What to Order at Honzen in Astoria, a Display of an Older Style of Japanese Dining

New York’s Japanese food scene has trended toward omakase in recent years, with seemingly every option on Resy being some beautiful countertop offering $150 of perfectly selected fish. That’s what used to be in the space that holds Honzen in Astoria: Chef and owner Jay Zheng first opened the sushi restaurant Gaijin. Then, he reopened it as Kōyō, which offered set omakase menus, inspired by the traditional flavor progressions in kaiseki cuisine. In between, he opened omakase restaurant Tsubame in Tribeca in 2023. Now, Zheng continues with kaiseki inspiration by flipping the space into Honzen (31-12 31st Avenue, at 37th Street) a couple months ago, which focuses on honzen ryōri cuisine — rare for New York, and in particular for Astoria.

Inside Honzen.

Honzen New York

“This classical dining form, emerging from the Muromachi period (13th to 14th century), stands as a cornerstone in the evolution of Kaiseki cuisine,” writes Honzen on the website. Here, customers choose a protein and rice for set meals served on ornate trays, with accouterments like tofu, seasonal pickles, and sashimi.

A full meal can easily come in at under $75 a person, including drinks. And even the most extravagant add-ons won’t land too much over $100. It joins some of the more reasonably priced tasting menu spots to open including at Ramro, which sits across the street, as well as set-meal restaurants like Kisa,the Lower East Side Korean restaurant with $32 dinner platters.

The vibe: Honzen is separated into two rooms — a narrow front room built of chic blonde wood with a counter and a few tables against the wall, and a wider back room that used to be a backyard. Now, it’s built out with its own counter, small tables, a lounge area, and a larger table with floor seating. The overhead lights are a little bright and the music skews “lo-fi beats to study to.” On a recent Wednesday night at 7 p.m., the restaurant was all couples quietly conversing over their dinners. Though bring one large party to the back table and the mood could absolutely shift to more of a party.

Honzen’s front dining room.

Honzen New York

The menu: Honzen serves only set honzen-ryori plates, the price of which is determined by choice of protein. Options skew seafood, with simmered red sea bream, marinated Hokkaido scallops, and blue mackerel, though there is also an option for A5 wagyu. Each meal comes with miso soup, spinach in sesame dressing, simmered vegetables like kabocha squash and lotus root, seasonal pickles, and sashimi. There’s also a cube of tofu topped with Hokkaido uni, which had the marvelous effect of tasting almost like peanut butter. Each bite is nestled in its own beautiful ceramic, making it feel like you’re eating out of a jewel box.

Honzen New York

The drink menu is similarly tight. Sake is the only alcoholic option, with ample junmais and daiginjos available by the glass and small and large bottles, served out of handmade ceramics. There’s also a selection of tea and soda.

Don’t skimp on rice: Trays also come with rice, and while standard mixed rice is no extra cost, budget for one of the upgrades, which costs between $26 and $55: You can opt for a bowl brimming in salmon roe, or draped in bluefin tuna or uni. The showstopper is absolutely the Hikinuku Don, a blend of ground beef and pork cooked in a burger and topped with a marigold-orange egg yolk, meant to dramatically ooze over the dish.

The Hikinuku Don.

Jaya Saxena/Eater New York

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