Imagine a restaurant in Midtown, yes Midtown. Think Japanese; think izakaya. Now think cheap. Impossible? Probably, if it wasn’t for Hagi. A subterranean hideaway in the heart of tourist infested Times Square, with surprisingly, no tourists. Before you go and Yelp Hagi, I gotta deflate your bubble a bit (too many bubbles bursting recently). Like all good things New York, get ready for a long wait in line. Put the phone down, they don’t take reservations.
Once you get seated, you have one more obstacle. I said this place was a good value, don’t expect to be blown away by the food Masa-style. Luckily for you, I’ve probably gone through 90% of their massive menu and know what’s a hit and what’s a miss.
Hits:
Gobo Fries with Spicy Mentaiko Sauce: Fried burdock root, who knew? Prepared thin and crispy it reminds me of a mix of fries and plantains. Delicious on its own, it’s to die-for when dipped in a side of roe-infused chipotle mayo sauce. One of the highlights of the menu.
Spicy Pork Belly and Cabbage: Pork belly, stir-fried with cabbage and miso topped with toasted sesame for an extra kick. One sentence and I’m done here. Pork belly with cabbage soaked in pork belly juice.
Tuna Salad: A very simple dish done right. Great dressing, fresh tuna and one of the few vegetable plates on this meat heavy menu.
Pork: Another simple dish. Tender, beautifully seasoned and with just the right amount of green onions for that effervescent aroma and flavor
Takowasa: Fresh raw octopus marinated in wasabi, makes for the perfect appetizer. Crunchy and a bit slimy cut with an extra heavy dose of wasabi. Scared? If you were in Japan, the suckers on the ultra fresh octopus would still be clingy to the sides of your cheek as you chewed on it.
Misses:
Takoyaki: I love all things octopus. This was a failure. It has too much breading and where was the octopus?! The insides are too mushy and the sauce too overbearing.
Mushroom: Ok, I guess if some of you would pay a lot for a yummy shroom, but I just couldn’t justify what I got for the price.
Saikoro Steak: One should always be wary of cubed steak. Cubed = sub-par meat, overcooked and over sauced. This dish was all of the above + tasteless and stringy. No thanks.
Spaghetti + Pork Belly: Well, the pork belly and cabbage was good so the thinking was that noodles in pork belly juice would be amazing. No, this was limp spaghetti with tomato paste topped with a few pieces of pork. If you miss Olive Garden, go ahead, order this.
Okonomiyaki: Guys and girls, it doesn’t get any worse than this excuse for a dish. A staple in all izakayas, this dish almost disgraces Hagi. As a child, have you ever tripped on carpet and got a mouthful? Yah, you can experience that again if you really want to.
Decent:
Mentaiko Pasta – Salmon Cream: Pretty decent. I’m not really a fan of carbs and this thing is basically cream and pasta with some flavor thrown in via mentaiko. Pasta was cooked well and there was a good ratio of sauce to pasta to mentaiko. Get it if you’re hungry.
Hamachi Kama: As you know by know, this is one of my favorite dishes. Hagi’s attempt is passable – good value for decent quality. Again, if you’re in need of more dishes, go ahead and get this but its not too high on my list of kamas in NYC.
Would I come back? Yes, great place for groups to eat relatively well and light on the wallet.
Sake Bar Hagi
152 W 49th St
New York, NY 10019
October 6th, 2009 at 12:46 am
ohhh i do like hagi. i will keep in mind the misses for next time tho
October 6th, 2009 at 1:08 pm
Wow.. that pork belly and cabbage dish looks AMAZING. the octupus balls – i dont think you can beat the ones in taiwan street-stands..
take me hereeeeeeeee.
October 6th, 2009 at 4:02 pm
I loved your description of getting a mouthful of carpet! I don’t think I’d like to experience that again!
October 8th, 2009 at 11:21 am
I totally agree that this place always has both major hits and major misses. Things that are fried here are usually yumm! Never get the vinegar drinks, they taste like vinegar…
October 8th, 2009 at 4:31 pm
Hagi’s been a staple each time I come back to NYC. I love the yellowtail sashimi and mini udon hotpot. But I fully agree that I’d rather head to Otafuku for okonomiyaki than here.
October 9th, 2009 at 12:22 am
@jen@annie: lets go!
@cookie: glad somebody reads my blog and not just look at the pics!
@fressagirl: good heads up with vinegar..though if they’re vinegar drinks…i’d think they taste like vinegar! hah =)
@legalnomads: i think they change their menu ever so often, i’ll have to check on that udon hotpot next time!