TOKUYAMATCHA & ONIGIRAZU BAR

So unique, quality and neighbourhood energy!!! The creamy iced matcha latte was SO good. I don’t know what they do to it but man, they crushed it. It was so delightful. The salmon + avocado onigirazu was 🔥. They are made fresh-to-order. Really nice portion size too! Basically to-go only. The interior is super small, barely enough to order. But there’s a table / bench outside and the park is super nearby. Unique east village lunch / drink spot.

Fluffy, perfectly, textured rice. Warm hearty bites. Packed with creative but especially classic flavor combinations. Blink and you’ll miss it - this little hole in the wall almost exclusively onigirazu (rice balls / sandwiches) is well worth the walk! Perfect for lunch - they have little benches outside for a quick munch if weather permits. Would recommend the curry cheese chicken!

Incredibly tasty onigiri style sandwiches. I had the beef and cooked tuna. Would come back and try more items. Limited seating. It’s prepared at the spot so there is a bit of a wait while they prepare. But well worth it when you get the sandwich warm and soft.

It’s counter service ordering and very tiny, so there’s really only room for like one customer to order at a register and potentially a second customer can come in and grab their food. The menu is also right at the register, which is can feel a little awkward if you’re not sure what you want and need to take up space there for a few minutes. There is a nice variety of Onigirazus you can choose from, including clearly labeled vegan and vegetarian ones. I got the Vegan Yakiniku, which was vegan Japanese barbecue. The marinated soy was super tasty, but I wish it was more distributed throughout the rice or there was less rice. Some bites were just white rice, and just bland. Maybe a dipping sauce would have helped with that too. There are a few outdoor benches, but it’s mainly a takeout place.

What a unique mom and pop shop. Super small, just enough room to order and then eat outside. So Beautifully executed. For some reason, thought it was alittle bigger but nonetheless filled me up. Would stop by again and try something else on the menu.

The matcha here is great, worth the price. I recommend the hojicha latte and the genmaicha latte. They have different milk options but oat milk is extra. I havent tried the food so I cant consider that in the review. Wasnt extraordinary enough for 5 stars but one of the better matchas in the city

I'm so disappointed. This wasn't a great experience. The store is very tiny; only 3 people can fit in at a time. There is not menu on the outside or paper ones for you to take to review what you want. There is only one mounted right in front of the register where they take your order. You then wait outside for them to call your name over the speaker to go inside where you have to lean over the new patrons in line to get your order. I ordered a Chai latte with oat milk. It is $6.75 with an additional 80 cents for the oat milk. Not only was the cup half filled (picture included) but there was also a significant amount of ice. Absolutely not worth it and I was too uncomfortable to ask them why my clear cup of Chai was only half filled. I ordered 2 onigiris. My friend and I each took a half of both flavors and came to the same conclusion that they were both good but the salmon avocado had spots in it where there was too much vinegar. I love vinegar but the bites stung my nose. We also ordered a topping of fried egg for the other and never received it! I also had to remind them that I ordered a soda because they never gave it to me. With the issues, I can't say this place is worth it which is sad because I was so excited to go. The only thing that I loved about this place was this place is that they have non-dairy milk options; oat, almond, and soy milk.

This place is okay, came here after seeing a few posts online of their delicious rice ball sandwiches. The rice needed some sauce/seasoning and would have worked better as sushi rice or if it came with soy sauce. The salmon was quite dry and felt like it was tinned. A small portion at a high price point I felt. I went for their premium matcha latte which was nice but I wouldn’t go out of my way for.

I was eating damn near an onigiri a day on my Japan trip, and my soul needed to find a good comp in ny. Tokuyamatcha & Onigirazu Bar fulfilled and surpassed all my cravings. It's a hole in the wall in the east village that only slangs 2 things: Matcha and Onigirazu. I'm really not a matcha guy if we are keeping it a buck, so I was just here for the onigirazu, which is essentially just a flattened onigiri. They pride themselves on freshly made sandwiches with quality ingredients, and it shows. These were delicious. I got two sandwiches cuz I'm a tank, and they were the karaage chicken with mayo and the beef & ginger with chili oil. Beef and Ginger ended up being my favorite as the meat was so tender (pause) and the chili oil packed a nice punch. This is my new go to spot for a quick bite. IG @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov__

I had a soy nugget and kinpira onigirazu and a tokuyamatcha tea. The flavors on the rice balls were nice - the rice was still warm, and both had a nice variety of vegetables and sauces. I liked the slight crunch in the kinpira as well. The matcha is pretty good, with not much bitterness at all, though I'd probably go with a lower grade and get a latte next time. The prices are pretty high - my meal landed at $36 after tax and tip. It's probably better to stop here for a snack or a really light meal of a cup of tea and a single rice ball.

This spot is perfect if you're looking for a quick and delicious bite! I visited on a Saturday around 11 a.m., and there was no line--we were able to order immediately. I got the salmon shiso, while my friend chose the salmon avocado. Both were packed with flavor and incredibly tasty. The portions were generous, especially considering the price, making it an excellent value. Service was straightforward and efficient, aligning with the grab-and-go nature of the restaurant. The space itself is quite small with no seating, but that seems to be part of the design. If you're on the move and craving something fresh and satisfying, this place is a fantastic choice!

This place did not disappoint!!! I've always wanted to try onigiri, and I felt like this was the perfect place to start. The portion was HUGE. It doesn't look huge but I almost didn't finish it! (In a good way). It was so flavorful, and the chefs were very nice and patient with me while I chose what to get!

Love this spot! Came at 12:10 PM on a Sunday and there was no line, though it built up shortly after we ordered. I tried: + Salmon avocado (spicy) + Japanese fried chicken with mayo (spicy) + Iced blue moon matcha latte with oat + Ceremonial Iced matcha latte with coconut Iced matcha drinks both ruled. Both onigiri were also great, with the salmon avocado being my favorite. The spicy level was not too much, just a little kick. Only one table and one bench outside so plan to take your items to go if you're with more than one person.

My friends and I came here to grab lunch and it was delicious! Everything was prepped hot and well packaged to go and it was such a yummy rice ball! They have so many options and I don't think you could go wrong with any of them but we did enjoy our Japanese fried chicken and the beef one specifically. The matcha and hojicha was also delicious! This place definitely gets busy so I recommend ordering ahead for pick up since this location is not a sit down place! Definitely worth a visit and the inside of the shop is so cute!

I am most disappointed by the drink. The place was very cramp, but there's a couple seating outside. Definitely more of a grab and go place. I had a hard time choosing from all the variety, but the Salmon Avocado ($9.75) and Japanese Fried Chicken with Mayo ($9.75) was delicious. I liked the Japanese Fried Chicken's flavor more, and the minced up Salmon was very messy to eat. I got the signature Tokyamatcha Latte with Coconut Milk to try. For an almost $10 drink, I expected some difference but the drink had no flavor. It tasted more like milk, and I didn't even taste coconut. They also didn't even fill it to the brim. Everything was expensive for the items. Good for a very occasional grab and go meal though. I would love to try more onigirazu options.

I have always seen this hyped up on my social media and my bf decided to try this place out. We came on Sunday afternoon and there was a short line to order. We decided to get the salmon shiso and matcha ceremonial grade drink. The salmon in the onigiri was okay, the portions were small, and it could have used more salmon filling. The onigiri was filled with more rice and lettuce. The matcha drink was a good and would love to come back to try the hoijicha drink.

I was super curious to try this place after hearing all the hype, but I was underwhelmed and certainly didn't find it to be worth the nearly 45 minute wait. It seemed like they were handling a lot of Uber eats etc. orders, so you might have better luck pre-ordering and picking up. The place is pretty small and they didn't seem to have a lot of employees to keep things moving (when I got to the front, I had to wait 10 minutes just for someone to come take my order). I ordered a salmon onigizaru, which came neatly packed. The flavor was solid, but not outstanding, and I found it to be pretty difficult to eat without having it fall apart.

I can't go to the east village without stopping here I love it so much! The salmon and tofu are my favorite onigiri, and love the black sesame and matcha drinks

Stopped here for lunch and the line was out the door when we arrived! There is only one table outside to sit at, so it's best to take your food to go. The workers took our order and it didnt take too long for it to be ready. Since the line was long and it was kind of a walk from the nearest subway stop, we decided to get to onigiris and three drinks. We got the spam onigiri and ramen onigiri. The ramen onigiri was super unique and was my favorite because of all of the toppings. The spam was good, but it had too much mayo for my liking and I prefer spam with soy sauce or teriyaki sauce. For drinks we got a traditional matcha latte, yuzu ginger matcha, and matcha calpico. Their matcha is really good quality. I loved the matcha calpico, i would've never thought about mixing the two together.

Cute hole in the wall. I ordered Japanese Fried Chicken Karaage which was good along with drinks. The blue moon latte had a strong cinnamon flavor. Food was overall good but it has no place to sit. Food: 4/5 Service: 4/5 Ambience: 4/5

I loved this spot! I think it's such a perfect lunch or snack. My friend and I spilt the Salmon & Avocado, while each getting a drink, and it was a great light bite. The quality of the ingredients were superb. The rice was nice and fluffy, the avocado was perfectly ripe, and the salmon had great flavor. I loved that they put wasabi in the onigirazu too! Their drinks are also great. The yuzu matcha was very lightly sweet and fresh. I had the Calpico Matcha, and it was so refreshing!! The sweetness of the calpico balanced the matcha very nicely. The shop is very small. There's a small table outside and a couple benches, but no seating otherwise. Super close to Tompkins Square Park, though! I definitely want to go back to try all the other onigirazu options!!

Went to the store at around 2pm on a weekend and waited around 45 mins for my order. They had forgotten about my drink so I waited extra long for that too. Was not worth the wait and would not go back again. The black sesame latte lacked sesame flavour and tasted mainly of milk. The onigirazu was okay but extremely hard to eat because it kept falling apart.

This looks cute but eating it is a mess. The quality of the food is good but the moment you take a bite, everything pretty much falls apart.

So glad I read about the time-saving hack before stopping by on Saturday. I'm not one to gatekeep so if you're not trying to wait on a crazy line, ordering ahead via Grubhub/Ubereats for pickup is definitely the way to go especially since it's a tiny takeout spot anyway. I arrived about 5-10 min before my order was actually ready, and that's about as much time I'd wait for the onigirazu here. Don't get me wrong, they were pretty tasty and fresh (almost too hot) but dare I say... a tad overhyped? I preferred the fried chicken w/ garlic chili sauce over the ramen-ish one and it was a pretty satisfying lunch overall but nothing crazy special. The ramen one was a bit too soggy for my liking while the fried chicken was delicious. Next time I'd try one of the tuna ones. Like others have probably mentioned, it can get pretty messy while eating and onigiris are superior in that way. I also compared an iced premium matcha tea with an iced ceremonial grade matcha ($1 difference) and the latter was subtly more bitter / more depth in flavor but not a huge difference overall - both very good and refreshing on a warm day. Another pro tip thanks to other reviewers: the garden across the street has benches and maybe a couple of tables to enjoy the quick meal.

The onigirazu and matcha here are both amazing but I would truly come back just for the onigirazu more so because of the bang for its buck. Huge portions and great options, and highly recommend grabbing a few different options with some friends and switching halves since they are pre cut. Friendly service here but not much seating at all, other than a couple of benches outside.

Small cafe where you can order delicious onigiri and latte. My friend and I ordered 4 onigiri to try: tuna & egg, fried chicken with chili oil, fried chicken with mayo, and salmon with shiso. We loved all 4 of them. They were full of filling! We also ordered 2 lattes, blue moon and tokuyamatcha. The blue moon tasted more like a chai latte but tokuyamatcha was good! The store itself is very small, you order the food and wait outside. There are no seats indoor but they do have 1 table outside. Highly recommend! They're also opening a location in midtown soon!

Great little place for a quick to go meal or coffee. The amount of choices available for onigiri is amazing. Definitely something for everyone. Everything is great so try it all. They had a yuzu drink too and it was delicious. Service was quick and attentive. Amazing place

This spot was recommended to me via TikTok and Instagram. Unfortunately it does not live up to the hype that others have shared and praised so highly about. I'm rating this solely on the food/packaging it came in because I don't mind waiting on line to order plus additional wait time to receive my order. And the people making it are hard at work making these sandwiches and drinks in this small adorable location. When I saw their menu, it had a wide selection to choose from (there were only 3 items already sold out when I arrived) so I ordered the Tuna Salad and Egg Onigirazu. It looked beautifully packaged but was a hassle to carefully remove the tape and unwrap to get to the food. Once I took my first bite, it lacked flavor. From the tuna which should be creamier with Japanese Mayo without being too goopy, rice should have more rice seasoning to add more depth, and egg should've been diced up into smaller slices rather than right down the middle. Lastly the seaweed lacked that crunch factor, I understand it is folded and tightly packed in sandwich form but I think the moisturizer of the clear wrap made it soggy for me. Lastly, it requires a certain way to eat so it doesn't fall apart in your hands and make a mess which it did for me no matter which angle or way I ate it. I personally didn't like it but don't let this stop you from going to try this yourself

I only got the matcha and not the onigirazu, so this review is just for the matcha! I ordered the tokuyamatcha latte with oat milk which ended up a bit under $10. The tokuyamatcha is supposed to be their highest ceremonial grade. For the price + grade of matcha, I thought it was just alright. The matcha wasn't mixed that well and I've had better matcha elsewhere. It was also a bit too sweet for me personally but not sure if that was from the oat milk or if the standard latte is also sweet. The matcha isn't bad and I've definitely had much worse in the city, but this falls solidly in the middle in my opinion esp at the $10 price point! I would still get it again if I wanted to stop by for the onigirazu but it wouldn't be my first choice for matcha in the city!

A charming to-go spot where you can get matcha and lunch in one sitting, even if a little overhyped. The restaurant is tiny with no tables inside--people were standing around waiting for their orders both inside and outside. You can expect a good 20-30 minute wait for your order so I highly recommend ordering ahead online. They offer ubereats pickup! Otherwise I do not think it's worth the time for what it is: a casual rice ball. While more elevated and a slightly larger portion than your traditional onigiri, I was slightly underwhelmed by my salmon & avocado onigirazu. Firstly the way it is cut optimizes for presentation rather than being able to eat it like a "sandwich" so you kind of have to eat it horizontally, which damages the integrity of what is supposed to be a handheld meal. Imagine if a crunchwrap supreme was cut hamburger-style instead of hotdog-style - that's how these are. The rice was cooked well and the sprinkle of sesame seeds such a nice touch but the filling was quite bland with an overpowering wasabi taste. I ordered mine non-spicy and granted I am not a huge fan of wasabi to begin with so partially my fault for ordering the wrong thing, but it just lacked any umami or flavors (seasoning) other than the wasabi. For $10 I could get 4 or 5 better tasting onigiris from Japanese supermarkets. I also got a hot Tokuyamatcha latte which was quite tasty but once again not the best I have ever had. For another $10 I wouldn't go out of my way to try their drinks again. I would recommend going with one of the other onigirazus if you are in the area and have the luxury of ordering ahead of time. If not, it's a pass!

A small little hole in the wall with a small selection of food and drinks to choose from. The food itself was actually pretty good. I got the Curry flavored Cheese Teriyaki Chicken with Fried Egg Onigirazu with a Ceremonial Grade Matcha Latte and tried partners Blue Moon Latte. Overall the food was pretty decent. The service itself wasn't much since it was pretty much a grab your food and eat it somewhere since there isn't really any space to eat there. The staff were friendly.

6.7/10 SO glad this place is an option in the East Village now. NYC is really hurting for casual, authentic Japanese spots like this. This is a clean, cute hole in the wall serving a large menu of onigirazu - that is, burger-style sushi/onigiri. They have a variety of options and serve matcha and hojicha as well. TOKUYAMATCHA - slightly disappointed, since I don't think the matcha flavor was super strong compared to a lot of authentic Japanese spots. It feels a bit watered down but also not too sweet which is good. I think I'll have to return to try their hot matcha to catch the flavors better, less diluted. ALOHA SPAM ONIGIRAZU This was better, and was served fresh and warm. The rice was soft, though I do wish the spam was pan-fried or something, and the mayo was nice and creamy though it did make it messy to eat - the contents easily slipped through. I would say I would try another one of their onigirazus - perhaps the karaage or one with fish. I really like that this place is here, though I was a little underwhelmed to be honest compared to what I was hoping to be. Perhaps just an off day, or I ordered wrong, as they were definitely really busy and popular even on a rainy day. Will come back soon to try again.

I am a fan! Tokuyamatcha & Onigirazu Bar adds a unique and delightful twist to the Japanese onigiri scene. Onigiri, as a staple convenient food located in all Japanese minimarts (freshly made daily and sells out quickly), I get excited to grab several varieties to try up during my travels in country. So making the trek (off the beaten path) to this hidden gem in alphabet city is well worth the experience that tricks my taste buds into thinking I were back in Japan! Tokuyamatcha uses ceremonial-grade matcha, hand-picked and stone-milled, resulting in a beverage that's smooth, subtly sweet, and bursting with a vibrant green hue. I indulged in the iced Hibiscus Matcha Latte, and it's a hit for those who love the earthy richness of matcha. I can't wait to try the other interesting selections on my next journey in. But the Onigirazu was the star of the show! It's a Japanese rice ball reinvented into a rice sandwich where the fillings are as creative as they are delicious. My choice, the Mackerel, SABA fish & Curry Cheese, was a symphony of textures and flavors. They are made to order and served warm. They tend to be difficult to eat and there is NO space to enjoy this at the "bar." So come prepared! (Hand sanitizer, plate? or some other eating surface). The space is quite small, and it seems to have been a former classic Italian cafe (unsure if the decor was the the prior space of it it was their idea for the cozy euro cafe look). So be prepared to be cramped ordering and waiting for your goodies. Although, the all Japanese staff offer a friendly service and you never feel unwelcome or rushed. Can wait to come again!

What a cute spot for drinks and onigirazu. The shop is small, there's only enough space to order inside, and there is a single table outside. The wait to order was about 10 mins, the wait to get the onigirazu was about 15 mins. I got the plum miso egg with shiitake onigirazu and a ceremonial grade iced matcha (they ran out of the Tokuyamatcha, so come earlier if you want that). The onigirazu was yummy but messy to eat, and the matcha tasted like any regular matcha latte I've had. I don't know why they didn't fill the cup up all the way, it makes me feel like I've been ripped off. Overall, a nice spot but a bit overrated.

Finally trying Tokuyamatcha & Onigirazu Bar, and wow!!! Came in on a Saturday afternoon to a line out the door. Waited around 15 minutes to order & 20 minutes for the food to come out. Ordered the Frid Chicken Chili Crunch Onigiri & Miso Tuna Avocado onigiri. Spicy fried chicken was good! Lacked a little punch for me, but was super fresh, and the meat was really tender. The star of the show was the Miso Tuna Avocado onigiri. GET IT!!! So flavorful, had miso paste in the tuna salad, soy sauce, and sesame seeds. So fresh and tasty. One of the best bites i've had in a long time. Looking forward to coming back soon! Good stuff here

I've been seeing this place a lot on Instagram, so I've been wanting to come by to try it. I finally ordered online in advance and came to pick up a onigirizu and matcha. The karaage onigirizu was okay. They definitely make them to order because it was still warm when I arrived. However, that meant the chicken out soggy. There could've been more seasoning overall, as it was pretty bland. Tokyamatcha latte was expensive, and they don't fill up the cup. It was good but not good enough to warrant the hefty price and small portion. There were a lot of people when I arrived at the small store. It's good for a quick bite, but not great enough for me to crave it.

Came here on a Friday for an afternoon snack. It's a super tiny store front that only has room for a few people to order inside and a few areas to sit outside. There were a handful of people before us, so we had to wait around 15 minutes for our food/drink. A lot of the specialty matcha flavors were already out of stock, so I went with the creamy matcha latte. It had a super strong matcha flavor (I enjoyed) and the perfect amount of sweetness. For food, my friend and I shared the karaage onigirazu and the miso tuna salad onigirazu. The tuna one was a lot more flavorful and we liked that one more. The only downside is that it's a little tough to get to, but I would definitely go back to try a few other flavors if I'm ever in the area.

been wanting to try this place for a while now! the items are a bit on the pricey side but super yummy. we got the miso tuna avocado (4/5) and japanese fried chicken with garlic chili sauce (5/5) which were both super flavorful but i personally liked the fried chicken more. we also got the tokuyamatcha latte (4/5) which was very strong and different from any matcha i've ever drank before!

the shop is very quaint and they announce your name for your order to be picked up. I got the chicken karaage one and I was impressed by how crunchy my chicken was. My friend got the bulgogi one and she was raving on how good it was. The sandwich itself is very appealing, made to order and tasty. The seaweed that hugs the rice is not crunchy, but this isn't your typical riceball of course. The matcha could have been shifted a little more as ours had some clumps in it! But as a matcha enthusiast, it was pretty top notch. I got the classic matcha latte but I wanted to try the other options as it sounded so good. Please be prepared to wait as this masterpiece takes time to make. This will become my go to spot if I'm ever in the area!! (Also there is a small bench in the front and also side note it gets a little messy so brace yourself :) )

I got 1. Veggie Tofu Nugget & Miso Mayo - Fried tofu with onion, edamame, carrot, lettuce, miso, Japanese mayo & 2. Tokuyamatcha tea - ceremonial grade matcha I asked the employee for her favorite and she recommended the tofu Onigirazu. Simple, clean, and delicious. These Japanese sandwiches taste as good as they look. Matcha tea was high quality and refreshing. Really great non guilty lunch. No issues with service. It just takes a while if you're waiting in line in addition to online orders. Carryout only.

I've been wanting to go here since this place opened, and I finally got to try the (Karaage) Japanese Fried Chicken Onigirazu. This was a to-go order, so I can't say much about the ambiance and service here besides the fact that the food was still warm by the time I started eating it. (Yay!) All the flavors paired so well together. When I first got my order, I was a little disappointed by the portion sizes. The photos I've seen of the onigarazus online made them look larger than they were in real life. However, while it might have looked smaller, eating just one filled me up and satisfied me. While this might have been partially because it leaked in transport, the cup of Creamy Matcha Latte was only halfway filled. The matcha can be described as a matcha version of hot chocolate. It tastes richer and creamier than the typical matcha latte. It's also not too sweet or heavy, so the flavor and texture is perfectly balanced. If it's a rainy or cold day, I suggest pairing an onigirazu with a matcha. Next time, I hope to return to try the ramen onigirazu and hojicha latte.

Really nice place for a quick bite. The onigiri's here are amazing. Service on the other hand needs a lot of improvement. The staff seems extremely disorganized. We ordered two drinks, matcha tea and matcha latte. They swapped our oat milk matcha latte with another customers latte that was made with cow milk. It would be nice if they would indicate which drink belongs to who. They also completely forgot about the matcha tea and made us wait an extra 20 minutes.

Came to this itty bitty shop for a brunch and it's a pure to-go place! There isn't much room in the shop besides to place your order so keep that in mind. Luckily we came on a sunny day in early February so we just ate outside. The food itself was a pretty generous portion of rice and fillings. I loved the flavor of the ramen onigizaru but it was certainly the messiest to eat! The rice kind of fell apart and was not held together by the seaweed enough since the onigizaru was already cut in half. By the end of the meal I was just shoveling rice from my hand that was holding a disintegrating onigizaru into my mouth like a vacuum cleaner. Despite the mess, I really did enjoy the flavor! I assume if they weren't cut in half the structural integrity would be much more sound, but it would make for much less of a cute photo. I didn't like the tuna avocado as much. It was decent but felt a little drier and more heavy on the rice than the ramen-ish flavor. They're made to order so if you're in a rush, be sure to order ahead so it's ready when you get there!

I stopped by on a Saturday and was glad to have read a few tips from fellow yelpers beforehand. While the onigirazu was definitely fresh and HOT, I felt like it didn't quite live up to the hype I had anticipated. We ordered the salmon avocado and miso tuna avocado, and the miso tuna was the standout. The salmon one had too much rice and not enough fish, which was a bit disappointing. Also, be prepared to wait a bit if you visit during busy hours or weekends..or you can place the order online for pickup (I recommend doing as wait times can vary). If you're looking for a place to eat your meal nearby, there's a small garden across the street with beautiful seating and some benches. It's a perfect spot to enjoy your meal, especially on a nice day!

I've been wanting to try Tokuyamatcha and Onigirazu for months, but it's pretty far out of the way from NJ :') Thankfully, my friend and I happened to be in the area, and finally got the chance to try it...verdict? I only wish I lived closer! The shop itself is tiny, just big enough for a couple of customers to order. They have a variety of onigirazus and drinks. You place your order and then wait outside for your name to be called over a speaker. Each onigirazu is made and packaged with care. The Japanese karaage was the only one we ate while there, and it was flavorful and delicious. Note: - They get really busy, and can have a line down the block. I recommend coming earlier in the day to avoid long lines. - They have a couple of small tables outside and a bench.

okuyamatcha is a cozy spot located on the East Side of Manhattan, near the FDR. Despite arriving close to closing time, the place was still quite populated. Location & Atmosphere: There's no indoor seating, so we had to wait outside for our food. This was a bit inconvenient, especially since our order took some time due to the number of items we chose. The menu is only displayed inside, so we had to spend some time deciding on our order before stepping back outside to wait. Menu & Service: The menu offers a variety of options, including some vegetarian choices. We tried the Salmon Avocado, Ramen-ISH, Aloha, and Karaage with Mayo. The service was good, and our food arrived hot and fresh. Food Quality: While the portion sizes could be better for the price, the food itself was enjoyable. The Karaage with Mayo was a standout for me. The Onigirazu is sliced for easier eating, but be aware that it tends to fall apart, so it's not the best option for eating on the go. Overall: Tokuyamatcha offers good food with a decent variety, though the portion sizes could be more generous. The lack of indoor seating and the potential messiness of some items are worth noting, but it's still a solid spot to grab a bite, especially if you're in the area.

This is a bit of a trek to get to, especially if some of the subway lines are down, which is what I ran into. But that's okay, it made it even more worth it to finally enjoy the onigirazu. My boyfriend and I ordered the Japanese Fried Chicken Onigirazu and the Japanese Fried Chicken with garlic chili sauce Onigirazu. Both were delicious, and the fried chicken is cooked so well. The one with chili sauce does have a kick! The matcha latte was okay, I can't say it was the best I ever had but I also can't name the best one I've ever had either. It was fun to try. It's definitely meant for a quick bite, but there's one bench and one small table outdoors (no seating inside, it's a very small interior enough to just order your food and wait outside). Be careful to eat the fried chicken sandwiches standing up or on-the-go, because it can quickly fall apart because of the larger chunks of chicken (and with the chili oil, even more prone to messiness).

Amazing matcha. I got just the tea and you can tell the quality is superior than most cafes. It was a weekend afternoon and there was a long line outside their little store front. The matcha was very smooth and umami like. Not clumpy at all. Might be one of my favorite matcha places and will definitely come back again to try more items. Only thing was my drink was not entirely full maybe because it is not but it was a cold day and I wanted all the matcha. They also sell the open face onigiris which are trending online.

Ramen Onigiri was the star of the show, so pretty and flavorful! The miso salmon was a little too floral for our taste. I would get the karaage one again. Ordered online to avoid the line! The place is tiny, no place to sit and eat unfortunately.

All their onigirazu are made to order -- the rice is still hot to touch! They cut the rice sandwich into half. The price (~$10 after tax) is reasonable as the onigirazu is packed with rice and ingredients. If you have a small appetite like me, you can save another half for your next meal which makes it extra worth it. We arrived at 4 so unfortunately most of their popular items have already sold out, including the Ramen-ish and Chicken Karaage Chili Oil onigirazu. Anyway it must be a sign to urge me come again early for these and of course, their matcha. ＊ Salmon Avocado Onigirazu A comforting combo that I can eat every day. The salmon flakes were well seasoned with nice touches of mayo and wasabi. The avocado slices were fresh and creamy, which made a perfect balance to the savory side. ＊ Teriyaki Chicken Onigirazu Tbh the teriyaki chicken tasted like frozen chicken skewers I bought at Japanese supermarket lol but it's alright I like them. The overall flavor was a bit bland and one-note, but it was a good option to take some proteins.

I went in the afternoon on a weekday and it was still busy and took awhile to receive our items. I got the Blue Moon Matcha Latte because I didn't want caffeine and it tasted mostly like milk to me. My friend thought it tasted like cereal milk. I wouldn't get this drink again, but would return to get the tokuyamatcha.

OMG new favorite snack spot!!! I tried the Japanese fried chicken with garlic chili oil and it was superb. I cannot wait to eat it again. I also tried the signature matcha with oat milk and it was so rich and perfect (but I'm not an expert with matcha). Order was ready pretty quick too. The only real down side is there isn't really any seating (just like 1 table and a bench)

Got the ramen onigirazu. It has boiled eggs (was hoping for runny ones), fish cakes, seaweeds, bamboo shoots and chashu. On top of that it has furikake. Best 'onigiri' I had. Will come back again to buy them. I like how the seaweed gives it a crunchy and chewy texture and the bamboo also has a crunch but much softer. But anyways a lot of texture combinations because of all those ingredients! Sadly the weather is too hot or else I would have had gotten extra. Too scared they'll spoil on the way home. There no fine in at the location and it is very small.

I came to Tokuyamatcha on a Saturday morning around 10:15am and was second in line. It is a tiny shop, where you just go inside to order and wait outside for them to call your name on a speaker system. I ordered the Fried Chicken with Garlic Chili Oil ($9.99) and Miso Tuna Avocado ($9.75). I think they make each order to order because it took around 15min for them to call me. The onigirazu are only ~1.5 inch thickness, but they do pack it with a good amount of rice and filling. I didn't eat the Fried Chicken with Garlic Chili Oil immediately after, so it definitely was not crispy when I ate it, but I still enjoyed it. The chicken was moist, there was a good kick from the chili oil, and crunch from the lettuce. The Miso Tuna Avocado had a nice savory and creamy combination, but it was a little too salty for me. My friend ordered the Plum Miso with Shitake Mushroom, but had to remove the plum inside because she found it way too sour. There are 2 benches for seating outside, but it's mainly a take-out restaurant.

Another TikTok viral fail. Portion was small for the price and it tasted similar to what I can find in a local Chinatown bakery for 1/4 the price. It also felt like it was majority rice with a little bit of meat. Their black sesame drink was stellar but wouldn't revisit for their onigri.

This is a small shop in East Village and there isn't much room to stand inside, so you will have to wait outside for your food. It takes a bit to prepare since the Onigirazu are made fresh to order. I came in a Sunday morning and the wait wasn't too bad, about 20 minutes. I ordered a couple Onigirazu and drinks: * Karaage with Garlic Chili Oil Onigirazu - 8.5/10 - This was my favorite onigirazu that I tried. The chili oil and mayo combo kept the sandwich moist and delicious. The Karaage wasn't too crispy, but it still tasted very good. * Ramen-ish Onigirazu - 8/10 - Initially, I liked that rice was seasoned with the instant ramen broth powder, because it made it flavorful However, towards the end it started to get too salty. The chashu pork was good though and I like the cute detail of the fish cake on top. * Beef and Ginger Onigirazu - 7.5/10 - This one had your typical guydon flavor. The ginger added a nice zing of sourness with the meat. It was nothing super special though. * Hot Tokuyamatcha Latte - 7/10 - This tasted like a nice high quality matcha. It's not sweet at all and it's earthy, so keep that in mind if you like sweet matcha lattes. * Iced Mocha Matcha Latte - 7.5/10 - The mocha part of this latte tasted like Hershey's chocolate syrup so it was reminiscent of chocolate milk drink I had as a child. But, just elevated with the matcha flavor. Overall, I would come again if I was in the area and the line wasn't too long. I think the Onigirazu were a bit overpriced for what you're getting, but they were delicious. Also, they're messy to eat so make sure you have napkins.

The matcha from @tokuyamatcha was excellent and warmed me up entirely. So nice to have a cosy spot with fresh made onigirazu rice balls! Really cute little place but it's basically impossible to eat there so expect to have to takeaway. Quite pricey for the portion, but is something that I'd crave once in a while!