kyo ya

We read about Kyo Ya in Tasting Table and the New Yorker and decided to check it out last week. When D called for reservations, they answered in Japanese! We decided not to do the kaiseki and just wander our way through the menu on our own. For our first sashimi course (pictured above) we had striped jack and salmon trout. My favorite was the pressed sushi with eel, but we also are pretty curious about the most expensive thing on the dinner menu, $40 seasonal kamadaki rice dish cooked for an hour in a clay pot. Our server assured us it was delicious. Maybe next time! The only other serious Japanese restaurant I've tried in NYC is Kai above the Ito En tea shop on the Upper East Side. I found this hidden spot a little less intimidating. It's small and filled with Japanese nationals and has jazz standards tinkling quietly in the background. You'll definitely need a reservation.

After finishing dinner, we fell in love with the soba tea. In fact we heard you can purchase it at Sunrise Mart on 3rd Ave and St Marks. We will be hunting this down the next time we are in the East Village, it has a wonderful nutty taste and aroma.

Kyo Ya
94 E. Seventh St., downstairs (1st Ave.)
NY, NY 10003
(212) 982-4140