Resobox

I really like the off the beaten path location of this Japanese café, which is a part of the cultural center. The service was very accommodating and friendly.
My lady and I ordered: Azuki float, Salmon Donburi, and a Miso Ramen.
The float definitely had that azuki taste but we probably would not order it again, guess it didn’t float our boats. My lady had the Salmon Donburi (marinated salmon over rice), she felt it was too simple, and we both agreed such a small serving of salmon, like an 80 – 20 ratio of rice to fish. Hmm
Now for my Miso Ramen, which I subbed out chicken for Pork (thanks for doing that guys). I found it tasty and would order it again based on flavor, but the price would keep me from doing so. My ramen measuring stick is Naruto Ramen (Upper east side) I like it simple (not like Nissin ramen) and relatively inexpensive. $ 7 – 11. The Ramen I ordered was $ 13 — chotto takai!
Overall this café seems like it is a part of something larger but on it’s own the food does not stand up to the prices for the value offered.
I am tempted to return to check out the desserts and the cultural center.

In atmosphere, quality, and décor, this place is the closest I’ve felt to Japan here in New York. The food is not the absolute best in the world, but it’s really really good and priced reasonably. The staff is lovely and welcoming, just like all over Japan. Great experience.

Came here for lunch today and enjoyed my experience. It is a small Japanese café/​restaurant connected to a Japanese cultural center. Nice and simple décor, which is perfect for the ambiance. There was also an exhibit of beautiful paintings on the surrounding walls of the café.
We ordered the the Miso Ramen and Kitsune Udon. Both entrees were delicious and the broths were perfect! We also ordered the Matcha Latte with Azuki and Azuki Latte from the drink menu, which were yummy and not too sweet — just right. Lastly, we ordered the Taiyaki (fish shaped pancake), which was filled with red bean paste inside — it was the perfect portion for 2 people to share and not too sweet either.
The staff are all very nice, polite, and pleasant.
This place is like a hidden gem in LIC! I would come back here again if I am in the neighborhood. It’s small, quiet and relaxing. Definitely would recommend this place to friends looking for places to eat in LIC!

Interior: lovely, artsy, simple, spacious
Service: very good!
FOOD:
_​AZUKI BEAN FLOAT ($ 4.50)
Blended azuki beans, ice cubes, and a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Not much flavor or sweetness. Doesn’t need to be sweeter buy would prefer ice cubes blended instead of being cubed.
_​MATCHA GREEN TEA SMOOTHIE ($ 4?)
Friend’s smoothie was very banana-​y. There was no mention of banana so it would be bad if someone who is allergic to it ordered it. Was more of a banana flavor than matcha which would be fine with me but not what my friend wanted. Perhaps giving the option to use almond or soy milk would be better? There is a separate Matcha Banana smoothie… Not sure if that was given instead? Friends switched for the Matcha Latte which she liked better.
_​SALMON RICE BOWL w/​miso soup ($ 10.50)
Not much flavor at all, very simple. Would be better if salmon were marinated, and if the dish were served with ginger and wasabi which you can ask for. Lots of rice, 2:1 rice to fish ratio so maybe the rice lovers would like that?
_​MISO RAMEN ($ 13)
Thick noodles were tasty. Bamboo shoots tasted funny (we know what it should taste like but sometimes they taste funky). Like that there’s butter in it. Date said it «was fine, nothing spectacular.»
Planning to return to try their knitting/​crocheting classes. For food it’s a maybe. Again, service was gr8.

This is such an artsy place. I love it. The match drink selections here are plentiful. The banana matcha latte I’d my favorite here.
The tonkotsu ramen’s broth is pretty good. So as the Chashu but more on the fatty side.
In terms of location, this really stands out in LIC and I hope it will stay here! I definitely will visit here once again from time to time. Perhaps whenever they change up the art exhibition.
However two things to note about this place is that as a Japanese café/​ramen spot, it is more on the pricy side (comparing to the portion and the amount of food you get. the actual price is not higher than your normal ramen joints).
And as a Japanese restaurant, I expect it to be slightly more clean than the way it is right now.

Don’t know too many establishments that have traditional matcha drinks. We had the matcha float which was pretty good.
I don’t recommend the yuzuade though. Expected something sour and citrusy but it’s actually very sweet and has a weird taste.

A charming, quirky little café eatery just north of Queensboro Plaza on 27^th Street, it has a nicely curated menu of various Japanese foodstuffs and an excellent assortment of tea drinks, individually-​brewed «Nel Drip» coffee and desserts. I had a hot soy matcha latte that was quite well made, and though came out a little sweet initially, they quickly remade it to taste.
The food menu consists of ramen with three types of broth are available (soy, miso and pork — I had the pork and it was quite good!), rice bowls, udon, small starter plates and a small sushi menu. There are lots of vegetarian options, as well.
As others have mentioned, the World Amigurumi Exhibition was going on when I ate there — hundreds of adorable little crocheted figures adorned the walls and ceiling. There appear to also be calligraphy classes that happen there as well — at the table next to me a teacher and student painted characters on paper that the host brought out for them — though I’m not sure if it’s a regular thing.
Also, it’s next door to a Japanese home goods store with a very robust selection of knives and traditional knife sharpening service. Definitely worth a return visit!

I came here from Baltimore just to visit their amigurumi exhibit, and it was definitely worth it. The staff are friendly and attentive. You can tell they take great pride in what they do. The amigurumi collection comes from all over the world, and I ended up taking home quite a few.
As for the food, their red bean latte was one of the best drinks I’ve had. The miso ramen is delicious and not salty at all. They put just the right amount of butter in it and I ended up drinking every last bit of broth. The meat was fresh and tender. The noodles a great texture. Overall, my husband and I had a wonderful experience.

I was able to attend an intimate Sake tasting hosted by Resobox and Tokyo’s Toshimaya sake brewery on the evening of ³⁄₁₆. (Thanks Christina P and Unilocal for getting me in!)
Resobox is a small venue right off the Queensboro Plaza subway station (literally half a block). The café was closed but the event was held in the same room as the World Amigurumi Exhibition. Imagine sipping sake and mingling under strings of cute crochet toys from all around the world! They’re for sale with the larger than life size bubble tea ($ 90) and Apple Watch ($ 45). I like how they indicate on the price tags whether or not the toy is baby safe. Resobox is also a cultural center and they regularly host cooking classes and special events.
Their ³⁄₁₆ event kicked off with Kikizake, a fun blind tasting game. We sampled 4 different sakes, labeled A B C and D and tried to match them to their description and ideal food partner. They all had a light and pleasant aroma but with unique tastes. Then Rin from Toshimaya presented the sake to us one by one and with Chef Kita, we drank more sake and paired each one up with food (scallop, duck breast, tuna, and bamboo shoots)! I love how they paired a sweet and light sake with the scallop carpaccio. The sake and braised duck breast pairing enhanced the duck flavor. The pairing with the bamboo shoots and seaweed gave it a very nice umami and miso-​soup flavor. The tuna was flavorful but a little too spicy for me.
Rin also gave us a brief history of Toshimaya, introduced us to their baby dragon mascot: Rita-​chan, who is featured on every RITA bottle, and hosted a trivia game. Brian, a fellow Unilocaler, won the most points from the Kikizake and trivia games (woooot congrats!) and is now 1 of the 2 proud owners in the USA with a Toshimaya apron! We additionally received a sake shot glass for uploading a photo on Instagram. There was plenty of sake to go around and end the night. Everyone from Toshimaya and Resobox was very sweet and hospitable. I felt like I was back in Japan! :’)
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The four sake from the event:
– Junmai Shu «RITA» Pure Green — paired with any type of food, usually side dishes
– Junmai Dai Ginjyou «RITA» — my favorite (sweet and light, apple flavor), paired with fish
– Junmai Dai Ginjyou «DAI-​RITA» — highest grade of sake (dry aftertaste)
– Okunokami — recommended as an aperetif to be drank before or after a meal

Resobox is cozy and offers a lot of in terms of Japanese culture. It’s not hard to get here by train and there’s street parking.
I came here for a sake tasting, where 4 sakes were given to try and 4 foods were provided to pair with the sakes. It was fun to guess which was a better match with the sake. During the sake tasting, there was also a presentation to inform you of toshimaya sake which was founded in 1596! That’s a very long time ago.
Rin, who is the great great (many times)… grandson of the owner of Toshimaya did the presentation and was very informative. He made sure that the whole group was involved. As a result, the one hour sake tasting flew by really quickly.
The food that was provided was duck, bamboo, tuna, and scallops. Everything tasted pretty good, especially the scallop, which was very fresh.

This is my first review on Unilocal.
Because they are great and food was awesome!!!
I ordered green tea latte, seaweed salad, spicy tuna roll and Unagi rice bowl.
Green tea latte: They are using a good flavor «Matcha». Taste was sooooo good! I’ve never had like the rich tasted green tea latte before. This is one of you should try!!!
Seaweed salad: Much seaweed on the top with ginger dressing. The dressing was so yummy. They said that is homemade. I want to buy the dressing from them…
Spicy tuna: They use very fresh tuna! And taste was amazing. Price is 6pc for $ 8. I think a reasonable price.
Unagi don: That was my first time to try, because my friend recommended. That is other one that You should try!!! Eel meat was very thick. And the sauce they are using was sooooo good. It comes with miso soup. That is so worth to try!
This place is very unique. They are serving food and also running as gallery. They have JAPANESE cultural classes too!!!
Now, they are exhibiting tons of stuffed animals in overall of their space. It is simply overwhelming.
Staff were sooooo nice and friendly. I asked some questions about classes and the exhibition. And they explained politely in spite of busy time.
This place will be my best place in LIC.
I just moved in two blocks away.
They have free wifi, so good to work with laptop.
If you want to be relax and try good Japanese food, I really recommend here.
Thank you so much guys!
I absolutely come back soon!

Food tastes ok but nothing special. Portions are very small.
I ordered pork rice bowl, salmon roll, a soup, and salad.
Pork was very fatty, sushi was mostly rice with too little fish, soup and salad was small. Very overpriced. I will not return.
Save yourself the trouble and eat somewhere else.

I had been here before at an event, but I admit it’s been awhile. Since it had taken this long, it was only fair that I’d drop in while unbeknownst to me, the World Amigurumi Exhibition was there. Literally hundreds lined the walls, windows, ceilings (available for purchase). A cute café/​art center in LIC makes for a compelling argument to visit any time of year 4.5÷5.0
Strolled in one evening after a burger dinner at nearby Baroness. I was looking for a caffeinated pick-​me-​up. I always knew Resobox was here and made the mad dash over in the windy cold winter night for some matcha. The menu now includes food, which is a departure from the earlier days when all that was available were drinks and art. Good to know!
Upon browsing the menu, it was clear we were going to have a matcha good time. Lattes all around! Although it may have taken a while, it was worth it. We spent a bulk of that time looking at all the cute pieces adorning the walls. My matcha latte was perfect, rivaling many of the cafes (that shall remain nameless) in the city. Resobox warrants further exploration of the menu as I plan to return to LIC/​Astoria more often.

Amigurumi, you irresistible creatures that I hate to crochet but love to admire, why do you have such powerful magic? When I am around you, I feel the unmistakable swish of my banknotes leaving my wallet quickly, or the phish of my credit card! If Rich W. weren’t a friend of mind, I might think his tip on the World Amigurumi Exhibition was a ploy to test my resolve.
Resobox is a gallery that showcases Japanese art, and amigurumi started with the Japanese who have become the masters of crochet. It’s not possible to describe how cute many of these little critters are. And as a knitter and crocheter, I can appreciate how complicated some of the designs shown actually are to make. This was a five star exhibit with countless critters that I didn’t even have the time to pore over. The amigurumi hanging from the walls and ceiling are all for sale, ranging from inexpensive to steep, based on the work involved. You would be surprised at how some of the smaller ones are pricier than the larger models. Some are recognizable creatures, like bees and even a minataur. If you’ve ever worked with steel hooks and fine thread, you would understand why. As if these creatures weren’t enticing enough for my wallet, the staff here are so nice you want to buy something. And it’s not difficult to, even if you don’t want amigurumi. Resobox has food, from a really good miso soup to sushi to noodles. The place is clean and small enough to give it a homey feel. There are tables to eat your food if you are inclined to stay. Resobox also has classes in Japanese crafts, including the amigurumi if you are inclined to try it out yourself.
A nice spot to look at some niche crafts and get a bite also.

I come here for lunch about once a month. Their ramen is pretty standard, and while I wouldn’t come here to satisfy a ramen craving for dinner, for lunch, it’s totally workable. I’ve had their hitsumabushi as well, but it seems to be packaged more like unagi-​don, because there’s no broth to pour into it. It’s way less satisfying than most hitsumabushi I’ve had, and more expensive than many unagi-​don I’ve tried. The best thing I’ve had so far has been the kitsune udon, and that’s what I’d recommend if you’re coming here for the first time.
Service can be a little pokey, but the people who work there are very nice. They also have some tasty desserts, which I don’t take advantage of enough!
As a gallery, I personally find the art hit or miss. I love the amigurumi exhibit they’ve got right now, but the previous one was a little strange for me. I recognize that art is pretty subjective, though. That doesn’t take away from this clearly being a community gathering place, and a nice place to sit and catch up with friends over lunch.

The World Amigururumi Exhibition is back!
I’ve stopped by twice already for some new inspiration on design.
There is no admission fee but be warn, you may walk out with several adortable amigururumi.
Tip: they serve a nice bowl of ramen and green tea.

I had the spicy miso ramen. Not as flavorful as compared with all ramen shops in Astoria/​LIC, and by far not as good as totto ramen or ramen lab. It’s probably a lot healthier tho as it has that home made feel with fewer ingredients. I loved the noodles they used tho as they were thick and wavy, different from other spots. Just the broth wasn’t quite there.
Also had a iced green tea matcha with red bean paste. Unfortunately, the drink had a strange fishy odor/​taste…
Super friendly and kind staff. Cool concept as this showcases art, but limited seating. High cost for value.

Resobox was a quiet respite from the busy work day. The restaurant is tranquil, and the service was attentive and polite. Resobox also doubles as an art gallery which provided a fun backdrop to my lunch.
The Kitsune Udon ($ 9) was a satisfying portion with nicely cooked noodles, fried bean curd, seaweed, and 2 slices of fish cake. For dessert, I couldn’t resist the Taiyaki ($ 3) but it was very small and forgettable.
Overall, still worth checking out either for the food or for the art. They had some matcha and coffee drinks that I would love to try next time!

Resobox is one of the best lunch options in the area around the Queensboro/​Queens Plaza subway stops. Finding reliable lunch options in this part of LIC has been a challenge, but Resobox has become one of my favorite spots.
The first time I walked into Resobox was during the amigurumi exhibit. I was both weirded out and fascinated by all the hanging dolls on the wall. The constantly changing art selection makes for a nice backdrop to the delicious bowls of ramen and udon that they serve. I’ve tried the shoyu, miso, and tonkotsu broths for the ramen. The udon doesn’t really stand out as different from any other bowl of udon that I’ve had. All have been well-​balanced. The perfect amount of flavor, saltiness, warmth. I love their noodles. They’re wavy and the texture is just right. They taste like noodles that were handmade that morning!
I’m a fan of their matcha soy green tea lattes and azuki bean lattes.
I’ve brought all of my coworkers here at least once if not five times each.
I’m a fan.

This place is something of a mystery to me. I can’t decide whether they’re a café, art museum, culture center, or restaurant. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing, is it?
A recent visit to Resobox made me think that it’s a café /​restaurant. Industrious students with MacBooks sipped coffee while studying. Another visit painted a picture of Resobox as art exhibit /​store. Hundreds of amigurumi adorned the walls, and each and every one of them were for sale!
The food is nothing to write home about but the décor changes often enough that your interest is held. The staff is patient, unerringly kind, and sweet. I can’t wait to see what they become next.