Getting oriented

I thought we should take a look at the places we've covered so far on a map, just to get a lay of the land.

I have to tell you, I'm exhausted from visiting so many places in such a short amount of time, so it's amazing to see how close together all these places are.


I haven't decided which block is the best. Do you have a favorite?

Little Japantown, part 3

This is the last stop on our tour of Little Japantown. And I've saved the place that's most difficult to get into for last. The sophisticated cocktail lounge Angel's Share.

Located on the other side of an unmarked doorway in the second floor Japanese restaurant Village Yokocho at 8 Stuyvesant Street, Angel's Share is yet another fancy cocktail place, but with a delightful Japanese twist.

Now I mentioned that it's hard to get into, but not in a pretentious way. It's just that this place is little (they only take parties of 4 or less). So you might be waiting (standing) for a while to get a seat, that's all. It's worth it. The cocktails are delicious (though expensive), the drinks menu, extensive and yet thoughtful - there's a story behind every original drink. It's a fantastic spot for date, just come on a full stomach since the food menu is quite limited.

Next time I go, I'm going to eat at Village Yokocho (the casual Japanese restaurant you have to walk through) beforehand, because their food looked really great. In fact, I wouldn't mind checking out a lot more places in Little Japantown. Do you know of other cool Japanese places in this area?

Little Japantown, part 2

Ok, so this next place isn't exactly hidden. But chances are you would walk right past it without notice. I'm talking about Sunrise Mart, the Japanese specialty market located upstairs at 4 Stuyvesant St.

See all these flags hanging? Trying to direct your attention to Sunrise Mart's existence? Well, I must have walked on this street dozens of times and I never saw them until I was specifically looking for Sunrise Mart. I guess New Yorkers really don't look up.

But then ah, the entrance. This is pretty glaring, when you're looking for it. Take the elevator up and you will find a world of Japanese culinary treasures.

Like squid in a bag!

That was the one of the strangest things there, but seriously, they have everything that a normal grocery store would have, except all Japanese. The candy and beer were among the most tempting items for me. I bet some of the beauty products are pretty good too. This would be a great store for a chef who wants to take a crack at conquering authentic Japanese cuisine. Or for anyone with a curious palate!

Little Japantown, part 1

Did you know there's a section of the East Village where a bunch of Japanese places are clustered together? Well, I lived there for 2 years and I just figured this out. Little Japantown, as I'll unofficially call it, is on 9th St between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. It also extends onto Stuyvesant Street.

Decibel, a sake bar, is one of the more hidden places in this area. It's located below ground at 240 E. 9th St. Don't let the graffiti-laden stairwell scare you!

In a nutshell, Decibel is a divey, gritty sake bar. I'm not a sake expert, but if you're into it, they've got plenty of it. Of course, they have other drinks too. I was there on a Monday evening, which was pretty low key. But I've heard it can get pretty packed.

When you're sipping on sake at Decibel, you really feel like you've been transported to a far off land. So if Japan is on your list of places you'd like to visit, heading to 9th Street is an easy way to make a quick visit - and a lot more economical!