Syo Japanese Restaurant

Was just there a couple of weeks ago for a moms’ night out. We got together at around 6:00pm and closes down the place. Always great staff, friendly service, and delicious food!
Syo offers authentic Japanese food and isn’t a Japanese/​Fusion/​Asian place which I really appreciate.
Highly recommend!

Best chicken katsu I have had in years. The cash only is kind of a pain– but it’s worth the trouble to get the delicious broths that come out of the kitchen.

I got the gyu (beef) tongue steak dish that the waiter recommended. I did not enjoy it at all. The texture was similar to rubber. Dish was cold also. Soup that came with it was not very enjoyable either. Over all disappointing experience. Will not be returning.

Food here was pretty good but I wouldn’t say anything was spectacular. The best part of the dishes was probably the broths.
Order the «Zaru» cold soba noodles. It was ok, but seemed a bit slimy (we weren’t used to it). Also ordered the Hiya-​Yakko (chilled tofu), Oroshi Takowasa (octopus) and the Wafu Sendai-​Miso Ramen. The octopus and the Ramen were probably my favorites.
I know this place gets a lot of ‘5’ star reviews but I couldn’t get myself around to giving it that. The service was decent, but I think the dishes were just different and not meshing well with our particular tastes. Everything still seemed authentic though and were seated right away.

Everything is excellent! Try as much as you can — loved the pork belly and special agedashi tofu tonkotsu in particular. Service is quick and friendly too.

The food here is AMAZING! I can’t believe it’s been around for a year until I finally discovered it one Friday night. They might be a bit short staffed so please do be patient, but the wait for the food is worth it. Great variety of izakaya dishes, simple ramen, and one dish meals like katsu curry. Don’t have to head all the way to East Village for authentic Japanese anymore. It’s less busy and a fraction of the price. (Please don’t get too busy from all the good reviews!!)
Recommended: Kara age, kakuni — stewed pork belly, katsu, ramen, salads

The gyo tun steak here is the best in NYC, waitresses and waiters are friendly and professional. The best Japanese restaurant in Astoria

My friend and I went at around 6:30 for dinner on a Thursday night and walked in without having to wait. The ambiance is very calming and cozy. They’ve decorated the place with Japanese decorations. We were greeted very warmly and were given menus and water immediately.
The waitress read the specials to us, but it was a little unclear what things were and how they were separated. It sounded like a long list of items but I couldn’t tell which dish was which. I decided to stick with the katsu because I read that they have some of the best katsu ever. I ordered the pork tenderloin set. Apparently the pork tenderloin is softer than the pork loin option which is also a dollar cheaper.
The set comes with salad, rice and soup on the side, so plenty of food. The katsu was indeed the best katsu I’ve ever had. The meat was so tender it was fluffy. The outer layer was super crunchy. Together, the perfect combination. You dip it in a sauce that you semi-​make yourself. They give you a small dish of sesame seeds and a wooden stick essentially. You grind it yourself and then pour a sauce into it. Then you dip the katsu in it. The katsu itself wasn’t very flavorful, and that was the only downside. I had to use a ton of sauce, but no complaints because it was very good. It’s a thick, gravy like texture, but not made with anything that goes into gravy. It’s a savory, slightly tangy sauce. The salad dressing was light and refreshing. Goes well with the katsu. The rice had perfect texture and consistency. If you’re asian and you know what makes good rice (each individual grain is intact, but as a whole everything sticks together), you will be able to tell this is good stuff.
Service was very attentive and very pleasant. The waitresses were cheerful and had great demeanors, unlike some waitresses/​waiters in Manhattan restaurants who seem too busy to attend to you.
I definitely want to come back and try some of their curry katsu, noodles, dons, appetizers, etc!

I’m still high off this amazing dinner experience.
First off, the décor feels very authentic and Japanese. The female servers were Japanese. I couldn’t be sure about the folks in the kitchen, but thus far this is the only truly Japanese restaurant I’ve yet to find in Astoria.
The miso soup was very different than that which you get at other ‘Japanese’ restaurants in Astoria. This miso had a clear (not cloudy) lightly flavored broth.
My friend also ordered for us their pork belly. I was a bit skeptical at first, as the way it is cooked and presented, it is basically about 5 thick ‘cubes’ of bacon/​pork that are each about 2″ x 1″ in size. The appearance is like that of undercooked bacon… the meat was all very ‘wet’ and chewy looking, and the meat was very light pink in color whereas the layers of fat were still very shiny and clear. It came with a light brown, clear sauce.
Well can I just say… normally I would never in a million years eat entire large hunks of pork fat. However, the more I ate of this dish, the more emboldened I became, and in the end I was oohing and aaahing while putting entire ‘cubes’ of the pork belly in my mouth. It was unbelievably delicious and tender… even down to the large pieces of fat.
My friend got katsu chicken whereas I got chick don buri (katsu chicken over rice in a bowl). I tried my friend’s katsu chicken, and it was hands-​down, the best katsu chicken I’ve ever had anywhere. The chicken is range-​free and the meat was so moist and tender, while the outer bread crumb crust (I imagine it must be panko) was incredibly light, crunchy and flavorful.
As for my chicken don buri, for some reason I was expecting (crisp and dry) katsu chicken laid on top of rice. I wasn’t expecting the rice and the chicken to be so hot, that by the time the dish arrived to me, all the chicken breading had turned to ‘mush’. Which was indeed a pity, as it seemed what was the point of creating a crispy katsu chicken, only to have the crust become mushy?
We were served a nice toasted-​rice type tea after dinner.
All in all, I would definitely go back, and would even recommend this to people outside of Astoria, as being worth a special trip for good Japanese food.

The environment is very clean and services are great. There’s a bit of a wait for the food though. There were only one server when we arrive but we came on a monday night and it’s not a huge store.
For Appetizer, me and my husband ordered the Tonkatsu Agedashi Tofu and Beef Tongue. I ordered the Nikki Udon with pork and my husband had the Curry Pork Katsu rice. Both the appetizer tasted very flavorful. The Nikki Udon is very salty, the broth seems like soy sauce base but I managed to finished it. The Curry Pork Katsu tasted really good at first but they gave a very small portion of Pork Katsu (see photo). Overall the food are pretty good and authentic. The pricing is very reasonable, but please note that they accept cash only. Will definitely come back.

The Japanese curry that they have at this place has one of the most interesting flavors that I’ve gotten the pleasure to experience in a very long time. I would definitely check this place out if you’re into trying new types of foods. But it’s a very easy place to fall in love with with because ultimately you’re eating comfort food.

Absolutely Incredible! Just go and don’t complain about the service. It’s what enters your body that matters the most. Enjoy!

This place is a gem. Best Japanese restaurant in Astoria and so authentic, it rivals some of the best japanese restaurants in Manhattan. Prices are very reasonable.
The only problem they have is not enough employees to serve the delicious food. I expect a line to form and the wait to become longer but it is worth it!

Best ramen in the neighborhood! The broth is perfect, not too heavy and not too thin. So is the noodle. The hardness of the noodle is perfect! Quite a lot of toppings like vegetables, fresh and tender shrimps, baby octopus, etc. They also have don, curry, hot and cold soba, and Teishoku.

A friendly, authentic katsu place in Astoria, hurray! The service is pretty great too.
Seriously, though, the katsus are where it’s at… so fluffy and crunchy and juicy. They sure know how to deep fry here.
But if you’re here more than once, try the noodles — a little different than your usual ramen array, with a bit of history behind it. The udon is thinner and spongier (that sounds unappetizing, but it’s really quite good).

Great indoor décor, very cozy with some of the most helpful and kind staff. Went for dinner with my girlfriend, the waitress and the manager himself were both very kind and attentive, not to mention respectful at all times.
Food was one of a kind, the ramen and curry both have distinct flavors that are delicious but not overwhelming. We had even asked the waitress if we could customize our curry order and she was more than helpful on letting us change it to our liking. It really felt like we had left NYC and we were eating in Japan. We are definetely looking forward to going back!

Simple, well executed Japanese food.
Came here and ate at the little bar. The place is cozy and comfortable.
I ordered the agadashi tofu with pork. This is definitely the best I’ve had anywhere, robust, delicate and rich, all at the same time.
Also had the curry with pork katsu. Pork was so crispy and tender. Served with a salad. The curry was just classic Japanese curry very well done.
Would definitely recommend to eat here and I will be back.
Service was fast even though there was only one guy, he was hustling. (Golf clap)

In a sea of absolutely wonderful reviews, it was hard for me to give it a 3 — truthfully it is probably a 3.5÷5. We were the first ones to come in for dinner and was a party of 6. Upon first impression was how nice and clean the place was. Most of us ordered hire-​katsu or katsu curry while the others got ramen. Now, the food was actually pretty damn good. I loved the texture and crispiness of the katsu and it was cooked perfectly; tender and not dry. The curry tasted really good. My friend who just came back from Japan said that it was pretty comparable to what he had over there. The amount of katsu that came with the dish was pretty meager however. I had about 4 slices of it and what filled me up was the rice and curry. I would have liked to see a bit more on the plate. My friend ordered the mix katsu (pork loin, chicken and shrimp) and asked them to make it with curry (not listed in the menu, but they will do it for you for additional amount. probably extra $ 2 – 4) and that was a much better amount. My bf got their wafu sendai miso ramen; the broth was good, the ramen noodles cooked perfectly, but that was it. It is better than other japanese restaurants in Astoria, but not quite that great compared to ones in the city. The stellar item for me was definitely the katsu!
Now, why did I give it 3.5 stars? Quite honestly, service was quite slow for a Wednesday night. The place was a full house an hour after we first seated. There was only one waitress working (from what I remember) and it felt like only 1 person working the kitchen. We had to constantly ask to refill our teas or get anything. I love that they take great care to make great quality food, but I was a bit disappointed in the service. I’ll be willing to come back and try it again in the future and hopefully they work out some of the kinks.

I am happy that another authentic Japanese restaurant was opened in Astoria! Tonkotsu ramen was good. I want to try Katsu next time.

Their Katsu and curry is very good. Menu is nice. Space is nice. It’s a great place in the area to eat more casual and authentic Japanese food. I ate a bunch of other stuff on the menu here the other day, but everything was as good as other izakaya restaurants in Manhattan. I wish they’ll do lunch and take out.

Syo offers a relatively small menu where every dish is given attention and crafted to perfection. The soups and katsu are my favorite items, but any plate on the menu would please my culinary senses.
Service has been pleasant, prompt and unobtrusive in my dining experiences so far. Price points are reasonable for the quality and care given to each offering from the kitchen.

I’m definitely returning! The ambiance was serene and the dishes tasted like Japanese comfort food. The breaded chicken was so tender, it was an absolute delight! Their green tea was also brewed well!
*Cash only

Amazing amazing and amazing.
Finally a good Japanese place in Astoria! My husband and I tried their teishoku menu– beef tongue and hire-​katsu. I was blown away by the quality of the their katsu, especially. You take a bite and remember what it’s like to eat real katsu:) I’m from the area in Japan where katsu is famous for– so I’m a tough one to impress!
Our waiter, Sam was so attentive and we really enjoyed our experience. Will definitely come back!

Best at home izakaya theme Japanese restaurant in Broadway Astoria!
The owner and staff are great! Great service!

I absolutely adore this place! Really authentic and delicious Japanese food. The dude and I got fried chicken appetizer, Katsu-​curry, and a hot soba bowl.

Syo is a gem in Astoria. They have a full line of Japanese comfort food presented in «Izakaya» style, by very professional staffs. It is also very family friendly, at the same time provide a chic bar environment for the urban couples. The price is very reasonable and I believe that Syo will be a lasting local favorite for years to come.

I am so glad Syo is in this neighborhood. Real authentic Japanese food, with choices like ramen, gyudon, katsu curry rice and many more. I had their katsu curry and agedashi tofu and they were amazing. The broth they used for the agedashi tofu was so tasty so you know the ramen broth is gonna be good too. Very friendly and attentive service and the restaurant is nice and clean!

I love this Place. I think that astoria deserves a place like that!!! All other Japanese restaurants makes sushi and sashimi. All the same menu… I came here with my real Japanese friend. Quality is outstanding. Food is amazing and different than other Japanese (forget sushi here !!! Eh eh eh) look at the pictures I took. What a great dishes … And new flavor for my ITALIAN palate. I strongly raccomend this restaurant

Cozy and calm atmosphere. The owner greeted us when we walked in. I give 5 stars for the authentic (classic) traditional flavor. We tried Pork, Chicken & Shrimp Katsu and 3 different noodles. The broth (noodle) was spot on and the Katsu was crispy yet fluffy?! and very tender inside. I will definitely come back for more.

Simple, straightforward Japanese fare expertly and authentically prepared. Very reasonable prices for food and drink. Comfortable and inviting dining room. Eat here.

I love this place!!! So authentic — the owner comes from Sendai! The Zangi (Japanese boneless fried chicken is the best — so yummy when you squeeze the lemon on top!) I got the oyako-​don — a chicken and egg rice dish. It’s not on the menu but you can ask him if he’ll make it for you. The portions are big too! Very reasonably priced! :)