I went to New York for the first time this summer. We went to a Japanese restaurant with live jazz. The wait was long (1.5 hours), but I had fun talking to my brother in line. The musicians were extremely talented, and my food was amazing. Get the matcha cake.
I really enjoyed the owner’s selection and I liked getting to know her. At first we thought she maybe didn’t want us in there but it’s a good reminder that language barriers are real and just because we think we’re not the ‘annoying’ kind of tourists, that connection isn’t granted. Some Google Translate and fawning over her latest acquisition (Chick Correa v Herbie Hancock) and we all got along!
if you're a coffee head- koffee mameya for elite beans/tasting experience
tonkatsu maisen aoyama - I think about this tonkatsu often
yoyogi park - great for people watching + general chilling
kushiwakamaru - yakitori spot, there might be a wait but it will be worth it
kappabashi street - packed with restaurant supply stores/places to get really nice knives, or just cute reasonably priced culinary souvenirs e.g. sake sets
higashiya ginza - recommend trying a set course here if you're interested in japanese traditional sweets/tea
galerie dentsdelion - amazing antique store
