Juku
Permanently Closed
Omakase sushi bar & izakaya with unique cocktails
Omakase sushi bar & izakaya with unique cocktails
"What It Is: A subterranean cocktail bar under Juku in Chinatown Perfect For: Drinks And A Light Bite, First/Early In The Game Dates Walking into Straylight feels like you’re being led down into a crime boss’ lair. It’s the subterranean cocktail bar under Juku - and to get in, the hostess opened a door and led us down a bright white stairwell with pink fluorescent lights, and then opened another door and sat us at a small candlelit table under a ceiling that looks like stained glass. We tried some unusual cocktails, like one with sushi rice and another with smoked pork skin, and ate all of the Japanese bar snacks - the best thing was the breaded meatball sliders on milk bread. The Verdict: If you’re okay spending $20 on cocktails, then Straylight is a unique spot to impress someone. We’ve added it to our Bar Hit List." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren
"New contactless takeout from this izakaya and sushi bar includes a daily Japanese curry, a fried chicken meal set, plus an impressive bento box for two. A ten piece nigiri omakase plus a roll goes for $45, which can be paired with an extensive list of imported Japanese beers. Call (646) 590-2111 to order." - Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Eater Staff
"The problem becomes more severe when multiple pieces of uni are shoved together for the ultimate photo op, as with the wildly popular uni flight at Juku, where five pieces of uni are lined up side by side to create a sauna of seaweed-melting love." - Daniel Geneen
"It’s easy to find good sushi in New York City. It’s harder to find good sushi that won’t force you to choose between paying your ConEd bill and buying those socks that have been sitting in your Amazon Prime cart. But a few sushi places in the city have a good balance of price and quality, and Juku is now one of them. This is an omakase bar in a three-floor space in Chinatown (that’s also home to a subterranean cocktail bar and an izakaya). For $80, you get 12 pieces of very high-quality fish, like toro and king salmon and barracuda, and as the chef hands you each piece, he’ll tells you where it’s from - places ranging from Tokyo to Spain to Tasmania. The bar only has 12 seats, but you can hear the music and order cocktails from the izakaya downstairs, making Juku feel like both an intimate sushi experience and a fun night out." - Matt Tervooren
Allegedly good Chinatown sushi UPDATE: went and it was very good, kind of a weird vibe, got the full omakase and they had really good fish prepared in legit interesting ways
