Muku

It was a very delicious kaiseki meal at Muku. It’s a bit more understated than the other Kaiseki places of a similar price point in terms of presentation and pulling out all the stops. It doesn’t look very fancy but it’s still super delicious. Muku has a more like it was made at home taste but still elevated. Service was good. What stood out to me was the white miso soup, wagyu, crab rice and the orange soda/sake ice cream dessert. But they could’ve served another mini dessert course and given diners a little treats bag to go that all the other restaurants are doing.

Went for the seasonal menu focused on crab, was excellent. Felt no different than a high end kaiseki joint in Japan (aside from price). Standard repertoire of Japanese dishes, with the more unique offerings being the fried tempura dish and the 'hometown' soba. Was very surprised to hear that the chef changes menu monthly, which sounds exhausting from a creativity perspective, but mad respect. Looking forward to trying future menus out for sure. The somm was also 100/10.

I’ve been to Muku twice at this point and chef Asanuma never failed to impress us with their innovative menu. The quality of the food was supreme, the service top notch, and the ambiance cozy and relax. I especially enjoyed the chatter with the chef and the sous chef who came all the way from Japan just for the month.

This is probably the best Kaiseki/Nihonryori style restaurant in NYC. Chef Manabu showcases seasonal flavors in a very balanced and beautiful way. Menu changes almost weekly or biweekly so there is always a pleasant surprise.

Birthday celebration dinner at Muku. Was excited to try this new kaiseki place. Food was excellent and very refined. Not sure it was worth the price tag that comes along with it but maybe for special occasions!