Katabaru

"When the wait is over an hour at Win Son, Katabaru around the corner is a great plan B. This East Williamsburg Japanese restaurant does fizzy highballs, good snacks, and unadon that's nice and hearty as the fall chill rolls in. Sure, the karaage fried chicken is great to start with—even better is the black miso chicken with pieces of dark meat slathered in a salty but earthy sauce. Bring a second date to fact-check their chopstick skills, or stop by solo for a chill dinner under an ornate tin ceiling. " - will hartman, willa moore, neha talreja, molly fitzpatrick, bryan kim, gabe bergado

"In East Williamsburg, Katabaru is an izakaya where you can eat things like karaage chicken, thinly sliced smoked pork belly, and a collection of donburi. The prices here are reasonable—the most expensive item is a $29 unagi don." - will hartman

"Remember this relaxed Japanese restaurant when you don’t want to deal with the wait at nearby East Williamsburg darlings. Katabaru serves fizzy highballs, reliably good snacks, and hearty, cold-weather unadon that will fact-check your date’s chopstick skills. Sure, the lightly fried tofu and karaage are great to start with—even better is the black miso chicken with pieces of dark meat slathered in a salty but earthy sauce. So the next time you want good Japanese food in a calm North Brooklyn room, come with someone you’ve only met a couple of times or by yourself. photo credit: Gabe Bergado" - Gabe Bergado