Butai

This place is closed, and now a Zen Palate. Interesting there used to be a Zen on Park around the corner that closed. I think it’s a Friday’s now…
Just wondering, is Butai now re-​opened on B’Way and 52^nd and named Mr. Robata?

ok so i really don’t get why so many people hate on this place? its eff-​in awesome!!! yes its extra pricey here but so is japianas which i totally think is a waste…
this place uses the best and freshest ingredients, which makes for delicious dishes. this spot is somewhat traditionalist japanese because their dishes are small and they come as if they would if they were being served in japan. the costly dishes probably are reflective of the type of ingredients and fresh foods they are using.
the assortment of mushrooms we had as an appetizers was surprising delish and the tuna toro tartar was melt in your mouth yummy. the lamb chops were sooooo tender and juicy and the miso eggplant was fantastic. all the sushi rolls i’ve had were fresh and tasty and there’s really nothing to complain about except maybe your bill at the end of your meal.
but to counter the costliness of this spot, they do offer happy hour deals which may have changed since i’ve been there but they have $ 3 beers or $ 5 drinks and specials on rolls and skewers.
the atmosphere here is dim and romantic so its a good place ti impress a date. they have an upstairs as well so don’t let the appearance of an «empty» or not so crowded downstairs fool you.

Bad. This restaurant is bad.
I ordered some sushi, and it takes an hour for them to come out.
The waitress acted like they dont know anything.
I feel sorry for this restaurant.

ohemgee. I read a Unilocal review about this place prior to going and how the waiter misguides you about what’s included on the half off happy hour menu… I get there and fall for his trick!
My friend and I dropped in for a drink after work and immediately this waiter starts yapping away. We inquire about the happy hour menu and he starts talking lychee. I love lychee. We order lychee. Lychee is not on the HH menu. I also ordered some rolls, and we left after a round of cosmos which were slightly reminiscent of bathroom cleaners.
SO stay away from the evil yapper and all will be fine.

The food is great, service is excellent but the atmosphere is a little lacking. Japonais next door is a better overall experience but don’t count this place out.
Excellent dishes include: Pink Lobster & Short Ribs

I have sampled Butai twice recently and can certainly say I will be back again. Oddly enough both times I have visited, my date and I were the only ones in the restaurant. Of course then, the service was superb: prompt, helpful, and courteous.
The décor is contemporary without being too obtrusive. The music is trip-​hop, mostly Thievery Corporation which provides the perfect mix for such a setting.
Their sushi is prepared well; I sampled their softshell crab rolls which were prepared exquisitely however, some rolls can be a little awkward to eat. They also have a menu of small dishes meant for sharing and trying something new. Overall, a very pleasant little spot.

TERRIBLE!!! I ordered a bento box and the rice sasted almost decayed. I had lunch there an hour and half ago and I just started to feel sick. The owner apologized and said it’s cuz of new chef… what kind of chef doesn’t know how to cook rice? The worst rice ever since I was born. NEVER AGAIN

Hello Readers,
Starting Friday, February 19 2010 and every Friday after. Butai will not be the same.
Im a Promoter, Event planner, Event Director of NYC. After reading everyone’s review, I am going to do my best to make Butai Fridays the most talk about event in NYC on Fridays.
Be sure to stop by and check out the hype.
Details.
Each and Every Friday @ Butai NYC
–Afterwork, Happy Hour Specials
2 for 1 drinks + $ 6 Beer from 5−8pm
–Dinner Specials upon RSVP from 7−10pm
(Kitchen Close at 12, Must be seated by 1130 to Order, walk-​in is welcome but RSVP is recommended)
–Late Night party starts 10−3am
(Be sure to mention «NEMO» for complimentary admission– Guest list, If you have questions about the late night party, feel free to contact me)
DJ Roli Rho & Rotating top NYC DJ’s
Spinning the best Hip Hop, Reggae, R&B, Top 40, Latin, Classics, Rock, House, & more.
Contact Info
Guestlist, Reservations, Bottle Specials, VIP Room, Event Space.
Nemo
1347 282 7090

Butai is located on «sushi row» lined with Haru & Japonais literally adjacent to each other. If you had your pick to these three, Butai is would definitely be the last pick. For the amount of money you’re spending here, you’d expect a fantastic experience with ultra fresh sushi. The sushi is fresh but not like wow… its just melts in mouth and if its so exotic that I’m willing to drop two bills on this spot.
If you enjoy a nice romantic evening… in a quiet setting…(almost empty restuarant) then come here for a few drinks and jet. Turn on the ½ special more often and its worth considering.

I should say from the beginning that this is really a happy hour review since I’ve never eaten lunch or dinner at Butai. That being said, Butai is a really nice place with some good happy hour specials that’s definitely worth a stop if you’re thirsty or a little hungry after work.
As other people have mentioned they have Sapporo pints for $ 3 from 5 – 7 (might be 4 – 7, not sure) and $ 4 or $ 5 cocktails. I haven’t any drinks besides the Sapporo or a bottle of Sapporo Light (not as good and a dollar more but they were out of draught beer one time). They also have their own cocktails that seem pretty popular among people dining at tables including some kind of fruit-​martini concoction as well as dozens of saki bottles.
In addition to drinks they have a nice menu though I haven’t ventured past the happy hour deals. They have $ 3.50 tuna, salmon, and California rolls as well as some delicious sausage vegetable skewers that I think are 3 for $ 6.
To be honest I don’t love Sapporo and while I enjoy sushi I haven’t had a full meal here. Nonetheless I like stopping in to meet a friend who works next door and share a few pints and rolls or skewers for a snack/​light dinner. I’d give it a 3 since I wish they had more than Sapporo on tap but the bartender and the hostess are so nice and it’s a relaxing place so I’ll bump it up to 4. Plus the food I’ve had was very tasty for I bet dinner would be a 4.

I came here for a blind date as a referral from a friend of my Asian social networking groups. The date went very well for good company with good food is always a good combination classic. We sat at the bar for better light to see each other and what we were eating. Thus, service was extremely attentive as our plates were constantly switched during courses like Dim Sum. The bar tender serves clients drinks as well as meals which is great as most bar tenders only serve drinks, not food. The atmosphere is inviting.
The sushi is very fresh and tasty in Robata style. The Ebi Renkon and Toro compliments a Junmai sake or even plum wine. The bar tender is originally from Japan but speaks English fluently and is knowledgeable about sake and sushi. The papers for the menu are supplied of Stardream Opal cover sheet as any avid paper aficionado would easily recognize.
Upon leaving the restaurant there is a short survey about one’s dinning experience. The bar tender gave both of us a 10% discount (happy hour not included) coupon for our next visit. I thanked the bar tender for his attentive services in Japanese with a bow: Doomo arigatoo gozaimasu based on my memory of being with my past life counterpart of ten years who is half Japanese which include a visit to Nikko, Gunma and of course, Tokyo.
The music played in the restaurant was very weird as Eastern or Arabic music does not fit a Japanese sushi restaurant. Upon asking the bar tender the type of music being played the bar tender just laughed as his response which he agrees it is odd.

make that eh-​ok.
first off, let me just say that on a friday night, this place was empty. not a good sign.
its like walking into bingo parlor at an old folks home and no one there but the cage spinner. creepy and disconcerting.
well, the menu seems like it should be ab-​fab but just didn’t deliver the goods. the bacon wrapped asparagus was uninspired and somewhat bland. its freaking bacon folks. i’ve said it before and i’ll say it here, you could wrap cat shit in bacon and it would be yummy. apparently at butai, that doesn’t hold true for the asparagus.
we ordered an assortment of things on a stick but nothing really inspired an orgasmic response.
my advice would be to walk a little more and go to japonais. or if you can stomach the wait, trek over to casa mono and give yourself a culinary erection.

I’m not so sure what everyone else is raving about…
Dinner with friends on a Wednesday night was just ok… They don’t have much a menu… If you’re looking for something more substantial than robata or rolls, the entrée selection is non-​existent. We ended up walking over to Republic afterwards to fill our bellies…
On the other hand, this place IS a great place to meet up for happy hour. The food is pretty good and is decently priced.
The only other point of interest is that this place was featured in Gossip Girl… Didn’t realize it until my friend pointed it out, and I could distinctly remember Chuck drowning his sorrows at the bar. You would think the place is much bigger and trendier, but it’s definitely low-​key.

The food here was amazing — I have to admit right off the bat that we
didn’t order any sushi rolls though…
Sat at the bar, got a menu and couldn’t stop ordering yummy grilled
food. Kept getting delicious plates of grilled skewers and it was perfect!
Duck, chicken, bacon & asparagus and beef.
Plus we shared a green salad, so yummy & fresh — and the drinks
kept flowing. Beers kept flowing…
The service was awesome and we loved the Thievery Corporation
mix they had going in the background !
Will be back for sure!

The food isn’t great, but at least it is overpriced.
I went here a while after going to Tropical 128 (Billiards) and was sort of surprised at the similarity in what the two places serve, especially as 128 is rather cheap and in the front room of a poolhall. Butai earned their two stars on their own, though, and not just in comparison to Tropical 128.
Service was indifferent, food was hit and miss. Nice bathrooms, though.

As my friend would say, Butai is a goldmine!
Before I begin, I want to disclose that this review is for their happy hour special — weekdays from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. That said, Butai has one of the best after work specials in the city! How can you say no to $ 3 Sapporo and $ 3 Sake?
The bar is intimate, room for about 8 or 9 stools. However, if you are in the area and are looking for a good happy hour special, I recommend Butai.
PS — I do look forward to eating here one day!

My experience at Butai was excellent. The service was okay, the food was great, and the atmosphere was nice.
We were seated upstairs, which was completely empty when we got there at 8pm, save one table. After looking at the menu, we ordered our appetizers and then she took away our menus. before we ordered our main course. That felt a little strange, so we asked the waitress to take our order. Anyways, the food came and everything was excellent. I ordered the Jidori chicken which was great, and the two people I was with both ordered the filet mignon, one medium and one rare. Both were excellent. By the time we left (probably around 11), the place was packed.
My only concern is the bathroom. It was unisex. After half a bottle of wine, you step into the bathroom and see girls standing at the sink you have to think of yourself «continue on like you’re supposed to be here or check the door and find out you went into the wrong bathroom». I said to hell with it so I kept going and checked the sign on the way out.

Great Sushi!
It was a little odd that there were two women handing out free shots of some high end Tequila at the bar (at a Japanese restaraunt?), but I didn’t complain because it was some damned good Tequila.
I was there with a lady friend and we were sat at a small table in the back room. There was a decent crowd, but by the time we left we had the little back room to ourselves and they let us sip our Saki in peace well after we finished our meal.
Oh yeah, and the sushi and sashimi was quite delectable. I’m definitely going back.

Butai is amazing! This place has everything: a great environment, attentive service, and delicious food.
The restaurant has two floors, dark wood accents, and dim candlelight. It is an elegant, Japanese tapas restaurant that is hip without being cheesy.
Though a few of their dishes come as full entrees, they recommend getting tapas so you can try a few things. We decided to try some tapas and sushi rolls to make it easier to split. We tried a special sushi roll called the Tiger something, which had shrimp tempura and avocado inside, and was then covered with spicy mayo (more jalapeño tasting and less mayo-​y) and sliced tuna sashimi. The platter came out with about 8 – 10 pieces and was delicious. In terms of sushi, we also tried another roll… but unfortunately I went there a few weeks ago and it has slipped my mind… I do remember liking it though… We also tried the Grilled Rice Balls, which came with two large balls full of your choice of seafood and wrapped in a wide piece of seaweed. I tasted the salmon one, which had chunks of grilled salmon amidst the mass of white rice. It was well seasoned, filling, and hardy. We also tried the Jidori, which is one of their special Robata (Japanese grill) meals. I had initially thought these grills would be on the table, Korean-​style, but unfortunately we did not get to see the meat being cooked. The chicken was available as an entrée portion as well. Plus, you could get the breast or thigh. While I prefer white meat, the waiter recommended the tender thigh, so we tried that. The chicken was served in juicy strips with a covering layer of crispy skin. It was well-​cooked but could use more seasoning. We also tried the Robata lamb chops, which were the best I have EVER had. The meat was perfectly seasoned and cooked. They came with a sweet dipping sauce that really complimented the grilled flavor.
We did not order drinks, but unique cocktails and lengthy wine list were available.
Our total bill was an affordable (for the type of restaurant) $ 75 or so, and we were stuffed!
I would definitely go back there.

THIS PLACE IS GREAT!
They specialize in robata style. The food is Fantastic! Im really surprised this place isn’t as hot as it is… only reason I can figure is the location. It’s on a quiet street. But don’t let it fool you… The service is the BEST! I have ever witnessed. Very attentive and smart waiters. Owner walks around and makes small talk. Also surprisingly affordable… Go upstairs for candle lit rooms =)