Posts Tagged ‘japanese restaurants’

The Art of Eating Chapter 5: Japanese Food (J’s Kitchen)

Wednesday, September 14th, 2022

It’s officially the start of September which means that it’s also officially the start of the fall semester! Recently I finally moved back into the SVA dorms after four months away, and I was shocked at how hard it was to transition back. It feels like I was just here, but yet it’s also completely different. For me, one of the biggest adjustments is losing access to a kitchen. Yes, my dorm has a kitchen for the whole (20 floor!) building, but it’s just not quite the same. SVA also has no dining halls, which means a lot of my meals this semester will involve my small dorm fridge and microwave. Even if you do have a college dining hall, it’s still easy to miss getting meals straight from the kitchen during the school year. That’s why I’m at J’s Kitchen New York this Wednesday to seek out some of that more homey cooking that’s so hard to get once school is back in session.

Right off the bat the interior of J’s Kitchen has the perfect, inviting vibe I’m looking for. Throughout the restaurant there are plants everywhere: hanging from the ceiling, decorating the tables, placed on the floor, etc. Beyond that, the rest of the store is very simple. The decorations are few and far between, but it doesn’t feel empty or anything, just neat and welcoming. Furthermore, another nice thing about J’s Kitchen is that you can actually see their kitchen in the back behind the counter. The cooking area there is also very clean and neat, but obviously much more lived in, with signs of the chef moving about to make the food. It’s definitely exciting to be able to see people actually cooking once you order your food bringing a certain personal quality to eating out that you don’t get everywhere.

Interior of J’s Kitchen with kitchen area in background

Once said kitchen finishes preparing your food, they bring it out to you, which was also very nice. We ordered at the counter, so I was expecting to have to go pick it up. Instead, the staff was super friendly about it and both brought out our food and took it back when we were finished. As expected, the food is steaming hot when it arrives at our table. It already smells more delicious than anything I could procure in my dorm room, so I’m excited to dive in. For my lunch I ordered the main star of J’s Kitchen, the Tokeru Wagyu Hamburger with Teriyaki Sauce. Just to start, the size of it is impressive. I feel inclined to ask for a fork and knife just to deal with all of it. Still, not only is the burger seriously tall, they provide you with a side of fries and (very cutely) two mini pickles. Lots of food. The teriyaki sauce was definitely a solid call because it is so good and adds a really great layer to the burger which is super soft and warm and delicious inside. It’s totally the kind of food that warms you up and makes you feel better if you’ve been missing home. Their curry is also another favorite. For me, it feels like the more classic comfort food that I would seek out. It’s similarly very flavorful and warm– and it comes with a lot of options for cutlet you can pair with it, like chicken, pork, and beef. If you’re still looking for vegetarian options, they have those too with the same great quality and taste. Everything comes direct from their kitchen, so you can be sure that it will satisfy any craving you have for homey cooking. 

Tokeru Wagyu Hamburger with Teriyaki Sauce

Overall, J’s Kitchen is perfect for any student looking for some high quality meals in the midst of leaving home and going back to living on their own at the start of the year. Their food is delicious and the atmosphere in the restaurant is really welcoming. I absolutely recommend people to go there for their classic Japanese food favorites, or look for something new if you’re up to it! You can’t go wrong!


Planning a visit to J’s Kitchen New York? Be sure to bring your student ID and show this coupon when you go to get 10% off your order:

If you want to see more about my trip to J’s Kitchen check out my video on the Campus Clipper TikTok page!


Peter Schoenfeld is an illustrator and self proclaimed food fanatic from New York. If he’s not trying new food, he’s drawing it (and if he’s not doing either of those things, then you can probably find him curled up on the couch watching dramas). As an incoming sophomore at the School of Visual Art he focuses on creating art that connects people to his personal passions– like eating!


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC, from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services. At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

The Art of Eating Chapter 4: Japanese Fried Chicken (TORI BIEN)

Thursday, September 1st, 2022

With September just around the corner I’m sure a lot of my fellow students are starting to feel the pressure of returning to school after these months away. For unfortunate students, like me, you might be cramming trying to brush up on some necessary skills again before the fall semester starts. Still, it’s important to take breaks and always good to spend time with friends before seeing them off to wherever they might be studying. Most of my friends leave me alone in New York once the school year starts and travel to different states for university, so the end of August always feels like a bit of a goodbye. As a (albeit temporary) goodbye to the city as well, it feels only right to have a day on the streets with good food and good company. On Tuesday I’m with my friend, Catherine, who won’t be far from New York this school year, but also won’t have the time to visit often for the next few months. I alone in my friend group enjoy walking tens of thousands of steps across the city, and since she’ll be gone, I make it an excuse to drag her around for the day. We stop into a lot of cute shops to cool off from the heat, but for lunch we make our way to 9th street and drop in to TORI BIEN for some food. The inside of the store itself is rather small– there’s no seating there, but conveniently they have benches placed outside, so you can choose to sit on those and eat if you want. It’s a cute restaurant with the perfect vibe for our afternoon out! 

TORI BIEN exterior with benches for customers

Despite not having indoor seating, the food at TORI BIEN comes already packaged once it’s cooked, so it’s not inconvenient to bring it somewhere else. My main meal, the Kara-age Onigiri Bento comes in, well, a cardboard bento box with all the components neatly separated. It’s cute and reminds me of the lunches other kids used to get when I was still in school. Catherine’s meal also comes partially in a box, but the fries she ordered are separate from it in a little paper bag that reminds me more of the lunches I used to get when I was younger, with my mother’s signature, disposable paper bag. Still, everything is easy to grab and take with you. The food itself also has more of a handheld vibe. My box of food comes with items like onigiri, a triangle shaped rice ball, and boneless fried chicken. The onigiri is super delicious. It’s perfect because the seaweed wrap gives it a nice crunch, but the rice inside is the perfect, soft consistency. It has fish flavoring too, so it’s not bland. The fried chicken is super crispy and I love that it’s boneless because that makes it easier to clean up when I’m done!

Handheld fish onigiri with seaweed wrapper

Catherine and I decide to rest on the bench for a few minutes and eat there before we continue our journey through the streets of New York, but there’s also a couple of nearby parks if you’re looking for more of a true picnic vibe. Catherine also orders fried chicken, TORI BIEN’s specialty, but it comes in a sandwich instead of loose, like my box. There’s a layer of sauce on the top of the bun, but the meal still isn’t messy. It’s similarly good to just grab and eat; and even if it wasn’t, they definitely provide you with sufficient napkins. The sandwich itself is wrapped up in a nice, thick sheet of paper that makes it convenient to hold as well.

Kara-age Sandwich with sauce, fried chicken, lettuce, and pickles

Overall, no matter where you chose to eat your meal from Kara-age, the flavors are delicious and it’s perfect to enjoy with friends. They offer an assortment of fun options and everything is perfect to take on the go!

Planning on taking your friends out on an end-of-summer picnic or just looking for some great Japanese fried chicken? Use this coupon code when you visit TORI BIEN to get 15% off your order with your student ID:

If you want to see more about my trip to TORI BIEN check out my video on the Campus Clipper TikTok page!


By: Peter Schoenfeld

Peter Schoenfeld is an illustrator and self proclaimed food fanatic from New York. If he’s not trying new food, he’s drawing it (and if he’s not doing either of those things, then you can probably find him curled up on the couch watching dramas). As an incoming sophomore at the School of Visual Art he focuses on creating art that connects people to his personal passions– like eating!


For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share

Re:Rapid Revival Restaurant Review Returns: Kyuramen

Sunday, October 31st, 2021

I bet you’re expecting some sort of comedic quip from me as to why there’s been so much time between these reviews. Your expectations are correct: I was at the top of a mountain in a ancient monastery of restaurant reviewers, trying to unlock the secret art of objective taste. Unfortunately they kicked me out when I told them their food tasted like crap.

Kyuramen is a Japanese restaurant that really makes you feel like you live in a country with a declining birth rate due to overwork. In all seriousness the presentation is great, the restaurant is big and pretty and you can get your own private little room to eat in. Definitely the best layout of any place I’ve reviewed so far. The menu was really huge so I just asked them to give me whatever seemed best.

I started with the pork bun. They went to a load of effort to write something on it in Japanese, but I have no idea what it says. If it happened to translate as “this tastes amazing” they’d be right, though. It’s a little too spicy but the pork and bun are both perfect and the sauce complements it well.

The actual ramen I had was the Tokyo Tonkotsu Shoyu, which has pork, an egg, bamboo, and some other stuff. The egg was just okay but everything else was great, the soup and noodles were very tasty and paired perfectly while the pork was tender and delicious. I didn’t like all of the other stuff, but even then it was a very good example of that stuff.

As a drink I had the Shirakabegura Tokubetsu Sake, which I have no idea if I spelled correctly. It was mild and fragrant, and felt very good going down even if I wasn’t a huge fan of the taste since I normally don’t like Sake.

Dessert was Matcha Pudding, which initially tasted like nothing until I added milk and then it tasted like sweet milk. It did have a great mouth-feel, though.

Verdict: 9.5/10 Kamen Riders

https://www.campusclipper.com/new/popup1.php?CUP_COD=4043


By: Alexander Rose

Alexander Rose studies satire at NYU Gallatin and wishes he was actually just Oscar Wilde. He is interested in writing, roleplaying games, and procrastination. Describing himself in the third person like this makes him feel weird.

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  

At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.



Share

Restaurant Review: Gorin Ramen

Monday, March 8th, 2021

Gorin Ramen is nothing short of exceptional. Paris and I stumbled into the chic restaurant on a freezing weekday night, our faces pink and wind burned from the cold. A good bowl of ramen is exactly what we needed. Warm soup broth, noodles, tender pork belly–what else could you want when it’s 25 degrees out? 

That being said, this location is more than just a fantastic bowl of ramen. The owner Shuma welcomes us enthusiastically. The restaurant’s ambiance matches Shuma’s energy. The hip and friendly chef from Kyoto is extremely accommodating and eager for us to try the uniqueness of his menu. 

Shuma posing at entrance

When we take a seat, I have a chance to admire the restaurant’s setup. The decor is modern, and the tables and stools match the black brick exterior of the building. All diners have a direct view of the kitchen, which gives people the chance to admire the artistry of the chef and food. 

“I’m going to make you guys the gyoza (deep-fried dumplings) and karaage (fried chicken). For ramen the Abura-Soba, the Classic Gorin, and the Kitakata. Also two desserts: the Matcha affogato and Hakka style mochi!” 

Paris and I look at each other and exchange smiles–we already know we are in for a treat. We ordered two drinks, a Tokyo sparkling cocktail and a plum wine. Both are delicious, but we are particularly enamored by the cocktail. The bitterness of grapefruit are perfectly complemented by the sweetness of the drink.

Plum sparkling wine
Tokyo sparkling cocktail

The appetizers come out, and we are already impressed by the presentation. The karaage, or fried chicken, is glistening with caramelized sugar. We both take a bite, and I am immediately in love. The skin is crispy, and the saltiness and sweetness is perfectly balanced. 

It is a challenge to move on from the chicken, but Paris and I both grudgingly use our chopsticks to pop pork gyoza into our mouths. We aren’t disappointed.  “The sauce perfectly compliments the dumpling,” Paris says. “I also love the pairing of scallions, it adds a freshness to the food!”

Karaage fried chicken
Pork gyoza

From our seats we watch Shu conduct culinary magic in the kitchen, noodles and broth boil in big pots. Flames flare as shallots and pork belly fry. The aroma that fills the restaurant is completely intoxicating. 

All of the ramens have their time and place. The flavors of the Abura-Soba and Classic Gorin are similar, the pork belly and noodles are the same. The greatest difference is that Abura-Soba doesn’t have broth, which is why I would be more inclined to get it in late spring or summer. 

The star of the show (according to me, Paris, and Shuma) is the Kitakata ramen. Get the Kitakata ramen. That is a command, not a suggestion. The pork belly is extremely delicate and the broth is amazing. Shuma has infused it with a chicken flavoring, which makes the dish taste less salty and more balanced.

Abura-Soba Ramen
Classic Gorin
Kitakata Ramen

When dessert comes out, we are stuffed. However, these treats are not something you want to pass on. The matcha affogato are small mochi stuffed with ice cream, and hot matcha tea comes alongside it. Shuma tells us we are supposed to pour the tea over the mochi. The effect is the mochi becomes infused with matcha flavoring and gooey. 

I am a peanut butter fiend, and as soon as I try the mochi lightly dusted with peanut powder, I am obsessed.  

As our experience comes to a close, I consider the highlights:

  1. Food. Everything was delicious–Shuma is a fantastic cook! However, I found the sparkling cocktail, karaage, kitakata, and peanut mochi to be the most excellent.
  2. Service. The servers and staff in this restaurant are extremely accommodating and dedicated to their customers. 
  3. Go during weekdays! Gorin is busy during the weekends, break up your monotonous week by stopping by for seating that is more guaranteed.

When we finish our amazing meal, Paris and I realize that we were so captivated by the restaurant experience that we forgot to take pictures of ourselves! In a frantic scramble to rectify this error, we took a picture with the matcha tea, where there is no longer mochi because we ate it all.

Me posing with melted mochi and matcha
Paris and matcha soup

Click below to get access to and redeem all Campus Clipper Coupons; coupons are updated weekly


By: Erin Zubarik 

My name is Erin Zubarik and I am a Junior at New York University majoring in Global Liberal Studies and minoring in Chinese and Italian. Over the last few years I have been lucky enough to study abroad in Florence and Beijing, where I enhanced my language skills and became acquainted with lovely people. This fall I am primarily holed up in my apartment taking online classes, and playing with my hamster Pork Chop. 

For over 20 years, the Campus Clipper has been offering awesome student discounts in NYC,  from the East Side to Greenwich Village. Along with inspiration, the company offers students a special coupon booklet and the Official Student Guide, which encourages them to discover new places in the city and save money on food, clothing, and services.  At the Campus Clipper, not only do we help our interns learn new skills, make money, and create wonderful e-books, we give them a platform to teach others. Check our website for more student savings and watch our YouTube video showing off some of New York City’s finest students during the Welcome Week of 2015.

Share