Table for Two #2: Izakaya Mew

I'm really excited that Rachel of Hello, Chelly and I have teamed up once more to bring you a brand spanking new collaboration that involves two of my favorite things - New York City and food. We're proud to introduce Table for Two, where the two of us will be highlighting restaurants and dessert spots in New York City. You'll be hearing our personal opinions on the place and the food, as well as where you can go to try it out for yourself!

We're back with another round of Table for Two! This time around, we decided to grab dinner at Izakaya Mew, a restaurant I only discovered last year and fell in love with, and dessert at Sweet Churros in K-Town (which you can read about on Rachel's blog).

Honestly, if you hadn't heard of the place (or if you don't have sisters like mine, who are excellent at finding food spots to try), you probably wouldn't even notice Izakaya Mew. The entrance is a single door with very simple signage, and it opens directly onto a narrow staircase. Once you descend, you'll get your first glimpse of the dimly light, simply furnished spot - hanging light bulbs, Haruki Murakami art, and a lot of wood details. It's a charming little nook amidst the big city bustle, and not even the crowds would deter me from a regular visit.

Once you're seated at your table (which is, admittedly, a bit of a tight squeeze because the tables are a bit close together to accommodate more people), you'll be handed their menu and poured a glass of water. Their menu has so much to offer in terms of Japanese food mixed with New York flavor, and it'll take a while before you decide on what you want to eat! This visit, I decided I wanted to have the fancy roll (which is eel, avocado, cream cheese topped with crabstick and eel sauce) and Rachel had the katsudon (which is deep-fried cutlets over rice). We also shared the salmon sashimi tacos (marinated salmon with guacamole) for an appetizer. As always, the food was absolutely delicious and extremely filling! Plus, the prices are quite reasonable too.

All in all, Izakaya Mew is, by far, one of my favorite spots to eat in New York! Especially for Japanese food, since all the things I've ever had at the restaurant were delicious. You can find Izakaya Mew on 53 W 35th St. Basement, New York, NY 10001, and they are open for lunch (Monday-Friday from 12pm-2:45pm), as well as dinner (Monday-Thursday from 5:30-11:00pm, Friday-Saturday from 5:30-12am and Sunday from 5:30-10pm). Let us know if you decide to check it out!