Bar Akariba

77 1/2 North 6th Street
Brooklyn NY, 11211
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718.388.6160

Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Hours: Wed-Sun 6pm-Midnight
Price: $$$
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Food/Menu: Japanese/Oysters
Booze: Full bar (specialized in sake)
Happy Hour: No
Menu: Click Here
Grub Street says:

Shaul Margulies and Motoko Watanabe, the couple that owns Zenkichi, have converted their Williamsburg izakaya’s backyard into Akariba, a 40-seat lounge specializing in what Margulies calls “the deadly combo of sake and oysters.” Once it opens next Thursday, it’ll feature a seasonally rotating ten-item menu of oysters (everything from Blue Points to Kumamotos), small bites such as grilled toro, and within the next weeks, sashimi prepared by Zenkichi’s chef Tetsuya Akikawa, who honed his sushi skills at Jewel Bako. Desserts will come form Zenkichi.

Most of the dishes (excluding the sashimi) will be priced from $5 to $10, and cocktails made from beer, wine, and sake (which will also rotate seasonally) will cost $8 to $11. We’re told Akariba translates to “the glow of a lantern in the dark,” and as you can see in our slideshow, the interior (capped by a glass ceiling) is every bit as sultry as its sister establishment. Reservations won’t be accepted — just find Zenkichi’s hidden door and Akariba’s is a little bit to your right. Listen for the jazz …

Time Out says

Husband-and-wife restaurateurs Shaul Margulies and Motoko Watanabe have added this izakaya-style bar in the backyard of their Williamsburg Japanese restaurant, Zenkichi. The glass-enclosed patio is outfitted with marble tables, cast-iron lanterns and an abundance of leafy plants. The cocktail list will have a Japanese bent, with hand-chipped ice and concoctions like a lavender lychee-tini, made with pureed lychee and shochu. The selection of 10 to 20 seasonally changing sakes, meanwhile, is meant to be paired with oysters, which are offered raw, grilled or sautéed, along with a limited selection of other small bites.

c/o Brooklyn Now

205 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.302.2035

Cuisine: Sushi
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Price: $$$
Hours: Sun 1pm-11pm; Mon-Thur 2:30pm-11:30pm; Fri-Sat 1pm-Midnight
Cards: All Major
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Brooklyn Now says:

Innovative Japanese cuisine featuring fresh seasonal gourmet creations. The traditional yet upscale interior lends to an enhanced dining experience. Ako has quickly become a Williamsburg must for sushi night out.

Photo by Robert K. Chin, NY Mag

296 Grand Street
(between Havemeyer and Roebling Sts.)
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.384.7770

Cuisine: Eclectic Asian/Japanese Tapas
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$
Hours: Sun-Thurs 6pm-12am; Fri-Sat 6pm-1am
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford Ave., L to Lorimer Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
NY Mag says:

Bozu chef-owner Makoto Suzuki has expanded the definition of Japanese tapas (if there is one) to include deep-fried kataifi-crusted shrimp, pumpkin risotto croquettes stuffed with mozzarella, and an unconventional version of sushi. Suzuki’s “bombs” are the shape of things to come—small mounds of rice tinted red from cabbage or pink from codfish roe, and topped either traditionally (salmon, tuna, eel) or not (sun-dried tomato, olive, and caper). These light bites can be eaten at the bar, on epoxy tables ringed with Eames chairs, or on the back deck.

The Village Voice says:

Bozu (“bald-headed”) thrives on taking culinary chances. Tuna tataki ($7), for example, develops a voice and sings via an elfin scoop of strawberry sorbet that melts as the pinwheeled formation is ferried to the table. It brings a welcome pucker to the lips. Against all odds, I liked the “Italian” onigiri (two for $4.50), a newfangled take on the rice ball, Japan’s favorite snack. Mixed with chopped green olives and slivers of sun-dried tomato, it remained more Japanese than Italian.

Bozu eschews normal sushi. Among the seaweed-wrapped maki, find the “salmon stinky roll” ($5), which applies garlic to the bored-stiff orange fish. Another roll, called U.S.A., cryptically incorporates eel, shiso, and asparagus into the compressed pipe of rice. But the predominant form of sushi at Bozu—and the restaurant’s most arresting invention—is the “bomb.” Standing in for normal, finger-shaped sushi are round buttons of vinegared rice topped with raw fish, further extended skyward by ingredients like avocado, cucumber, green-tomato sauce, and frizzled deep-fried noodles of miniature circumference. What is the bomb’s significance? Well, individual pieces are smaller in volume than normal sushi, hence you never have to wonder whether to bite a piece in half or swallow it whole. Individual bombs (there are nine of them) vary in price from $4.50 to $6, but the most impressive way to experience them is via the “party bomb,” a 12-piece selection of four types.

Bozu has been called a Japanese tapas bar, and that’s fair enough. The smaller dishes are certainly the best, including a plethora of composed vegetarian salads featuring grains, tofu, tomatoes, seaweed, and grapefruit, generally dressed with soy and miso. The tofu salad ($6.50)—creamy tofu with avocado and plum tomatoes—is probably the best thing on the menu. The bigger dishes, like seafood stew and sake-marinated skirt steak, don’t fare as well. But who needs them when you’ve got the bomb?

c/o NY Mag

631 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.218.9887

Cuisine: Sushi, Pan-Asian
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $$$
Hours: Sun-Thurs 12pm-11pm; Fri-Sat 12pm-Midnight
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Lorimer St. or Graham Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Metromix says:

A former Williamsburg pet shop has now rolled over to become this pan-Asian restaurant featuring Chinese, Japanese and Malaysian plates—not to mention a ginormous menu. “Really? I think it’s small!” jokes co-owner Eric Ong. Really—it’s not! There are almost 30 appetizers alone, plus fried rice, curry, entrees, noodles, and a telephone directory’s worth of rolls and sashimi. Ong, who is Malaysian, gives a shout-out to his motherland with dishes like kueh teow (a kind of flat noodle, available with chicken or shrimp), an Ipoh-style spicy calamari and Nonya fried rice prepped with chili paste. The space itself is an eye-catcher: sorta Asian (Buddha statues), sorta mod (knockoff Eames chairs), very Williamsburg (granny-chic wallpaper…on the ceiling).

NY Mag says:

Williamsburg folks near the Lorimer stop have a pan-Asian option in Hachi Asian Bistro. The space has Buddha statues, Asian prints on distressed cement walls, and two chandeliers built from dark-colored glass bottles. One owner is Eric Ong, of Nana in Park Slope, and specialty rolls like the bullet — shrimp tempura with avocado and spicy garlic-chile sauce — share space on the menu with a mix of curry, noodle, and sauté dishes, plus some oddities like a sushi pizza and King Crab fajitas.

c/o Flickr

495 Lorimer St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.384.2437

Cuisine: Seafood/Sushi
Our Rating: ★
Cards: All major
Price: $
Hours: Mon-Fri, 11am-8pm; Sat 11am-7:30pm; Closed Sunday
Booze: None
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
NY Mag says:

Located on a quiet, gentrified block by the second stop on the L train, this Williamsburg takeout joint offers health-conscious hipsters pan-Asian eating that is at once affordable and yuppie-friendly. The Korean staple bul-go-ki (thinly sliced marinated barbecued beef) is Americanized in a wrap sandwich version complete with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and mayonnaise. A limited sushi menu offers more Anglo-friendly selections, like the Philadelphia roll with an added bonus of avocado, but a better bet is the Lady Octopus special bowl, a toothsome array of salmon, shitake mushrooms, avocado, red cabbage, and other goodies served with sticky white rice.

c/o NY Mag

143 Berry St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
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718.486.0837

Cuisine: Sushi/Japanese/Korean
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$
Hours: Mon-Thurs 5pm-10:30pm; Fri-Sat 5pm-11pm; Closed Sun
Booze: Beer, Wine, Sake
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
NY Mag says:

Luckily, this eager-to-please neighborhood Japanese/Korean hasn’t caught the annoying Williamsburg trendster bug, despite its prime N. 6th and Berry location and proximity to hipper-than-thou Asian joints like the decked out SEA. In line with its humble goal–to feed its patrons cheaply and well–the interior is no frills, with a small sushi bar seating three and decorative flourishes that peak with strands of white Christmas lights. You don’t have to search to find something affordable on the menu. Tofu and vegetables simmered in bonito stock weigh in at a mere $7.95, udon or soba noodles with beef and vegetables start at just $8.95. The bottom line: The food (especially the sushi) is always fresh, the wait staff will refill your green tea with a smile, and a Hershey’s kiss comes with your bill. Now that’s sweet!

c/o NY Mag

192 Bedford Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.782.6666

Cuisine: Sushi & Japanese
Our Rating: ★ ★
Cards: All Major
Price: $$$
Hours: Mon-Thu 1pm-11:30pm; Fri-Sat 1pm-midnight; Sun 1pm-11pm
Booze: Beer, Wine, and Sake
Subway: L to Bedford Ave.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
NY Mag says:

On a strip of Bedford Avenue already inundated by serviceable Asian restaurants, slick sushi spot Mizu (no relation to the Chelsea outpost of the same name) threw its takeout menu into the ring in late 2007. All the requisite, generic favorites are here — from California to Rainbow — though a few of the special rolls, like the Golden Salmon Roll, wrapped inside out and covered with shredded mango, help spice things up. If the fried offerings (tonkatsu, tempura) are meant to soothe a hangover after too many big beers in styrofoam cups, then the descriptive and moderately priced sake menu is meant to induce one; helpful categories (dry to sweet) and descriptions make it easy for novices to navigate the well-rounded list. The place is also quiet and the eight tables amply spaced, so you don’t feel like you are constantly chiming in on your neighbors’ conversation.

Momo Sushi Shack

43 Bogart Street
Brooklyn, NY 11206
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718.418.6666

Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ (Great)
Cards: Cash Only
Price: $$$
Hours: Open Every Day: Lunch: 12 – 3:30; Dinner: 6 – 10:30 weekdays; 6 – 12 Friday & Saturday
Booze: Sake & Beer
Subway: L to Morgan Ave.
Website: www.momosushishack.com
Menu: Click Here (pdf)
Delivery: Yes
NY Mag says:

The third restaurant from the chef-owner behind Williamsburg spots Bozu and Samurai Mama is located a bit further afield, in Bushwick. Momo’s unmarked and windowless wooden façade fronts a room sporting three large communal tables and an open kitchen in back. Organic pork belly (“Pork Betty”) arrives in a ring of bite-sized slices, tender and cooked in a soy, sake, ginger, and garlic sauce. Fried chicken emerges heavily breaded and delicious, with ponzu dipping sauce and chile oil on the side. On the sushi menu, the “bombs” reign supreme, slightly larger than a normal roll and lacking the seaweed wrap. Meanwhile, unusual combinations, like the Mexican bomb (toro, salsa, avocado) and the salmon guacamole roll (salmon, homemade guacamole) mingle with a vegetarian lineup of tofu and vegetable options

Time Out New York says:

The team behind Williamsburg’s Bozu expands with this laid-back sushi spot, outfitted with communal tables and rustic tin ceilings. In addition to the usual maki and Japanese small plates (Asian short ribs, sushi-rice croquettes), Momo also offers sushi “bombs”—round scoops of rice topped with fish.

One or Eight

66 S 2nd St
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.384.2152

Cuisine: Japanese/Sushi
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Price: $$$$
Hours: Sun-Thu 6pm-Midnight; Fri-Sat 6pm-3am
Cards: All Major
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Bedford Ave. or Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: No
New York Mag says:

Williamsburg’s very first ultra-high-end sushi restaurant boasts a slick white interior and a $40 omakase menu. For the less adventurous, there’s a conventional (but upscale) extended menu of sushi, sashimi, and kitchen entrees.

Time Out New York says:

Deep in the heart of Williamsburg, where the old-timey look is de rigueur, a minimalist place like 1 or 8—the second sushi project from the owner of Bozu—stands out. There’s the stark interior: calming and blindingly white. And the service: reverent, knowledgeable and doting without a hint of affectation. “Atelier of food” reads the restaurant’s confident tag line, and the message is clear: Pay attention, we’re about to blow your mind. Unfortunately, the food fails to back up the fanfare. The fusion menu, from co-chefs Kazuo Yoshida (Jewel Bako) and Atsushi Yokota, begins with a daunting selection of appetizers. On the night we visited, the rotating lineup of terrines included a crock of chalky chicken-liver mousse sealed with artificial-tasting clarified butter. Despite the good-on-paper combination of avocado, yuzu, mango and grapefruit in a lobster ceviche, the dish was unbalanced—so sweet-tart that it overwhelmed the subtle shellfish. Entrées were also seriously flawed. A sashimi platter certainly looked pretty, with its ruby akami, ridged hunks of octopus and coils of silver fluke. But piece after piece, the fish was dry and bland—far from top-shelf. That’s more than can be said for the uni, musty and sour urchin served in a hollowed-out cucumber. Hot dishes were equally off-putting: Pork belly served two ways (grilled over a bed of sauerkraut and deep-fried in a greasy batter) was really just served one way—gristly. Sushi restaurants rarely bring their A-game for dessert, and 1 or 8 doesn’t break the mold. Jiggly shiso flan worked only as a serviceable palate cleanser. The place does have one compelling draw—a tidy collection of rare Japanese beers, including the unusual Coedo Beniaka, made with sweet potatoes. Nutty and robust, it would pair beautifully with a hearty meal—if only we found something here worth eating.

Qoo Robata Bar

367 Metropolitan Ave
Brooklyn, NY 11211
view map
718.384.9493

Cuisine: Japanese Izakaya
Our Rating: ★ ★ ★
Cards: All major
Price: $$$
Hours: Mon-Thurs 6pm-Midnight; Fri-Sat 6pm-1am; Sun 3pm-11pm
Booze: Full Bar
Subway: L to Lorimer St.
Menu: Click Here
Delivery: Yes
Metromix says:

Hold your horses, sci-fi fans. A Japanese robata bar features traditionally grilled meats, not waitresses a la Rosie, the Jetsons’ robotic maid. Once you’re past that minor disappointment, Williamsburg’s qoo Robata Bar still has plenty to offer fans of a wide range of down-home Japanese treats. This izakaya (pub food) spot focuses on grilled finger foods from land and sea (qoo-style sweet and spicy teriyaki chicken wings, barbecue eel ball), and Tokyo chef Koichi turns out sushi and noodles as well (with traditional ramen coming soon). As befits a pub grub venue, there’s a wide range of sakes and Japanese beers (Orion, Sapporo) and a full-bar providing adult beverages to wash down the savory comestibles. So while the modern, smoke-scented dining room may not come equipped with an AI wait staff, there are still plenty of reasons to give it a try.

Time Out New York says:

Beside the Knitting Factory Brooklyn sits this Japanese grill, a culinary complement to the eclectic sounds coming from next door. Adventurous eaters will appreciate the sundry skewered options, including beef cheeks and chicken gizzards, plus composed items like a poached quail egg wrapped in salty bacon. Another small plate featured crunchy chicken wings topped with crushed sesame seeds and black pepper—a beer-friendly snack. Don’t neglect the entrées: We enjoyed a the crispy katsu pork cutlet with a wasabi-spiked dipping sauce.