at home. Their udon is bouncy and holds up the sauce well especially after shaking it. If you get onsen egg as add-on, it will further thicken the sauce.

We were looking for a fast lunch spot and opted for katsu sandos. We got the pork loin cutlet sandwich and beef cutlet sandwich. Between the two, the pork loin was definitely better. While the beef was good, it wasn't as flavorful and the beef was a bit too chewy to eat for a sandwich. The sandwiches were however very filling and I loved how soft the bread was. We checked in on Yelp for 50% off, which is a huge deal! The cashier took a picture of our faces and the Yelp check-in for her boss which was new for me but she was a very sweet lady so I didn't mind too much. I asked for a water cup but they unfortunately do not offer water so you have to purchase a drink. I think it's a nice option if you're looking for a quick, convenient lunch but probably wouldn't go out of my way to come here. There were a couple people dining in and it was almost weirdly quiet so maybe more of a grab-and-go spot.

This is a really nice Japanese eatery with a menu that is not your typical bento boxes or sushi. Service was friendly and fast. The place is on the smaller side so if you are in a large group you will be waiting for a seat (or better yet just do take out). It's a great alternative to the usual stuff.

Got the pork loin cutlet sandwich for takeout. The pork loin is nice and thicc and the sandwich was good but i think i wouldve liked some cabbage to add crunch to it. Overall decent but wasnt blown away. Service wasnt too long and i would maybe come back to try the other things on their menu

I have mixed feelings about this place. They had a 50% off main item on their Yelp page which my friends and I redeemed and the elderly woman kindly honored it. However, she was quite hostile with us after we ordered by repeatedly saying that it's a one time thing and asking us where we came from. She also demanded to take a picture of my face with the coupon on her phone, which made me really uncomfortable. Perhaps there's a miscommunication between the elderly woman and whoever manages their Yelp page, but I don't think this should be pinned on the customer if so. As for the food, it was decent, but not worth the original price before the 50% off. But because I used the 50% off I'm content. If you were to get the curry, I think the pork would've been better (and cheaper) than the beef cutlets. They kindly let us stayed even after they had closed.

Non-discerning viewers will likely miss that this is a Kitchen Mix-esque Japanese spot, meaning that there's one kitchen making dishes from a variety of Japanese restaurants. Or, in fancy marketing speak, this is a "curated" Japanese dining experience featuring selections from well-known Japanese food brands. So it's hit or miss depending on what you get. Miss: The Vegan Ramen I got because I was craving soup, which is normally a Japanese food staple but is woefully missing at this spot. Hit: The Roast Beef Don, which was delicate, silky and flavorful--all words I never thought I'd use to describe roast beef. Choose wisely, loyal diner. Your Japanese mileage will vary.

This is a good place to grab a bite if you're craving curry or chicken cutlet. It's never crowded when I come here on the weekends. My favorites are the black curry with pork loin cutlet and chicken cutlet don. The portions are on the smaller side but the food tastes amazing. I prefer the sweet pickled ginger with the black curry. The ginger that comes with the don is more bitter and not sweet at all. Love the little hooks under the table to hold your umbrella, bag, or jacket.

5/5! Love it! A bit pricey but totally worth it. Food is absolutely delicious.. Would definitely come back again.

I absolutely love katsu sandos so I came to try the chicken and beef cutlet sandwiches! + easy kiosk ordering, friendly staff + offering great variety of Japanese dishes from different brands and vendors/restaurants + there are options to customize and include add ons like cheese for an additional price - the sandwiches were filling, pretty pricey, and salty - the bread was soft and toasted and the cutlet was crispy but it was drenched in sauce and parts of the meat especially the beef was tough to chew

Debated between this place and Hi Collar for lunch. My friend and I went to Hi Collar before so ended up choosing J's to try a new place. Also the 50% off a main for Yelp check-in is really attractive. Unfortunately the deal is not enough for me to like this place. I was most interested in the black curry before coming, so I originally wanted to order the black curry with chicken. The friendly staff said I should try something more expensive with the 50% off. I took her suggestion and got the black curry with beef cutlet. I insisted on getting black curry lol. The black curry itself was nice. It's not spicy at all. I wouldn't call it peppery as some people described it. It's savory and hearty without being too heavy. The curry has cubes of beef brisket which are lean but flavorful from sitting in the curry. It tasted better than the beef cutlet. The beef cutlet is battered and fried. Even though it came out crunchy, hot and juicy, the meat itself has issues. It's very fatty and has tendons. The meaty parts are somehow mushy and not fibrous. It was much better after dipping into the curry, but honestly I'd rather not eat this. The rice is too mushy and soft. Mixing curry with it helped a lot. My friend got the hamburger steak combo. It took longer than my curry but we didn't mind waiting. The burger patty had similar issues as my beef cutlet. It has onion slices in there but it still didn't help the mushiness fattiness. There's not much beef flavor either. In fact it was a bit gamey. The fries were better than expected. The salad came with a sesame dressing that tasted more like peanut butter. The lettuce was cut in big chunks though. The miso soup is pretty standard what you'd expect it to be - which I personally don't like. The rice here is slightly less mushy than mine but overall still too soft. The teriyaki sauce was too soy sauce heavy and tart for my liking. The environment is chill with a few high tables and chairs where you seat yourself. After eating you empty your own tray and return it to the counter. I don't mind this model. I'm still frustrated by the cons of my meal even though I got it half off. I would be more mad if I paid full price. Maybe I'd tolerate this place if I had gotten the cheaper chicken or pork options. I think the frustration isn't about the exact numerical amount but rather how the higher price point ended up with a subpar product.

First time here Chicken sandwich was really good and juicy, due to many people was in line at the time wait time was 20mins two people was working at the time perhabs when i pass by, i will definitely try their other items on the menu!

This place was so cute to sit and chat with friends along with some deliciously stuffed and flavorful sandos! Personally, the beef was our favorite- had a nice wasabi kick to it. Both were super juicy, full of flavor sandwiched between super soft bread. Be prepared to wait, it definitely takes some time for your food to be prepared, especially if it's busy

Got their chicken cutlet don. Really good for the pricepoint! Juicy chicken and eggs, over savory rice and sliced onions. Service was really friendly too and cleaned the bar for me before I sat down. Nice casual lowkey place for lunch or dinner.

Pretty authentic Japanese selections that covers various famous locations in Japan. It's a cute little restaurant with minimalistic decor and offers a warm and welcoming dining experience! Service was friendly and quick as well! We got the Hamburg set and the potato salad side. The Hamburg was flavorful and the fries and little veggies that accompanied it tasted good too! However, the price is on the higher end for what it came with. Even more so for the small scoop of potato salad on that big bedding of lettuce, which really cheapened the experience unfortunately. The quality of the food is definitely there, but I believe they can do even better if they adjusted the price a bit and offered a little more portion for the potato salad, because let's be honest, that's barely one potato for $5.50... Hoping for the best and will come back to try some of their other items one day. Thank you for reading and best of luck! (:

Nice newly discovered neighborhood spot when craving a burger. Staff is friendly and helpful.... And the teriyaki wagyu burger is stellar! Clean communal tables Are Available with wifi....

I stopped in to get a quick bite to eat and was astounded to find out that their number one ranked dish really truly deserves that accolade. Their Pork Loin Cutlet Don is extraordinarily delicious. And it is an ample serving. I strongly recommend that you stop by to try this dish. I'm going to be heading back there to go through the rest of their menu.

Ordered on the kiosk. The order took a while but like there was some seating so we just waited. The chicken sandwich was very good. Good amount of breading and crispiness but also soft brewed and a mustard like sauce.

I would say this is like Industry city food court level Japanese food. It's bad. All the katsu's were overcooked and not seasoned well. The katsudon didn't have enough sauce and was so tough. The gyukatsu menu picture is rare and red in the middle, but came ask well done as could be. Honestly this is a crappy Japanese place that is meant to trap people on Uber eats. It's not any better in person. Don't go, unless you're nearby and craving mediocre Japanese food.

A small little Japanese shop tucked between a bunch of other random shops, this would have been a hidden gem if I didn't know of it beforehand. J's features various different options from known vendors in Japan. Sadly, when I went, the register was closed and the workers were all in the kitchen. I had to order through the Clover app, which made my order to-go. But I noticed people got theirs to-stay, so maybe I had to wait and ask. The lady who delivered my order was sweet though, noting the alliteration of my order and telling me "Sandy's sandwich!". The Pork Loin Cutlet Sandwich ($15) was better than I had expected. I always wanted to try a katsu sando, and I was not expecting such a delicious toasted bread! The crisp, the butter, the pickle sauce all added to my enjoyment of this meal. The thick pork cutlet had quite the resistance to it with each chew. I enjoyed the fattier parts by the end. The salty fries emphasized on the potato ingredient, while still retaining a slight crispy sound as I bit into them. They were light at first, but no longer required any condiments the closer I got to the salty bottom of the bag. The place is definitely an eat and go type place, but the chill ambiance made me want to stay longer. While pricey, give these Japan brand options a try at least once!

I went to J's kitchen when I was at the hospital nearby, the food is super delicious and high-quality! If you're looking for a quick yet, gourmet Japanese meal here is the perfect place! Even though this place is a little pricey, I find myself ordering it quite a bit as the food is really delicious. I have never had Japanese black curry before and it is absolutely delicious at this place! This place is definitely for those who have more money to spend to eat, but super worth it for anyone who tries it! The restaurant is also super clean, and the people who work there are very nice and polite and help when possible! it is a pretty quiet place and I've never seen a line in there, so for a quick meal this place is great! Thank you so much J's kitchen !

Delivery review. Got the Teritama Trokeru-Wagyu Hamburg Steak Plate Combo -- it came with the most amazing fries (even though they were soggy from delivery, they were STILL SO DAMN GOOD), mini cup salad (ALSO unexpectedly good), miso soup (SO flavorful), egg, and white rice. This was SOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOOOOOOD. The hamburg was so umami! I couldn't finish it, so I reheated it the next day and it was STILL good. Also got the pork loin cutlet don - I think it would've been better if I ate it at the restaurant, but still pretty good for delivery! It was soggy by the time it got to me but the flavors were on point! Would definitely order again.

Very delicious Japanese comfort food! The staff was very friendly as well. The combination can't be beat.

Stopped in after having a craving for Japanese. The menu items are all so interesting and I'll definitely be back to try more items. We ordered the black curry and the gyudon. The black curry had a wonderful pepper taste & we were wondering how to make it at home lol. Service is quick! It's counter style eating so you order and pay for your food and seat yourself.

Love this place! My boyfriend and I came on a whim and when you first walk in you get a blast of cold ac. Perfect for when you're sweating on a hot summer day. The cashier was kind and showed us different options on the menu. I went with the black curry and he went with roast beef bowl. We also ordered takoyaki. The katsu was pretty good. The katsu itself was super super crispy and the inside was juicy. The curry was on the saltier side. His roast beef bowl wasn't bad. I thought it would be bigger considering he got the large. It didn't really look like the picture. But it was good and filling. The takoyaki was my favorite. It's way better than Karl's Balls and had an excellent consistency and a large octopus piece. The food is pretty good overall. The prices are a bit on the pricier side for a lunch but they have deals every month. They also have a stamp card which you can claim discounts or Japanese prizes. The interior of the restaurant is very clean and relaxing and it's a great place to grab a quick lunch if you're an NYU student!

The BK-01. Trokeru-Wagyu Hamburger Combo was so good!! Definitely recommend! Also great spot to dine in during weekends they weren't busy at all on Saturday and the staff are all great would be 5 stars if they had a bathroom.

In all fairness, I ordered online and had it delivered. The restaurant was very slow to prepare my order. It had estimated 45 -50 minutes to prep and deliver. It took over 95 minutes to get my order. The food was packed with the sauce on the fried chicken katsu. The chicken karaage was good but not great. The flavor was ok and fried crust was very thin. I'm sure an in person dining experience would be better. But the flavor was disappointing and doesn't motivate me to go in person, especially given other Yelp reviews.

Got the steak sandwich and it was tough. The cut of meat was all gristle, silverskin, and fat. I couldn't bite a piece off the sandwich. When I tried, it completely fell apart and made a mess. It was completely inedible. Pork katsu sandwich was good though.

It's pretty easy to miss J's Kitchen. It's a small restaurant with seat-yourself high table seating, ordering food either via kiosk of a staff person at the front. Dishes are made to order and aren't fast-food. Pictures on the large menu look delectable, but aren't quite accurate. Prices seems higher than expected due to the arrangement of the restaurant. But don't be fooled. Regardless of the above, the food actually tastes authentic and delicious. The katsu is thick and juicy, the hamburg steak is tender and flavorful.

Got takeout this time, the hamburg steak combo for me and Pork loin cutlet Don for my brother. It was nice that everything was separately packaged. The pork loin cutlet was a bit saltier than preferred and the rice easily absorbs sauce so there's no good way to balance flavor. Hamburg steak combo was kinda overpriced for what it is. Looks nice but nothing special when looking at each item individually. The Hamburg steak was very thick. It comes with a sweet sauce on side (personally prefer adding Worcestershire sauce for that tangy kick). It is a very filling meal for sure but pricy and alright quality.

J's Kitchen New York is a relatively small and new Japanese establishment in Gramercy Park serving meals in collaboration with famous Japanese brands and restaurants like Fukuyoshi, Kagura, Kuro Beko, Jinbocho Beef, Burgers Cafe, Hakata Black Curry, Asakusa Sando, and more. As its website states, its concept is to "Spread Local Foods to the World." My sister and I passed by J's Kitchen a little over a month ago on our way to the station and were intrigued by their black curry. After a quick search on Yelp, and looking through photos and reviews, we decided to come back at a later time as we had already eaten for the day. We made the decision to come back a few days later and that day, I arrived at the restaurant first. There was no one at the counter, only a sign noting that the register was closed and to please scan the QR code and place an order online. For the most part, placing an order online was pretty easy. I ordered the FK-01 Teritama Trokeru-Wagyu Hamburg Steak Plate Combo for my sister and the BK-03 Chicken Burger Combo for myself, and both were surprisingly good. The chicken burger was really juicy--somewhere in between lightly battered, fried, and grilled--and I quite liked the whole-grain mustard sauce that came with it. My sister enjoyed her order too, and we both left feeling immensely satiated. Overall, the prices were alright, the service was slightly lacking, and the wait time was much longer than expected (roughly 25-30 minutes instead of the advertised 15), but the food was great and the portions were massive!

An unexpected little gem I found recently! Absolutely loved their katsudon and katsu sandwich- one of the best I've had in the city to be honest! I personally love the super thick, juicy pork katsu style, and so this was perfect for me. Will definitely be coming back to try more of their menu!

The tiniest, most overpriced and saddest pork katsu I've ever had. For $19 this is an absolute rip off, thought I accidentally ordered a kids meal and laughed when it arrived. On top of that, meat was overcooked and extremely chewy. Will not be coming back. Picture from the menu for size comparison.

Obscenely over priced. I couldn't finished even 1/4 of my sandwich, it was too fatty, but not cooked correctly to make it delicious. The sauce was overly salty. The portions were all very small, except for the sandwich.

Yummy katsu! Food: The chicken katsu was so crispy and well fried. It's like I've had it in Japan. The curry was pretty good as well. The portion size isn't too large but it's 100% worth on their 50% off days. Experience: I was walking in the area and saw a sign that they were doing $8.5 chicken katsu curry every second and fourth Monday of every month. The daily limit was 100 plates and luckily they still had the deal when I went at 7:20. The place was really crowded and I did wait about 40 minutes for my food but I wasn't in a rush so didn't mind too much. The kitchen only had 2 people working, as it does seem like a small business. The atmosphere was super cute. The menu and tables were styled like an authentic Japanese eatery. Overall, the katsu was excellent and I think this place would be perfect if they hired more staff.

You know it's good when you have to take a break from eating to review. Black curry comes with thick pieces of meat. Katsu is crunch and juicy. Gyudon is incredibly flavorful. Cannot recommend this place enough. Very authentic.

Finally tried J's Kitchen after walking past it for months. It's a small place but has a bright interior. It does smell of oil but it's understandable with the amount of frying they do and the size of the space. Overall the pork katsu was crispy and juicy. Could have used a sprinkle of salt but the Hakata curry was rich and savory with a slight sweetness and the rice was cooked perfectly soaking up all the sauce. Service was fast and since I took it to go they packaged the curry separately from the katsu so as not to make it soggy. I'm sorry it took me this long to try this spot. I will definitely be back!

Side note: I hope they start advertising cheaper lunch options also. The katsudon I had was fantastic but massive and a smaller version for cheaper would be a great lunch. This is a new Japanese concept spot with food from a variety of famous Japanese restaurants/stalls which just opened a few days prior (from this review) where Emojo burger was. They apparently have another location in Singapore and based on information on the Tonkatsu Kagura, there is presumably going to be others. Along with some appetizers (which are not currently available, the main dishes they are advertising are the following (with the prices after not including tax:) Teriyaki Torokeru-Wagyu Hamburger from Burgers Cafe Grill Fukuyoshi (19$) Pork loin cutlet don from Tonkatsu Kagura (17.5$) Roast been don(buri) from Jimbocho Beef (29$) Teritama Hamburg Steak plate (Wagyu Hamburg) from Fukuyoshi (22.50$) Black Curry with juicy chicken cutlet from Hakata Black Curry (17$) Beef cutlet plate from Kurobeko (33$) Juicy Chicken Cutlet Sandwich from Asakusa Sando (15$) Anyway, all of their information aside, for the first week they were only having food from one spot and the special dish from their spot was half off. In other words as it was Tuesday, I got the pork loin cutlet bowl (with rice) aka a katsudon for 8.50 or 9.65 with tax. The katsu don (as expected for the price) was massive with multiple large pieces of pork. The breading was wonderful and the sauce wasn't overly sweet. Most of the pork was very tender though one of the pieces was perhaps a bit too fatty. It also came with some onions as well as some Japanese pickles though I would have preferred more to help with the richness and sweetness. Overall a rich but very tasty dish. It reminded me a bit of ootoya with perhaps slightly more tender pork and a bit less pickles. I wouldn't have minded trying an appetizer also but they didn't have any as noted especially as the main dish didn't come with anything outside of rice (too used to cabbage salads I guess.) As noted prior, I really wouldn't mind a cheaper version of this dish/a medium sized portion for lunch (perhaps half for 13 or something.) The prices in general can be rather high but you are paying partially for the high quality large dishes and partially for having multiple different restaurant experiences. I'd personally love to try the beef cutlet plate but I'll be busy that Saturday so enjoy as it lasts. Good spot. Hope they do well but they should with all the Japanese places close enough by.

Excellent little restaurant hiding across from Stuy Town on First Avenue. What caught our eye was the clean minimalist vibe and the shimmering food shots from their menu board. The food itself delivers on the promise. This is the kind of place you might expect to find in Times Square or Koreatown, except it seems their main market is takeout and delivery rather than foot traffic, so I suppose it's better that they're across from a massive apartment complex. The dishes are made from high-quality ingredients, particularly their meat and cutlets, and are true to the kind of regional delicacies you find when visiting Japan. Looking forward to visiting again and trying their pork cutlet sando or waygu burger.

As you can tell by the picture, this burger is huge! It was a bit messy to eat but it was worth every bite. The pricing is a bit steep but it was good enough to get me curious about the other menu options. I'll be going back to try the curry and cutlets!

Food was very tasty and employees were very friendly. I would definitely come back and recommend to anyone

The gyu don (beef over rice) at J's kitchen is unmatched. The rice is always cooked to perfection and the sauce is rich and full of beef flavor. If you are a fan of gyu don, you don't want to miss this place.

I've gone five days out of the week (not to mention twice a day) - no hyperbole. I've never left a review for a restaurant in my life but it's a must to get the pork katsu don and I wanted to pass the love along!

This place is amazing. The food is delicious. I came with my husband and ordered Teritama Hamburg Steak Plate Combo which includes a salad, rice and miso soup and Pork Loin Cutlet Don plus miso soup. I'm coming back to try more dishes

Got the Teriyaki Tokeru Wagyu Burger here and it was so delicious! For the price you honestly get a massive portion-- I found it hard to finish as a small eater, but I really wanted to eat it all. There were a lot of different toppings on it, but they went together well and it wasn't overwhelming at all. The teriyaki flavors were great and the burger was cooked really well. I was also expecting there to be less indoor seating based on the outside, but there's a lot of room for customers inside. Overall it was a super cute restaurant and the fact that employees brought the food out to you was a nice extra touch because usually restaurants like this just call you up to come get it. Really simple and modern decor made for a nice atmosphere as well.

I love J's Kitchen. It's a quaint but disciplinary Japanese western kitchen, that has great specials (curry day half off second and fourth Monday of every month) as well as a flashy stamp card for loyalty.

Very high quality Japanese specialities. Price is a bit high but that's nyc. I really hope they do well

Pork loin cutlet sandwich is actually pretty juicy and flavorful, however the fries that come with it are the most soggy and underwhelming fries ever... I hope the sandwichs are cold separately.

I've been walking by this place for a while, without really understanding what it is. Last night I finally gave it a try, and I'm glad I did. I got the Kagura Pork Loin Cutlet Don rice bowl, and it was terrific. I'm kicking myself for not going in sooner. The pork was wonderful, the rice was fluffy and just right, and the flavors all came together in the rice in a good way. They prepare your food after you order it, so either order online before you go, or be prepared to wait for a little while. I've never been to Japan, but I have the impression that J's is trying to bring a certain kind of Japanese restaurant experience to America. I think that's why I didn't go sooner -- I didn't just didn't get it. But it is very good.

Very accurate curry - it tastes like it's from Japan. It reminded us of grabbing curry at Shinjuku station or Ginza casual joint, and the LCD menu panels look straight out of one of the fast casual Japanese chains too. Meant in the best way possible. The meat quality was a little variable, and we wish they had cabbage slaw for the katsu sando. But the folks are friendly, and it's exciting to find a new small business in Stuy-town, always worth supporting.