Kajitsu

My client enjoyed the entire night at Kajitsu. We love all seasonal dishes!! I recommend at counter seats especially if you would be there for the first time. Thank you!!

An overall outstanding dining experience that is hard to put words to. The focus of the entire experience is the food which is supported by the subtlety of the room, furnishings, and service. The simplicity allows one to fully experience the beauty and flavor of in season, fresh ingredients. The exquisite tea and sake pairings were an added bonus. As a vegetarian, this was a rare opportunity to enjoy fine dining where vegetables were the focus, rather than an after thought.

Amazing !feels like your in Japan..not NY

Menu was completely tastless - we never ate such tastless food and paid so much money for nothing.
This evening wont be forgotten...only go there if you want to try how tastless food can be nicely decorated.
The service however was very good!
It is a shame that the complete menu consisting of 8 courses didn’t include we really enjoyed eating as the service was really good and also the location wasn’t too bad.

Conclusion - onetime experience; paid $100 per person for nothing really.

Presentation was generally sloppy. Restaurant lighting couldve been less depressing. I think the preparation of food generally had very little thought as well. Tempura corn was too oily. Sorbet was melted and the cherries were sour. I’m just comparing my experience with temple cuisines I’ve had in Taipei (yushange) and Seoul (sanchon) and Mount Koya. I think it’s ok if it is simply prepared focussing on seasonality and the elegance of the season. But this whole thing just felt thoughtless. Even more disappointing knowing it’s Japanese run because the attention to detail is extremely lacking compared to our experiences in Japan. It feels like just like an easy way to court Westerners who don’t know better or who don’t travel to Japan often.

Best Japanese dining without meet or sushi.

Ambiance was nice and relaxing. Some of the dishes (rice, tempura, umami broth, seasonal veg plate) were excellent, however some we had to force ourselves to eat or not finish. In particular the starter watercress (with tofu-based sauce I believe) was flavorless, and repeated in another dish, and the yam puree with the soba noodles overpowered any of the other flavors-- there was none of the acid + salty + slightly sweet + seaweed on top flavor in most cold soba noodle dishes, instead very bland. Bathrooms were a mess (floors needed to be cleaned) over the three hours we were there, and service rushed us towards the end by overlapping dishes (we took three hours to eat total, and most reviews said the Omakese dinner took 3.5). Overall, we didn't feel like it was worth a michelin star, worth the price, and would not recommend going back due to unevenness of flavor and service.

The food is distinctive, the service is good, the environment is simple but comfortable. Although the price is not cheap, it is worth a try.

The host was very accommodating. He had a menu with more details other than the one that was at the table which was helpful. He wrote out more details as needed. I got the omakase because the chilled soba noodles were made with matcha which was divine. I got the regular sake pairing which was good. I would definitely return. The fried dish was so good. I would love if they could play with shiso leaf more....

The whole meal was great but the dessert was wow! The grilled bamboo on the omakase meal was good and very different approach

Amazing. Delicate and precious with every bite. A vegetarian adventure no matter your diet

Service and food was just simply fantastic. Highly recommend to anyone for date night or looking for good vegan food.

Anniversary

We have been coming here for years and this place is always amazing. The food is the best I’ve ever had and the service is spectacular. See you soon Kajitsu!

For the full and in-depthunderstand the foods at this restaurant need to know about buddhist monks and their eating habits. No spice was strong while tasting what each course was made of! Was apleasant surprise to taste Japanese Buddhist Temple foods in NYC!!!

We had a very nice experience and the quality of the food was very high but it was just a bit more expensive than we would have thought for the types of food we were eating. I would definitely recommend it for all to try and the service and presentation is wonderful...they did have rare food from all parts of the world so have to figure that into the price....sake pairing selections were fabulous too.

Unique, fabulous, hyper-sessional vegan food. Took my GF here for her birthday dinner and came away both very impressed and full from course after course. The seasonal specials ingredients were fresh bamboo, English peas, white and green asparagus, all superb.

Really great vegetable focused meal. Not as decadent as other tasing menus, but the unique and interesting food makes it well worth a visit.

This was as perfect a dining experience as I can imagine. Every single plate or bowl looked perfect and was presented perfectly. Yes, there were a couple of small bits of food I didn't like but that is my personal taste.
It is difficult to answer the 'value' question. We didn't go to Kajitsu to get full of familiar food, we went for an ultimate experience of dining and new tastes and the cost was justified by the experience.
The dinner was ample; even though we had the 8 course rather than the 10 course meal, we both were pleasantly full and did not finish the last and main dish.
I will be going back.

Nice vegetarian menu. Could have had a few more mushrooms but the ingredients were fresh and the dishes had good flavor. Service was excellent. Good for a special occasion.

I really loved Kajitsu. The fact that they are doing such interesting things with vegan cooking is fantastic. The omakase is definitely worth it, as is the sake pairing. The ambiance is fairly casual but the food was so good that it didn't matter. Would recommend perhaps adding 1 more ingredient for variation as the flavors did start to taste similar with just a focus on two types of asparagus and bamboo and so many courses. Would definitely come back.

As part of a birthday weekend for my wife and I, this was the first deep dive we have taken into authentic Japanese cuisine. Everything from the menus and utensils, decor and service was impeccable, outstanding, authentically Japanese and detail oriented. We went all out for the 10 course Omakase menu with sake pairings. Keep in mind that this is Vegetarian. Neither of us have been big Sake drinkers in the past but we thoroughly enjoyed this presentation through different types of sake. The food was exquisitely presented, which challenged our taste buds with flavors that we are not familiar with. While not every course spoke to our personal taste they did open our palate. others were quite flavorful with delicious pairings that worked well together along with the sake. By the end of the night after Seemingly endless courses, we were both quite full and satisfied with a pleasurable and wonderfully crafted and satisfying meal. If you approach this food with an open mind and heart you will see its beauty and artistry. In addition, the waitstaff were outstanding, with their knowledge of this food and attention to detail beautiful to watch. Despite being quite a pricey experience it was well worth it for this special occasion. I highly recommend it

What an unbelievable experience. We had wanted to go to Kajitsu ever since we learned about their style and philosophy. We took the opportunity to go to celebrate our friend's birthday. We selected the omakase tasting with the tea pairings. About 8-9 courses. Our seasonal vegetables were bamboos from Kyoto, green asparagus from local farmers and white asparagus from France. Our dinner was incredible. Each dish with its own preparation technique and flavor profile. All the tastes were delicate and thoughtful. Everything was beautiful and very elegantly served. Our servers we absolutely lovely. And they made the birthday celebration extra special by offering us a champagne toast at the end. Unforgettable, wonderful experience.

Everything was absolutely incredible. The Shojin cuisine is a must-try for everyone and I wished I lived in NYC so that I could frequent Kajitsu. The tea pairing was was quite delectable and worth seeking out for diners that prefer spirit-free pairing options.

Amazing experience of fine food and service. And vegan!! I shall return! ❤️❤️❤️

Everything was absolutely spot on. Just our fellow diners were loud talkers but since it is in the US, and not Japan, that is to be expected.

Super intimate and quiet.. the food is superb. Service and ambiance all on point. Highly recommend.

Expensive but every bite was worth it. The best vegan japanese restaurant in Manhattan. Imagine Kyoto without the meat. Delicious!

We go each month this month food was extra amazing!

More food than I can eat in one sitting but wonderful!!

Food preparation was excellent but ingredients could have been more varied. The one off note was the gigantic bowl of udon in a thick gelatinous soup at the very end, which should have been half the size.

Exceptional! Went for my husband's birthday dinner. Not loud or rushed, incredible 12-course omakaze that felt well worth the value. Think of it as dinner and entertainment tickets in one!

This was my second visit to Kajitsu. Thr atmosphere, food, and attitudes have lost the beautiful tension that I experienced before. They are cutting corners. The front counter has become a mere preparation table instead of the stage for the chef to demonstrate his final touch. The other cooks - uniforms were not starched, wrinkled, and slightly off white instead of prestine white uniform that I am accustomed to high end Japanese restaurants. The final green tea was prepared by wait staff instead of the chef, with awkward handling of equipment. Disappointing

I am a total fan of Kajitsu; it's just a wonderful place where kind people who care about food and other people work hard to make a wonderful experience for guests. Our host/server William went out of the way to make our evening special. The ambiance is quiet and calm and is conducive to savoring the subtleties and beauty of the food, which opens hearts and mind to meaningful (and playful) conversation. Kajitsu is a very special place and I hope to return for similar wonderful evening for many decades to come. Compliments to the chef, of course!

This was an amazing experience for us non-vegans and our stick vegan guest. Food was unbelievably Delicious and filling.

Amazing experience, so unique and creative! We both loved it and they had such exceptional service as well. Will definitely return !

Great food. Kajitsu maintains traditional Japanese delicate seasoning using common American veggies while adding some kick/twist to it.

We had a great time at Kajitsu! The staff were both professional and friendly, they provided a description of every dish and were ready to cater for our needs. We came to celebrate an anniversary and they made sure to have a special attention for that, which was lovely.

The decoration is minimal, the furniture is simple but everything is beautiful and peaceful. The excellent soundproofing and temperature control were especially nice.

Now for the most important: the food is, like one could expect, delicious. Lots of fresh and seasonal vegetables get the focus (we went in early March and had lots of broccoli, daikon raddish, peas, turnip, cabbage, favae beans). I have been to a couple gastronomic restaurants in the past but never experienced dishes were the central point was the taste and consistency of veggies. It was truly excellent (of course, no dish consisted of ONLY raw veggies). We also got to taste various kinds of tofu which was very interesting, especially since I had never had high quality tofu before.


Overall I would absolutely recommend Kajitsu for a great meal in a beautiful restaurant. To give an idea of the price, we ended up paying a little over $100 per person for dinner (before tip).

Unbelievable food!

Quite expensive and quite exceptional vegetarian offering. Calm setting. Staff attentive. Descriptions of dishes are so hushed and reverent that they cannot be heard.