Shokunin

I would say this place is better than most places in New York in terms of price and quality. For some reason the three times I visited, there was no wait time in dinner hours which was a plus. The fire is really big so you really have to keep your eyes on the meat to keep it from burning.

First time eating in this type of restaurant. I loved the experience and food. Meat barbecue fast just to wait for the meat takes a short while but it is not big deal if are in good company. Ordering meat is easy cause menu has pictures for the meat. They have sushi, rolls, i enjoyed the calamaris and shrimp pancake also creamy corn and sweet potato.

This place has a lot of food options and honestly everything looks good. I really liked how many choices there were, and the whole spot has a fun, loud vibe. They also have karaoke, which was probably my favorite part — I love screaming my heart out into the mic and just singing whatever I want, even if I’m not the best singer. It makes the night really fun. But there are some downsides. The crowd can get a little overwhelming, and there are a lot of smokers around, which kind of ruins the vibe if you’re trying to relax or eat comfortably. It gets packed fast too, so be ready for noise. Overall, it’s a fun place to hang out with friends, eat, and sing, but the smoking and crowding definitely bring it down. I’d still come back, just not often.

Shokunin use to be our favorite place to eat once a month but the quality , service , and uncleanliness finally hit today. As soon as we got to the table the grill was not cleaned and still had burned meat on it, the meat we ordered tasted bland, and the best part was finding a rock in the order of small clams. Sorry for the past 7 years we’ve been coming here today is the final one.

My experience at Shokunin was extremely disappointing and raised serious concerns about hygiene and professionalism. First, the host had a very poor attitude. The tone was cold and unwelcoming, which immediately created an uncomfortable atmosphere from the moment we walked in. More concerning was the fact that a cat appeared along the wall during our meal, very close to the dining area and seemingly able to jump onto the table at any time. For a restaurant serving grilled and Japanese cuisine, this is completely unacceptable from a hygiene standpoint. A staff member later forcefully picked up the cat, which stirred up visible dust that drifted toward our table and food. There was no apology, no explanation, and the situation was handled in an unprofessional manner. At a price point of $30–50 per person, this level of sanitation control and service is unacceptable. This experience goes beyond poor service — it raises serious concerns about food safety and dining standards. I will not be returning and would not recommend this place to others.