Hakubai

Great experience. I came here for my third anniversary with my wife. I requested a private area, a room if possible. They didn’t have a room, but they actually blocked off a section of the restaurant for my wife and I. That was a very nice gesture.
The server was very attentive, but not intrusive, and explained each dish in detail. While each dish is small, you’ll definitely be full by the end of this meal. Such a great assortment of dishes, from sashimi samplers to wagyu slices. This is the first time I’ve had kaiseki in NYC, and I’ll definitely be back again.

Wow, oh wow.
My sister invited me here for lunch, since she interns at the hotel Kitano. It looked pricey, but she promised we would get a discount.
Honestly, even without a discount, I would come back, because this place is so legit.
Hakubai reminds me of a Japanese restaurant that I ate at in Taiwan. All the servers are dressed in kimono and are extremely well-​mannered. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you’re wearing, they will treat you with the same respect in every way.
After being guided to our seats, we ordered — my sister ordered udon while I ordered the Chirashi. The meals came with an appetizer, on the house.
The appetizers were very unique. My sister had a hard time eating it, as they were not for the faint of heart. They were vegetables — some unrecognizable green and some eggplant. The taste was very Japanese, but unlike anything I’d had before.
The Chirashi was super fresh — you could tell the fish was fresh due to its lack of icy bite and the smooth texture. The quantity and variety of the sashimi was impressive. The fresh uni and scallop were my favorite.
Dessert was simple but complex and elegant at the same time. My sister ordered what I wanted to order, which was a beautiful and more traditional Japanese dessert of red bean cream anmitsu. I went with the rooibos tea jelly, which was a delicate gelatin that tasted strongly of black tea.
Service, quality of the food and display are 5 stars. Prices are a little steep but you definitely get what you pay for!

Was a little disappointed w this dinner last night as we all had great expectations before coming here. First, they never let my gf know that you have to order your kaiseki and omakase the day before so we were left w the a la carte choices. And I think the 25 cents donated to a lunch for children in underdeveloped countries is a shame bc they charge $ 10.25 for the Chawanmushi, really? You can’t afford to donate at least $ 1? It was a shock to see that on the menu! The food was all very mediocre so I don’t think it warrant the hype as now there are so many more creative Japanese restaurants out there

Wanted to love it, but thought it was just alright, especially for the hefty price. Maybe it was just our lunch choices. Also extremely quiet, and odd vibe. Service and quality of food was top notch though! The people there are so pleasant and kind.

Tucked away in the basement of The Kitano Hotel in New York City, Hakubai Restaurant is a cozy, intimate Japanese restaurant that specializes in Kaiseki cuisine. Kaiseki — a traditional multi-​course dining experience — highlights delicate small Japanese dishes served on an array of porcelain, pottery, and lacquer dishware at carefully timed intervals. Indulge in the culinary ingenuity of Executive Chef Yukihiro Sato, who combines the best seasonal ingredients with a breathtaking presentation that will delight your eyes and palate.
First Course: Appetizers
Served on a wooden tray, the appetizer includes an assortment of small dishes like creamy, smooth tofu with nutty sesame flavor, tender duck breast topped with a dollop of mustard, deep-​fried tilefish soaked in vinegar sauce with pickled radish, and lobster & asparagus with yolk sauce.
Second Course: Sashimi
The second course of assorted sashimi highlights the freshest fish of the day, such as the lightly seared fatty tuna, thinly sliced fluke, and plump scallop topped with salmon roe. These melt-​in-​your-​mouth sashimi is garnished with grated radish, scallion, or petal-​shaped radish.
Third course: Steak, Tempura, and Noodle
The third savory course is a dual play on warm and cold dishes. The perfectly cooked Miyazaki Wagyu steak flaunts tantalizing buttery flavor, while the deep-​fried shrimp rolled with shiso and seaweed is no ordinary tempura. The green tea soba noodle salad topped with crunchy buckwheat adds a refreshing note to the palate.
Main Course: Sushi
The main course of premium assorted sushi is every sushi connoisseur’s dream. Imagine high quality, fresh sushi like toro, trout with shisho, ebi, seared whitefish, and eel blanketing perfectly seasoned sushi rice with wasabi.
Final Course: Dessert
The final dessert course features three treats — such as black sesame ice cream, earl grey sherbet, and green tea kuzu mocha — to end the experience on a sweet note.

Best Japanese food I have ever had in America hands down!!! Definitely worth ever single dollar spent. The tuna roll just melted in your mouth… Same with the salmon nigiri. And the beer teriyaki was to die for. I ate there yesterday and I’m already thinking about when I can go back!

Really excellent little japanese place under the Kitano Hotel. Feels like many of the upscale izakaya japanese restaurants in this area but one step up in quality, for sure. Reminded me of a more traditional but less exciting version of Ootoya though. Don’t get me wrong the food is amazing, but the menu (lunch sets available) options are really lackluster – nothing particularly special or even 1% from the ordinary. As such, my dad and I had the beef teriyaki and tonkatsu. I mean its the best beef teriyaki and pork tonkatsu I’ve ever had, but was hoping for something more exciting. Servers are dressed in complete traditional japanese garb, which added a nice touch. Service is attentive, polite, and speedy as usual, yay!

Very expensive but definitely worth it. It is definitely an authentic Japanese experience. When we had dinner here in July we were the only non-​Japanese people here but don’t let that intimidate you. The service is fantastic and the waitresses are eager to explain the dishes.
Some would call the decorating and the feel of the place «sad» but I would call it «elegant» and «austere». This isn’t a place that you and some buddies throw back a few, joke loudly and eat like you haven’t ever eaten anything. Absolutely everything is delicious. I have never had such fresh fish (or such well prepared ones) in my life. My husband says the beef is the best he has ever tasted, and he is very picky and not the type of person to say such things lightly.
If we’re ever in NYC again, we’d like to come back and try the sushi.

Food was fine but ambience a bit sad.

Wow! We have been talking about going here for a while, so glad we did. We will be back!
We split the tuna, and premium sushi. The fish was so fresh it melts in your mouth.
Large assortments of wine and sake.
Cute restaurant, located in the Kitano hotel.

I had some pretty high hopes for this place and they were partially met. This is a very traditional Japanese place with traditional foods. The service was impeccable and the ladies in kimonos were very nice. We got the summer kaiseki menu with steak. Everything was very soft spoken and light; the ingredients were definitely top notch quality. It was perhaps too soft spoken, it all felt lacking in spirit and soul.
It’s definitely more of a business lunch/​dinner place because the food is fancy and expensive but doesn’t try to be the main affair. Do not do a treat yo self and hang with friends meal here.

This is a great place to go if you would like:
Authentic yet not crazy Japanese food, somewhat easy for everyone for the eye and pallet.
Beautiful and classy décor, quiet and zen environment
Great sophisticated services from experienced Japanese staff
I love going there for relaxing lunch, it runs from upper $ 20s to. i think $ 60. Sushi can run very pricy if not chosen wisely :) But i love the coffee jello as dessert, and food wise, shabushabu, business lunch, sashimi set is my fav.

Opus one 2010 is only $ 320 for such a place? Incredibly and amazingly reasonable price!

It easily becomes my favorite Japanese restaurant! I just came back from the popular Gari of sushi 46, and was
Really disappointed as I just went to
Hakubai yesterday, and had high expectation on what sushi of gari will offer. I would say hakubai worths every single dollar that you pay. Everything is so fresh and delicate! I enjoyed each bite of the meal and can’t wait to come back again! Definitely try their omasake kaiseki and their seasonal special, you won’t disappoint.
From bluefin otoro, to giant clam and even their wangyu beef, everything is in perfection. In addition, the service is impeccable! All waitress and waitresses wear kimonos and they are all very knowledgable. If you are looking for traditional Japanese meal, love the freshness and quality of ingredients and a peaceful and quiet Japanese environment to enjoy a great meal, you won’t definite won’t disappoint.

Came here for the Winter kaiseki. Even though its situated in a hotel. You do get a restaurant feel as they have the whole basement to themselves. The décor once you step in takes you to Japan. A section with tatami mats and tables and paper slide doors gives you a great ambiance.
It’s pricey for the kaiseki but to experience it was enjoyable. The wait staff service was great and they wore traditional kimonos. The food presentation was outstanding and took great care. Almost like artwork. Ingredients were fresh and tasty. I was quite a fan of the tofu and the oysters. The sushi fish was very fresh as well.
For those special occassions it is rewarding.

My husband introduced me to this place. 2012 was my first visit to this place. I usually had sashimi but our recent visit was interesting because I ordered the snapper fish head. Yes I like fish head and I don’t feel like it’s staring at me *:) This is a very traditional restaurant, so if you like modern fusion style sushi then this is not the place. When it comes to Japanese food, I prefer the traditional food. Overall I give this place 5 stars because they wear pretty kimonos *=) of course I’m joking about that but they do have pretty kimonos! The staff is very pleasant. We usually talk to our servers everywhere we go. I observe every corner every time I visit every restaurant. Loved my meal here! If I had 3 hands I’d give 3 thumbs-​up. So I’m giving 2 thumbs-​up! *:)

Hakubai serves up a variety of Japanese cuisine, but the main draw is what’s known as a kaiseki course. For those that are unfamiliar, a kaiseki meal typically involves a variety of carefully crafted dishes. The flavor profile of the dishes is natural sweetness of the ingredients that are involved. Using ingredients that are in season is therefore critical. Presentation is also very important — and making the dish look as well as taste good is a key component of kaiseki.
We’ve been to Hakubai twice before and tried the summer kaiseki omakase and the Valentine’s special dinner. Recently, we were back for the winter kaiseki omakase menu with the Travelzoo $ 175 for 2 voucher. We called one week ahead to make reservations, hoping they would seat us together with 6 people (3 vouchers), but were told that we can only use 2 vouchers per table on Saturday. This was disappointing, as it seemed that there was no reason why they cannot accommodate this simple request. They certainly have available tables that fit 6 people.
We had some amazing dishes last two times, with some memorable dishes being sashimi served on an ice bowl and lobster tempura in a basket. This time we were pleasantly surprised by sashimi being served in little drawers. Also, we were served an interesting dish that involved deep –fried brown rice mochi cooked in a delicious sauce, which was something that I haven’t tried before. All the dishes were delicately presented, with each having matching dishware. The flavors are light and everything was fresh with the seasonal ingredients. The only thing I didn’t really like this time was the sushi which was just average.
Here is our menu for reference:
1^st Appetizer: Sesame Tofu Topped with Salmon Roe and Wasabi in Dashi Broth
2^nd Appetizer: Broiled Watercress with Mushroom, Daikon with Minced Chicken, Monkfish Liver, Crab Meat/​Jellyfish in Vinegar, Burdock wrapped in Beef
3^rd Appetizer: Clear Soup with Crab Cake
1^st Course: Assorted Sashimi
2^nd Course: Deep-​Fried Brown Rice Mochi and White Fish
3^rd Course: Washu Beef Steak
4^th Course: Fresh Raw Oyster
Main Course: Assorted Sushi and Akadashi Miso Soup
Dessert Platter
Overall, it was an enjoyable meal, and I would not hesitate to come back again if another coupon/​voucher comes up. The original price of $ 175 per person is just too much even considering the quality of the meal that is being provided.

In my mind, the experience at Hakubai is similar to that of dining in a moderately priced Tokyo establishment, which is to say relatively high end in the US. The Hakkaisan meal was courtesy of a Travelzoo deal for 2 at just $ 89.
It’s unfortunate that the Kitano sited Hakubai in the basement as it’s not readily clear where to go once through the lobby. However, this subterranean location may also contribute to the quiet nature of the dining, as well as the smartly placed partitions between every 4 or so tables.
To start, we received a bountiful tray of amuse-​bouches that included cod liver, tofu, greens, roe, and more.
Then we had 3 rounds of appetizers that included fried brown rice mochi; assorted sashimi that included amberjack, tuna, and scallop; akadashi miso soup; an entrée of chirashi and then dessert (creamy coffee jello and green tea ice cream). Along the way we had two pairings of sake — hot and cold, both delicious.
The whole thing was an adventure of the senses — service was impeccable and authentic, food was delightful and new, presentation was clean and sharp, and the bill was just right.

3.5 stars… Can’t believe I haven’t posted a review on Hakubai.
I bought a travelzoo deal. 89 dollars, omakase meal with sake pairing for 2.
A day before the reservation. Someone called me and said that they need the voucher printed out. if not they will not accept the offer. what? We all have i phones/​smart phones with «APP». I thought we can redeem through your phone. but oh well… at least they told me.
it’s a small little intimate restaurant located in the Kitano Hotel. The original value of the omakase is 200 dollars so I expected something outstanding.
We started of with a cold sake. It was poured and serve over a wine glass. So I took it as wine. lol. it was refreshing and very smooth to drink. A little after the sake was served. the first course came.
1) 5 amuse. (something like that). based on the picture I have and my memory. we had some tofu, duck, eggplant. (oh well you can see it from the pic I posted). I came here 4 – 5 months ago. All I remember was the amuse was great. you can finish 1 plate with probably 2 bites. It’s always great to taste it. better than having the same thing. right?
2) tofu egg with crab meat. the tofu was warm. and yes they do have crab meat in it. it just tasted like the regular tofu egg that I can get it from the regular japanese store
3) Sashimi. Yes the sashimi was FRESH. but no offense tho. I got better sushi from cheaper store and it’s still fresh. with the money I paid. I expected to get a «better» quality of sashimi and «bigger». I guess the more money you paid the smaller portion you will get. lol. that’s why they have 5 – 7 courses. You have 2 pieces of toni, white tuna. and I don’t remember.
4) Fried crab meat. the crab meat was interesting. something was stuffed inside. and deep fried it. it’s not oily and it’s pretty good.
5) unagi, shrimp entrée on some noodles… came with miso soup. something. good. but not worth the price
6) dessert. Vanilla ice-​cream and red bean paste. seriously??? it’s the cheapest dessert I have ever had. I can get a scoop of vanilla ice-​cream in the groceries store. and a can of red bean paste. Ish.
2^nd sake was served warm. It was serve together with the 3 – 4 meal.
I rated overall experience to be great. Service was nice. but seriously. I don’t think I will pay the original 200 dollars for it. It’s not worth it. with the amount that I paid. I rather pay a little more to go to a better sushi place for omakase. If you really do want a japanese tasting experience.

My first 4 $$$$ restaurant. I actually bought a Travelzoo coupon, which was an awesome deal $ 89 for a $ 200 meal. But you had to have a paper copy of your voucher, which I obviously remembered to print out but forgot to bring causing trouble when we got seated. None the less we did get seated. It’s a fairly quiet place, low ceiling, tables are near one another so you might get to evesdrop, and they have very simple but japanese-​que décor.
There was cold sake & hot sake with the food. The cold sake came first. Smelled dry, but was pretty okay. The hot sake was sweeter.
The appetizers. I apoligize, I don’t remember the names. The duck was my favorite. It was sided with chopped onions and a little big of mustard. It looked medium rare, but was super tender and full of juice. The veggies was very flavorful; not too salty or sweet. The tofu was also another one of my favorites; silky soft and smooth. It was topped with fish eggs and had sweet syrup around it, very refreshing and unique. The 4^th apetizer was suppose to be bamboo soot, but they didn’t have any so we had eggplant instead. It was okay.
Our second dish came in a little ceramic mini pot. Super cute! It was steamed egg with crab meat and rice mocha. REALLY GOOD! I made steamed egg before… but seriously… how do they make it so smooth and silky.
Next was sashimi. I was a tap disappointed because I’ve had better fish than theirs.
Then it was the deep fried crab. Very well made and meaty. For such a small dish you wouldn’t expect it to be packed with meat, but it was. it came with a sweet sauce and a tempura okra.
The rice & miso soup were next. This is when i started getting full. The sake kicking in. Soup was warm and very well made (no msg). I liked the shrimp and beef with the sticky rice.
Lastly was dessert. ice cream with coffee jello. The coffee jello was hidden under the milk. It’s in a little cup. But I’m not a normal coffee drinker, so it was quite bitter to me. The ice cream wasn’t anything special. I felt like it was the kirkland brand ice cream, the ones you get from coscto. Not that there’s anything wrong with that but that ice cream has a very unique taste and tasted a lot like it.
Overall, I had an excellent experience but probably won’t be going back