Sozai Japanese Restaurant (Izakaya Ramen)

I love this place! Japanese food is one of my favorite cuisine’s and Sozai did not disappoint. Reservation is highly recommended, if not a must. Came here for a quick lunch in midtown with my parents while in the city and we enjoyed it so much. Service, ambiance and food quality was a pleasure and I crave for the next time I’ll be back!

Great value Japanese eatery with a wide selection of amazing Japanese dishes and cozy decor. Every dish we ordered was delicious. The ramen was even one of the best I’d had in the continental US! 😋 Will definitely become my go-to place in NYC. They are quite busy so recommend booking a table in advance.

Art took great care of us, decided to drink and have quick lunch. We got notified of happy hour so ordered another yuzu vodka. Great food and drinks, easy eating at the bar!

Had a lovely dinner at Sozai. Service was prompt and on point. Food came out fast too which was nice since we were starving. Miso black cod was very soft, and green tea soba is close to the kind you get in Japan ! Very good on a summer day. Cocktails are nice too, my favorite was the Okinawa wind. For dessert , the yuzu cheesecake was great, but wish the piece was a bit larger given the price.

I’ve been wanting to try Sozai for a while and I FINALLY came! This place did not disappoint at all! Drinks were delicious and the yuzu vodka highball was SO refreshing! The soba green tea with sashimi salmon on top was SO good. The tako wasa definitely cleared my friend’s sinuses. The ambiance of the place was bright and clean, I can definitely see this as a date spot. But a great spot for just everyday dining or even special occasions. Our waitress/ server Farlarr was super duper nice and attentive. Always checked up on us if the food was good, ready to take our orders and always had a keen eye on cleaning the dishes and refilling our water cups. Come check out Sozai when u can!! Definitely a cute spot!

Really good quality Izakaya!! All the food was great and the yuzu cheese cake was phenomenal! Drinks were also delicious and well crafted. I highly recommend :)

Excellent ramens and udon and cool ambience. Long line to wait for a seat if no prior reservation is made. Price is reasonable given it’s in the core of Manhattan. I would have given it 5 stars if it improves its approach to asking for tips: it provides options of 25%, followed by 22% and then 20%. This creates an unhealthy expectation on the customers.

Walking through the restaurant there’s a very modern and chic feel. My friend and I went for dinner and we ordered the Chaudoin and a creamy pasta which I don’t remember the name of. I ordered a glass of wine and she ordered a yummy little cocktail. We sat at the bar and this bartender was very kind and very friendly with us. Overall, I would love to recommend this place anyone who wants a yummy little dinner and it’s relatively quiet so it’s easy to talk to people in there.

Stopped in here for lunch on a Saturday before a Broadway show. Our timing was perfect since some bigger groups came in a little after us. There's a steady flow of customers, but the seating is a little limited and primarily for parties of 4 or less. Menus were QR scans, but you ordered with real wait staff (I detest ordering on a tablet or phone) who were able to accommodate requests/allergies. Choosing what to order was really hard because it all looked great! I was particularly impressed with the selection of offal. My beef tongue appetizer was thinly cut and quite juicy. The thinness was essential since otherwise this was a little chewy. The real wasabi was an excellent complement. For the entree, I got chicken livers, which were served with a lot of wild garlic scapes and a bowl of rice. It was all cooked well, though I would say the pieces of liver were a little too big. My husband got ube fries (tasty and perfectly fried) and tonkatsu ramen, which he said was the best ramen he's had in a while. He got the iced green tea, which was concentrated in flavor, while I got a yuzu beer that was fine. Even though we were hungry, I'd say an appetizer + entree was almost too much food for lunch. Almost... ;-)

Had a quick lunch here at Sozai, ordering an appetizer and entree each across a party of two. The entrees came with a miso soup which was actually way more substantial than what one might expect from the stereotypical Japanese restaurant. For appetizers we had the kurobuta sausage and agedashi tofu, both of which were pretty strong. My personal entree was the gyudon, which brought me back to the gyudon fast food restaurants that I loved in Toykyo (mmm Sukiya). You can say I really liked it! Service was fast and efficient, which makes sense for the lunch crowd. Most of the seating is booth structured, with plenty of privacy away from other parties.

Japanese izakaya- food was just ok... Here is what we ordered: - sake clam miso (one of their most popular dishes, while the soup is very flavorful, it doesn't really soak into the clams - pork belly (very hard and chewy, and not tender and soft like typical pork belly dishes -beef tongue is decent, but very chewy as well (almost hard to chew). Feels a bit overcooked - black cod is the best out of the ones we ordered, but feel like one can't really screw miso black cod up... Portions are quite small!

Foos hit the spot. Was craving the cold soba noodles...but the added salmon and roe really hit the spot. Service was great. Water bottle on table and they kept refilling our glasses. It's a cute spot that fills up fast. Came here to grab a bite to eat before a show.

we walked over here for dinner what seemed like a decent place based on other Yelp reviews. The restaurant is a small space with a few tables inside. A couple walked in before us without a reservation was informed there was a wait time to be seated. However, when we walked up the same lady greeted us and turned us away since we didn't have a reservation. Mind you, it was still early in the night for dinner. I noticed they had other tables open. It was disappointing she didn't offer us a waitlist option like the person in front of us without a reservation. We searched for another dinner option and found an amazing dinner spot not too far.

Had lunch here on a holiday so the lunch specials weren't available. Got the sashi mori ($45) and it was SO good! All the fish was so fresh and great quality. Would come back for other items next time!

Can I say this is a hidden gem? Especially being in a busy area with lots of touristy spots and restaurant chains. This izakaya stands out! The food was really delicious, and especially for the price point. One of the dishes ordered was the hamachi crudo and it was fantastic--super fresh and beautifully balanced. I especially loved the touch of truffle. I feel you can really judge the quality of a place by how they handle raw fish, and this dish definitely impressed me given the price. The ambience also felt super clean and put together. It was giving popular udon chain, Raku vibes. I'll definitely be back!

Service: 4.3/5 Food: 4.1/5 Price: $$$ ($30-50) Classic Japanese interior design with open small tables, semi private booths, or bar seating. More tables than I thought + steadily busy until almost closing time. Good service without being overly attentive. QR menus. Looked like a well-stocked bar with plenty of Japanese whisky. What I Ordered: - ube fries: nicely fried, a little tougher than regular fries - cold soba green tea: refreshing, small portion, overpriced at $22 for 4 pieces of salmon, gladly not too salty - mentaiko pasta: not spicy, creamy, small portion but the denseness fills me up, didn't really taste the cod roe

This is a very authentic Japanese restaurant located in Midtown. The menu is very extensive, with the typical izakaya dishes such as beef tongue (gyu tan), fried herring (kibinago), and braised pork belly (kakuni). Honestly, the appetizers were enough to fill me up. For entree, I would recommend the chirashi bowl with uni - all freshly prepared. The restaurant offered both booth seating and table seating. Unfortunately, our table for 4 was a bit crammed, where we were having a hard time finding spaces for dishes and drinks. So, request a booth if you prefer more spaces. Also, double-check with the servers when placing your orders. There was a little mix-up where we asked about a dish, but it was mistakenly added to our order.

Saw this place first on social media, and was intrigued enough to come visit. Glad a made it here for a meal -- casual izakaya vibes, great food and drinks! We visited around 8:30pm on a weeknight, service was extremely fast! 5/5 Mentaiko Pasta -- must order! Smokiness from the bacon, creaminess from the sauce makes this dish come together great! Definitely one of the better mentaiko pastas you can order in the city. 4.5/5 Sashimi Salad 4.5/5 Hamachi Crudo 4/5 Gin Umeshu

I'd come back! They have an extensive menu and I was excited by most of it but just didn't have the stomach space for it. The things we got were: Unagi Don Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen Hotate Carpaccio All were solid! The unagi was doused in sauce if you care (but who doesn't love sauce?)

Went for lunch and absolutely fell in love with this place. It's a small and cozy restaurant, very simply decorated but very modern looking and the food was amazing. The crab croquette was a bit too greasy for my taste but everything else was perfect. Each dish was packed with flavor. The hotate carpaccio which was light and citrusy, a perfect app. The mental pasta was perfectly creamy and delicious. My favorite was the miso black cod which was soft and well marinated. I can't wait to try other menu items. Great restaurant and great staff. Will definitely be back soon!

This restaurant takes you to Japan with its wonderful food and great atmosphere. The service was excellent - attentive and friendly. We had the hamachi, tonkatsu, tofu, karage chicken, and miso cod. All yummy! The drinks and the dessert were also great! Will return.

Took a NY trip and this came out as my favorite spot of the entire trip! First dinner out and we went really like around 9-10pm, was very lively and great ambiance! A tiny spot overall but they sat us down very quickly! They have the bar area, some tables and these cute pods . I got the spicy tonkatsu ramen and it was so delicious, broth tasted so savory and not too spicy. The pork was very chewy and savory . Noodles were also very thin but great taste. I was addicted to it and wanted more and more. Seriously the best place and would def recommend this to anyone wanting to try an amazing ramen spot in NY

What a hidden gem in Midtown! The premium sake was outstanding, and the cocktails were equally impressive. I ordered the saba rice set--the mackerel was perfectly grilled, and the rice, topped with sesame and bonito flakes, was so flavorful that I had to ask the server if they used authentic Japanese rice, known for its sweet, dense texture. I can't wait to come back and try more of their mouthwatering dishes!

2.5/5. Had high hopes after seeing a good amount of social media content about this place, and was left somewhat disappointed. Insta foodies, hats off for the good marketing. I'll start off by saying the restaurant layout is pretty nice. Booths with coat hooks high above + well-lit bar seating. I got a booth with a friend and we had plenty of privacy. We were pretty excited by how extensive the menu was and ordered from various sections. The general quality of the seafood and meat we got was not great, and the dishes we ordered fell flat. Sake clam miso ($18) was good, no complaints. Probably the best dish we got. Make sure to sip the broth afterwards. Crab croquettes ($12) had tons of mayo and the mentaiko was not that apparent (nor was the crab). The cold soba green tea ($22) looked exciting but was just ok - no presence of green tea for me, and all the flavor came from the sauce which was dark and quite sweet. The hokkaido don ($36)... Please skip this. The uni was orange/brown, not fresh looking at all. There wasn't much seafood in the bowl and it was not worth it. The gyu tan ($17) was impressively bland and tough, like we were chewing for days. The accompanying yuzu kosho was a speck on the plate. Don't recommend. The hojicha ice cream with fried sweet potato balls was ok, but hojicha could have been stronger. Service was good and food came out relatively quickly. The concept of this place and the menu is nice, but the execution of the dishes makes me pretty hesitant to come back. The meal was quite expensive - $77 per person after tax and tip, and I know I could have had better for the same price elsewhere.

Came here after a show and it was delicious. With no reservation, we sat at the bar. We got a number of small plates: The mussels in dynamite sauce was filling and delicious. Chicken kaarage was crispy and was seasoned well. The mentaiko pasta has a small kick, and the bacon provided a nice salty flavor. Lastly, my old-fashioned cocktail was super pleasant to sip on throughout the evening. I would love to sit in the booth next time since it looked super cozy and intimate but the bar was spacious and you get to see the bartenders make the cocktails.

Went here with a friend during happy hour and ordered many dishes. The ube fried was part of the happy hour, tasted flavorful and crispy. The Kakuni (pork belly) appetizer was cooked perfectly. The entire piece was extremely tinder and rich. Our sake clam miso was perfect for the cold weather, and came with much more clams than expected. It was hard to pick a favorite, but we think the Miso Black Cod was likely it. For drinks, happy hour selections were a bit pricey, and the house sake was only one small glass. I would definitely come back, and look forward to trying more dishes.

We passed by this place a few times and decided to stop in after seeing the happy hour signs. It's a cute spot with some tables and bar/counter seating. They have a bunch of fried items and highballs on the happy hour menu. Fried kaki is always my fave and the ones here did not disappoint, perfectly juicy and crispy. The fried karage was also unique as it was rolled into a ball shape. It was nicely fried and really retained the heat. Carbonara was creamy with a nice portion of bacon. Highballs were refreshing. Service was great and quick.

Sozai is a new Japanese Izakaya place in midtown with nice ambiance! My friend and I were able to walk in with no wait on a Thursday night, but the full party had to be present to get seated. There was a happy hour menu but the menu wasn't as extensive. Food came as they were ready, and they were pretty decent!! There were lots of clams in our sake clam miso, and the ube fried also came with a big portion. We loved the black miso cod the most as it was so flavorful and yummy! The age tofu came with 3 tofus, so we each ate one and shared the third into halves. I feel like the prices are a little high for what they are worth though. Service was good! They're attentive and very friendly. They bring the tap to pay machine when you are ready, which was convenient!

Amazing and filling lunch special!! Came here on a weekday for lunch and was able to be seated right away at one of the booths. I can see this spot getting filled on the weekends though so would recommend making a reservation if you plan on coming at a busy time. I chose the spicy tonkatsu ramen for the lunch special. Was pleasantly surprised that the ramen had a kick to it!! The crispy lotus root on top was a very nice touch. They also give you a choice of miso soup or house salad-- I went with the miso soup. It had a lot of seaweed, tofu, and mushrooms. really good !! The ramen and miso soup left me happily stuffed. Solid spot. Would definitely come back again for the lunch special. That miso soup was so good!!

Just okay... Food is pricey for the portions but I guess you are in midtown. The only thing that I would get again is the ramen as the noodles and soup seemed fresh and authentic. Everything else was lacking in either taste or quality.

This was one of the BEST Japanese restaurants. The food was outstanding, the service impeccable. It was a little loud but in a fun way. The decor was very charming. We started with the grilled edamame with garlic wasabi which was so delicious but not too spicy. We also had the shishito peppers and fried Oysters. Hot. Fresh. Perfect. For entree we were going to have ramen because the bowls we saw looked yummy but we opted to have sushi, salmon skin roll -super crunchy, hamachi roll-super fresh and the salmon avocado roll which was also fresh and perfect. The rice was still slightly warm, just the way I like it. We also had the Japanese beer and the final price was extremely reasonable! Definitely will go back!

We didn't have any reservation but they took us in. The food arrived quickly and the server explained to us the flavors (i.e., sweet, spicy, etc.). The food was delicious. FYI, there were these yellow shredded items in our plate which we thought was cheese. It's egg!

A new Japanese izakaya place and a nice addition to the midtown food scene. We stopped by for dinner on a weekday. It was fairly busy inside but we were able to get seated without a wait. We ordered the karaage, agedashi tofu, mentaiko pasta, gyudon, and the eggplant. I can't say anything really blew my mind, but every dish was solid - though we all did find the eggplant way too sweet. Overall though this is a great place to stop by if you're in the area after work!

Came here on a busy December weekend with a reservation thankfully because the line is long! So make sure you make your reservations! The place is super tiny and cramped like most NY restaurants but they had nice booths which I appreciated. There are hooks up above you to hang your coat. No space for a stroller if you were to bring a baby just FYI. Unfortunately not the most family-friendly place to bring a one year old but we made do and just held her in my lap because there are no high chairs or booster seats. But I guess it is a Izakaya and that's not a place to take a baby. Our waitress was a bit impatient and didn't have the best attitude when she heard us wrong and ordered us the wrong food. Thankfully though all of us including the baby enjoyed the food. Baby especially loved the tonkotsu ramen noodles and went crazy with the noodles. Broth was super flavorful and not too salty. We ordered the kaarage and takoyaki which were all good. The Wafu mushroom pasta was really good but I thought it was a tad bit salty. Katusdon was cooked perfectly. Overall, a solid place that I would come to again if I was in the area.

Sadly was a bit disappointed in the quality of the fish (sashimi in the Kaisen Don), and wasn't a fan of the Mentaiko pasta or the tomato crab salad (it had too much potato and the tomato was dry and hard). However, we really enjoyed the clam miso soup and the fried oysters, which were massive. The monkfish liver and uni weren't bad but not as good as I usually expect. At the price point, sadly not sure I would return.

came for just the happy hour and was pretty disappointed. drinks are limited and the highballs are $12 for hh when i can get them for $8 elsewhere at non-hh price. the taro fried was solid but nothing memorable and most items on the hh seemed pretty basic and like normal non-hh prices. although we didnt order from the regular menu, i get the feeling it wouldve just been even more disappointing with the high prices. service was also somewhat uncomfortable since the restaurant is quite small but there are a decent amount of waitstaff they just paced close to our table making us feel pressured to order more or leave. with so many great japanese options in the city its hard for me to see why id come back to sozai again.

We had a reservation on a Tuesday evening, but it was surprisingly quiet. The restaurant itself is clean and bright, and our server was friendly. Happy hour lasts until 6pm, so we tried a few drinks--including a Paloma and a yuzu highball--both were tasty at $12 each. We also ordered fried oysters (my personal favorite), fried octopus legs, and fried ube. While I enjoyed the flavors, I felt the menu leaned too heavily on fried items overall. Additionally, the hamachi tasted a bit fishy, and the clams didn't seem very fresh. A bit more variety and freshness would elevate the experience even further.

Newer Izakaya restaurant located in Midtown. The food portions were quite small for the price and nothing blew my mind. The pasta sauce was quite thick and heavy. Service was also slow because we were in a secluded area and had trouble flagging down our waiters.

Great food, great service, and great ambience. Also kid friendly and very nice and attentive to kids Also good for dates and is a very cute restaurant with booths for couples. I love the clams (you must try the soup the clams are in) The carpaccio is also so good. My niece loved the ramen.

My first time at Sozai yesterday and I will be going back again and again. This is a gorgeous homey izakaya style restaurant with incredible food and even more incredible people. I think I lost my elite status on yelp because I wasn't able to post much last year. I was pregnant! And then gave birth to my beautiful little girl! And though it definitely put a damper on my reviewing it also made me very aware of restaurants and places to go in a whole different light! I think now I will be taking account something many other people with babies are also thinking about! I now look at whether or not a place can accommodate me and my partner with our baby. Sozai is one of the places that I would say isn't built for family dining but the people make it possible. We were a walk in with our baby after we went to MOMA and we didn't know if they would be able to seat us. Everyone walking through the door had a reservation. We waited in the little entrance way for a while (about 25 min) and the manager was incredibly hospitable and worked to make sure we could get a table that could also fit our stroller. For a very busy and very crowded restaurant, I know it took a lot of effort but they were able to do it. They don't have a changing table in the bathroom but there was a roomier bathroom they made sure I got into that I was able to use and changed her in the stroller and breastfed her without anyone bothering us. I really appreciated the staff for that help. I ordered the unagi don, my husband ordered the chashu ramen. We got an extra order of the miso cod and I absolutely always order a tako wasabi if anyone offers it. Every dish was delicious. The rice was amazingly fluffy and the price is actually incredibly reasonable for the quality of food. The unagi don had a lot of thick pieces of eel, the miso cod was gorgeously done. It was perfectly cooked and wasn't too salty. The tako wasabi was delicious and very wasabi with fresh wasabi going straight to the nose! My husband loved his ramen, I didn't try it so I will have to try some next time. We knew they needed to turn over tables and that people were waiting so we didn't linger because they were so kind to seat us. We will definitely be back. The food was beautiful and delicious, the restaurant was clean and well paced. The food was served very quickly especially for how crowded and packed the place was. The service was above and beyond. We very much enjoyed our hard earned and rare night out because of the people there. Five stars.

A great find in the theatre district. Delicious food and so many options-something for everyone. The people who work there are so nice and welcoming. Our server was Ing and she was amazing. The best karage I ever had! Also the miso cod was excellent and so were the desserts.

Small place, good for intimate meal. Make a reservation for lunch. Food (sashimi, apps) was decent, service too, but not wow. Maybe over-rated because of location? Or maybe ramen is the thing to do? Probably won't go back--better sushi around.

We did not have a reservation, but they sat us pretty quickly. Everyone we encountered that worked there were very accommodating and pleasant. The menu was diverse and the clams in miso broth was our favorite dish. I would definitely go back and try some other dishes.

I came here with a friend yesterday and I LOVED this place. It was packed for a weekday night and they had an extensive menu of izakaya offerings. I thought the food they offered was unique and authentic to Japanese culture. Upon entering, the lighting is dim and the seating arrangements are very nice where some are in wooden booths. I ordered the mentaiko pasta, which was creamy and filling. It was topped with bacon pieces that perfected the dish and I absolutely enjoyed it. My friend got the cold soba green tea and she thought it was pretty good. One of the best she's had in NYC. We wanted to finish our meal with a dessert, so we decided to go for the sweet potato balls with hojicha ice cream. The sweet potato balls were chewy and had a sugary finish to it. The ice cream was similar to gelato and was decadent. Overall, we loved our experience and I would say I'm definitely coming back for more. The food, service, and ambiance were amazing. Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5

Tasty udon and katsu curry! I like the combination of booths, tables and bar. Warm ambiance and good service - thank you Farlarr

Stopped in for a quick lunch before a play. Great staff, sashimi salad was terrific. Had some trouble accessing the QR Code menu since I am not from NYC and my cell coverage was spotty. No troubles with the physical menu.

From the get go the service wasn't up to par. The hostess was impatient with me for not being able to decide on a table. There was only 1 table, but there were 2 other empty tables all "reserved." Their agedashi tofu was smelly. The tofu wasn't fresh. Miso Black Cod was okay. There were a lot of bones to pick through. It tasted kinda fishy. Sashimi bowl didn't taste that fresh. Their Uni was supermarket uni atop crab and scallops. I saw everyone order a scallop carpaccio. It's NYC pricing. Along with the portions that make it tapas small. I shoulda known this was going to be more Asian fusion when there's only fried rice options. I tried it once. Not gonna go here again. How does one mess up Agedashi tofu! And give you smelly tofu!?

We came on a Saturday without reservations and was able to get seated right away at 5:30. By the time it was 6pm, the place seemed to have filled up and walk-ins had to wait. We chose this place because it had a lot of variety in their food, which was good for the kids. Loved the ambience but the food was just ok. The Ube fries, chicken karaage, and Takoyaki were good. The kids loved the mushroom pasta since it has sweet soy sauce. We also had the miso ramen, but that didn't look authentic or taste authentic. It wasn't creamy looking - it looked like a clear, dark brown broth. Regardless, the husband ate it up. The seasoned egg was good though. Decent experience, decent food, but we are probably going to try another Izakaya next time!

This place is a surprisingly gem in a very touristy location. The menu is pretty extensive and every item we tried was so good. We ordered the fried tofu, monkfish, clam miso soup, chirashi bowl, beef bowl, scallop appetizer and uni. everythign was so fresh and amazing. The high ball was so refreshing as well. I can't wait to come back

Sake was good. The food even better; from the Sashimi bowl to the ramen. Service was professional and attentive.

Cool place. Food was interesting and satisfying. Sat at the bar and the bartender was excellent.

Yum! This was a Yelp find for dinner and we are so glad we went. It's a really cool spot which was great for a date night dinner. They had NA options, which I appreciated and the Ramen was super good! We also had the hamachi crudo (not pictured - we ate too fast) which I would definitely recommend. Service was good and they were very attentive.

New izakaya and ramen place in midtown Manhattan. Sake clam miso , mentaiko pasta, and sushi roll is a must !!

Great little spot for a quick dinner before a show. We had a few drinks and some light bites and it was perfect. Perfectly crisp, cold beer and a refreshing high ball complemented a mental crab croquet and some Kara age. The crab croquet was amazing and I'd come back just for that. We also really liked the grilled pork jowl dish, all went well with alcohol. Looking forward to coming back and trying out their mains, we saw a lot of people had ordered their ramen and sushi dishes.

Such a great meal. I was wandering around NYC hungry for Japanese food and I stumbled into this place. Wow. I was hankering for a Bento box, but Sozai has more inventive deliciousness on its mind. I had this incredible lemon miso salmon, (a huge piece of fish), some miso soup and an avocado roll. OMG. Wonderful. Savory. The waiter, Phoom, was pleasant and attentive. I will absolutely go there again. Highly recommended.

Ordered sushi, mushroom ramen, grilled mackerel and garlic fried rice. All the food was amazing and quickly served. I loved the modern decor and the ambience was so clean and inviting. I would go again for sure.

The best izakaya in town with very fresh ingredients Good atmosphere Friendly service Great Highballs in town