Takumen

"We’ve taken way too many dates to Takumen, but it’s just too easy to impress people with this cool, izakaya-inspired restaurant that looks like a Japanese cottage and has rotating art exhibits that might include doodles of disembodied butts. The wings with Thai green curry, miso, or soy garlic are the best thing on the menu, but they also serve fun fusion obanzai, ramen, and rice bowls. It's more of a cafe during the day, but can get pretty crowded during dinner time, so come with someone you’re hoping to share your personal space with. " - neha talreja, bryan kim, hannah albertine, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick

"At Takumen’s outdoor tent, the restaurant does a good job of keeping its patrons warm with space heaters for tables that are spaced out. The menu still features the same whimsical dishes like a kombu cauliflower-and-broccoli pop or the burrata cheese glazed with honey ume-jam." - Erika Adams, Tanay Warerkar, Bao Ong

"Takumen is one of those restaurants that could easily stand in for someone’s personality, and on a first date, you might appreciate the help with presenting as an “interesting person.” This Japanese spot in LIC looks like the inside of a cozy, minka-style cottage, populated by people nerding out about top-shelf sake and the restaurant’s rotating art exhibits—we’ve seen everything from eerie landscape photography to illustrations of bare butts on those walls. Although it’s an izakaya in spirit, Takumen has some New American touches, which means you’ll have stuff like ume-jam burrata and spicy miso wings to ooh-and-ahh about all night too." - will hartman, bryan kim, willa moore, neha talreja

"We’ve taken way too many dates to Takumen, and they’re starting to catch on. It’s just too easy to impress people with this cool, izakaya-inspired spot in LIC. Extra-low, slatted ceilings turn the space into a cozy Japanese cottage, where you can drink top-shelf sake and check out goofy rotating art exhibits, which at one time consisted of doodles of disembodied butts. They serve snacks, ramen and rice bowls, but the best thing on the menu are the wings, which come with either Thai green curry, miso, or soy garlic. It can get pretty cramped and crowded during dinner time, so come with someone you’re hoping to share your personal space with. During the day, it’s more of a cafe, and much calmer." - Neha Talreja

"Pop through Takumen’s yellow door to grab a matcha latte and a buttery croissant to-go, or grab seats in the wood-clad dining room for chewy ramen noodles in deeply flavorful sauce, hefty rice bowls, and impossibly crispy chicken wings. It’s the perfect place to fuel up before visiting MoMA PS1 or the Noguchi Museum." - ByThe Bon Appétit Staff