TOKUYAMATCHA & ONIGIRAZU BAR- E 6th St.
Japanese restaurant · East Village ·
Japanese rice ball sandwiches & matcha lattes, made to order
Japanese rice ball sandwiches & matcha lattes, made to order
"Onigirazu, rice-based sandwiches, are the focus of this takeout-only cafe and matcha spot in the East Village. The Japanese dish makes for a portable, affordable, and healthy lunch option filled with ingredients like saba fish or chicken karaage. There are several vegetarian-friendly options as well. There’s now an additional location on East 27th Street with room for seating." - Eater Staff
"On a quiet side street in Alphabet City I found Tokuyamatcha & Onigirazu, a recently opened East Village cafe that I think is the city’s best example of New York’s onigirazu potential right now. Ingredients tuck between layers of hot rice — a sliver of saba fish with a whisper of cheese, cubed beef cloaked with pickled ginger, and more than 20 choices overall, from umeboshi and boiled eggs to chicken karaage and a pork-belly-ramen recreation with chicken ramen–flavored rice. Each onigirazu is made to order and handed to you in plastic wrap for a filling meal under $10; with just one bench inside and a table out front most customers take them to go (many to nearby Tompkins Square Park). The shop also sells high-grade matcha, emphasizes high-quality sourcing (I found some of the most flavorful iterations here), and has seen sales explode thanks to social media and neighborhood regulars — they sell around 500 onigirazu on a weekend, have hired more staff, and often have crowds and delivery drivers waiting at lunch. Co-owner Tomo Tokuyama, who relaunched the cafe during COVID with a Japan-forward menu, says she’s focused on honing the craft now though she has ideas for new flavors like uni." - Emma Orlow
"Opened by the owner of Tokuyama Salon, the newly launched Tokuyama Salon Cafe sells coffee and espresso drinks alongside typical coffee-shop pastries such as croissants, muffins, and scones." - Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
"Coffee shop offering coffee and espresso drinks and typical coffee shop pastry fare." - Kayla Kumari Upadhyaya
"Salmon onigirazu made to order with generous warm rice and fillings that sit between onigiri and a sandwich; wrapped in plastic, the salmon avocado option holds up well for later consumption." - Grub Street
