Lan Japanese Restaurant

Best wait staff service and best Japanese-​French fusion I’ve had. Yes, it may be expensive, but you so get what you pay for.
Upon being shown to our table, the waiter pulled the chairs back for each one of our party to be seated. After giving several recommendations based upon our food preferences, our food was out in good time. The waiter kept exchanging my fork everytime I used it, which I’ve never experienced before. Our waiter was totally dedicated to our table.
The food melted in our mouths, no matter what we ordered, and each dish had so much depth and dimensions of flavor.
The décor was going for the industrial sheik look with it’s bare brick walls, and dim lamp lighting. (My mother in-​law didn’t get it and thought the place was a warehouse.)
I have yet to find a paralleled restaurant, and invite anyone out there to recommend somewhere to fill this void now that Lan is closed.

It is a very sad thing that this place closed. It was SO good and, in my opinion, such a great value. Anyone know what happened? Re-​opening here, there, anywhere?

My favorite Japanese restaurant in the East Village! Alot of fusion Japanese restaurants lose most of the Asian flavors but Lan keeps a good balance. Their Sake and Wine selection is above par too.
Dinner is my recommendation. Trendy but mellow at the same time.
I think they are only closed for renovation! Keep those fingers crossed.

NOOOOooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! Closed! Why? Curse you! *fists in the air*
This was def one of my favorite places as well. I had no idea they were closing and was hoping to go for dinner this week.
Last time I was there, I had the tasting menu and it was spectacular. What a shame that it is all but… a… memory now.

So Sad, I know it’s kind of Silly to write a review on a restaurant that is already closed but I just want to give it the credit it deserves.
This was one of my favorite Japanese restaurants until they closed that is. It was just one of those restaurants that tasted the same everytime I went back and never disspointed! I remember the food tasting just as good as the first time I was there like 8 years ago.
Many memories of good times and great meals there!
They had the best sushi sashimi, sukiyaki when it was available, rib eye steak and a mean chocolate soufflé w vanilla ice cream and rasberry sauce! =*(
For those of you fellow fans that loved Lan too, please fill me in when you find something similar to Lan in the future!

3.5 stars
Co-​Owner/​Chef: Takanori Akiyama
Serene, contemporary modern restaurant, as found evident in each of the modern dishes. For appetizers, we tried the miso infused foie gras & duck miso & the snapper sashimi. Instead of sushi, I tried the broiled black cod saikyo miso infusion with poached egg & creamy miso foam. If you can’t already tell, most of their dishes have a miso infused element to it… at least most of the appetizer dishes.
Everything was good, but it was so light and flat, I felt like it was missing a punch of something. The flavors weren’t bold enough for me… and I was surprised, because Lan is suppose to be more modern take on traditional Japanese food. The dishes looked a lot more appealing than it tasted.
For dessert I opted for the chocolate soufflé, which was a miss for me. I definitely had way better… I should have stuck to something more traditional…
Overall, a good meal, but it didn’t blow me out of the water. It is unfortunate that Lan will be closing, because I would’ve definitely love to come back to try their sushi. Based on their presentation itself, speaks clearly that they are about upholding high quality standards of their food here. This just happen to miss the mark that particular night.

LAN is going to be closed on Sunday 09÷27÷09! Why???
It’s so sad too see my favorite restaurant closing. Kura sushi was my favorite too…

Awesome.
I’ve been coming to this place for years, and just went back on Saturday night and was blown away by several things. First of all, their sushi is exquisite and their rolls are delicious. Second, their specials and other items (grilled steaks, etc) are divine. We had a special fresh tofu with tuna dish that was out of this world. But the one thing that really sets this place apart is the service — really great, responsive staff that is very attentive. It has gotten a bit pricey over the years (dinner for two with drinks is easily over $ 100), but it’s definitely a good spot and worth it.

Service — ⁸⁄₁₀ (One of the better service I’ve had in the States, of course bring out my b-​day dessert with sparking candle on a decorative plate and singing happy birthday was a plus!)
Food — excellent. I am a sushi lover, but the Broiled Black Cod Saikyo Miso Infusion we ordered was HEAVENLY! The fish melts in your mouth~
For dessert, we ordered 3 things — Chocolate Soufflé, Raspberry Sauce & Vanilla Ice Cream, Mont Blanc Atop Rice Pudding and White Chocolate Mousse & Fresh Mixed Berry, i’m not a dessert person, but I would definitely say recommend to go with the chocolate soufflé! During the few hours we were there, I saw many souffles come out the kitchen

This is tough, I’ve been going for 4 years now and up until the last visit it’d be an easy 5 stars
The usual experience:
One of the most scalable restaurants I’ve been to. If you want to pop in for a couple of rools and spend $ 20 thats doable, upgrade to a date with 3 great courses for 40 – 50, simple, want to celebrate something big and you can certainly go up towards a hundred a head. Its great at every price point.
Sushi: quality is generally excellent and a good deal, rolls (other than the super elaborate ones) are between 5 – 10, peices are usually only a buck or two more than the generic neighborhood japanese places. The blackfin tuna sashi is mouthwateringly excellent, and while pricey, probably the best deal for toro of this quality of any place I’ve been in manhattan
Appetizers: inventive, good flavors and playful with texture, love both of the foie gras ones, they’re very consistently cooked to perfection
Desserts: most are pretty good, but you should absolutely go with the chocolate soufflé, its head and shoulders above the rest, very consistent and one of the better one’s ive had in new york
Shabu shabu: kindof gimmicky, but im not huge on shabu shabu generally. Its good but not up to the standards of the sushi or the other main’s (as a whole)
Main courses: steaks are quite good, notable are also the red snapper with toasted rice cake and the duck breast which are fantastic
Tasting menu: before the recession excellent and quite pricey, in recent months a phenomenal deal, inventive, varied, high quality ingredients, an ideal amout of food (not too much, but you’ll definitely leave full)
Drink: Excellent sake collection, friendly bartenders
Service: unobtrusive, polished
Décor: dark (both in mood and lighting, depending on the night and where you sit it can be a bit hard to read menus so its good there are oil candles on the tables), plating of dishes is excellent, the only odd not in my opinion is the chopstick rests, they dont really fit in
All in all one of my favorite places to go in the East Village for any occasion… except
***
The last time we went, 6 people, 2 tasting menus, 4 ordered on our own. Everything was great, up to par of every other visit I’ve had but…
in one of my companies yellowtail sushi (part of the sushi entrée) there was a worm.
This may be a function of not using frozen fish, it could have been picked up by the animal in the ocean on its way to being mailed over to NYC, but it was a worm none the less. Maybe 4 cm in length. Its unfortunate that the sushi chef didnt notice it and deal with it as then we’d never know and I’d still be telling everyone i know that this is one of the best underrated gems in New York. As it was it soured all of us on the sushi for the night and really upset my friend.
They comped us dessert which was nice and replaced with another peice of sushi (that went uneaten due to trauma), but they didnt comp the sushi entrée that contained the worm, not sure whats considered standard practice on this one
I’ve got a lot of fond memories of this place, its a real pity that I’m now a bit soured on it

The Tasting Menu is now $ 10 cheaper and plus one more course, sans skimping on quality. That’s what I’m talking about! One of the best bang for buck tasting menus next to Degustation. I heard they are the same owners as Dieci and also own a Beef Restaurant somewhere.
CHEF’S TASTING MENU ($ ⁴⁸⁄₇ courses) — 5:30 — 10:00pm
–Homemade Tofu with alaskan king crab — served cold, shot glass style, tofu was tender, real crab meat, very decadent
–Salmon Ceviche with onion vinaigrette and shiso oil — served cold, 5pcs, a tad sour, def saw the vingaigrette’s acidity slighting cooking the fish, the way it’s supposed to be
–Hudson Valley Foie Gras Chawan Mushi‘ with duck scallion sauce — never gets old, served hot, foie aroma but not visible, duck pieces were generous
–Broiled Black Cod Saikyo Miso Infusion with cream miso foam — served hot, fish was melty, skin on bottom, miso foam was subtle
Choice Of:
–Grilled Beef Striploin And Sea Urchin with celery root purée — 5pcs of strip, good, could’ve done sans the celery root purée though, too strong, uni was awesomely sweet
[Nigiri Sushi Assortment (+$ 10 supp) — wasn’t impressed last time, skipped this]
–Yuzu Sorbet — probably the strongest yuzu flavor I’ve ever had, slightly bitter aftertaste reminded me of kumquat, delicious
–Green Tea Tiramisu — a bit runny as well but loved the matcha powder on top, cold cream in between the ladyfingers, and super cold ice cream in between that
Also tried:
–Chocolate Soufflé with vanilla ice cream and raspberry sauce — a bit runny as well, good quality chocolate though, looked much better than it tasted, i tried this
Total came out to $ 60/​pp after everything

If you see a table of drunk Japanese businessmen likely to spill their liquor all over you, do not hesitate to sit right next to them. Signs include spirited jabbering and red complexions. I’ve eaten at Lan a couple times, but the last time, I had the fortune of winning a lapful of sake. While the spiller himself was annoyingly unapologetic, our waitress took notice and brought us free appetizers! Coincidentally or not, the appetizers she brought us were little jars of the handmade tofu steamed with sea urchin and shimeji mushroom sauce, which I had vocally expressed interest in before deciding to skip on appetizers. I was so pleased with the creamy dessert-​like tofu that all thoughts of my rude neighbors evaporated like the alcohol on my person.
Otherwise, I have only tried the sushi, and with good reason — the sushi is delicious. Fresh and unadorned with that melt-​in-​your-​mouth quality I crave, it’s one of my favorite meals in this area.
The service, as alluded to earlier, is sublime, and the atmosphere is quietly luxe with dark lighting and understated décor. The green tea is soothing and endlessly refilled. Lan is a little on the pricey side, which means that despite its excellence and convenient-​for-​me location, I’ve only managed to go on a couple occasions. I will be back for more, though, no doubt.

I have a confession to make, I am not a huge fan of Sushi at all. I am aware that this makes me a terrible human being, and I should most likely be mocked, criticized, shunned, and outright banned from Unilocal!
Having said that I am sure you are thinking «why the hell should I waste the next few minutes of my life reading this?» Excellent question! To put it bluntly I am an avid fan of beef, sake, and Japanese food that isn’t Sushi. So I generally report on menu items that most people might find «mundane».
My friend, who does love sushi, wanted to come here the other night so we stopped in. My «mundane» selections were the «Japanese style organic chicken soup» and the «sliced rib eye steak over saffron rice». The soup was very nice, the broth was crisp and the chicken was very tender. I of course enjoyed it so much I consumed it too fast and burnt my tongue, but I that really didn’t stop me from devouring it in record time. I have to admit I had no idea that sliced rib eye could be so good. It had a nice taste to it, almost like it had a bit of wasabi on it, as the flavor built up upon continued consumption. At the end I had a pleasant little spicy sniffle going for myself. The meat was cooked to perfection, very tender, and had almost no discernible gristle. The rice was well done and flavored to complement the meat.
I was pleasantly surprised that they brought out real knifes and forks to use, which of course I gladly used.
We did have some sake, fortunately they do have a few unfiltered bottles on the menu. The only odd thing about it was that they served the sake in champagne flutes. I have never before had sake served to me in such a way, and at first was a bit taken aback. Yet I quickly got my priorities straightened out and realized any container that helps me get the sake, efficiently, from the bottle into my body is just fine by me! Also helps that the sake was quite tasty.
The ambiance is really nice and laid back. The tables are not too small and are well spaced out. The service was attentive and our waitress was quite funny and engaging.
Overall I think this place rocks and will definitely be back. If you love sushi and have a friend who doesn’t then put this one at the top of your list of places to go as both parties wlll be quite happy.

I pride myself on being a real «in the know» foodie, especially when it comes to Manhattan restaurants. So, when my friend implored me to visit the never before heard of LAN, I was a bit disappointed in myself… How did this amazing Japanese place exist without me ever hearing about it?! I missed out on such great food for all these years. It is just sad, sad I tell you…
Ok, enough of the whining, let’s get down to it. LAN just blew me away. The dark dining area and bar have a very rustic feel, making the place feel very romantic, whether you are staring into the eyes of your date or gaping at your cup of foie gras custard. The action-​packed sushi bar illuminates the space and draws your attention to the talented slicer and dicers. The prices are reasonable, and the service is stellar.
However, the best feature of LAN is their $ 58 tasting menu. You will be blown away by the amount of food you will receive at such a great price. The first course of the menu is a cup of Homemade Tofu topped with Sea Urchin and Caviar. Each layer provided a new flavor, but grab a spoonful of all three and the salty-​rich combination will melt in your mouth. Next, you will receive a plate of fresh Sashimi, such as Blue Fin Oh Toro, Botan (raw!) Shrimp, and Japanese Sea Bream. Each piece of crisp, cool fish provides a straight from the ocean flavor. Now comes the best course of the meal — Miso Infused Foie Gras & Duck Miso Atop Simmered Daikon. The two jumbo foie gras slices are draped over the large radish, which is laying in a shallow miso broth. The miso is a great compliment to the foie gras, and the daikon adds a crisp, bitter contrast to the decadence. The next course consists of a Smoked Tasmanian Trout fillet sauteed with a Japanese Tea broth. The fish is moist and tender. The tea adds a lovely aroma and fragrance to an otherwise mildly interesting dish.
For the main course, you can no longer float about on the succulent gifts from the chef. You are now forced to choose between the savory Veal Cheek Simmered in Miso and Red Wine and the Nigri Sushi Assortment. Luckily, my friend opted for the Veal Cheek, while I decided on the sushi, giving us a sampling of each. The veal is so moist, it seems braised. The sauce is rich and adds powerful flavors to the meat. The sushi assortment is a platter of fresh seafood, such as toro, uni, salmon, and more. I was speechlessly content.
Dessert options include a Yuzu Sorbet or a Chocolate Soufflé. Obviously, I chose the soufflé, which turned out a bit dry. The accompanying Vanilla Ice Cream was pretty standard; a Vanilla Bean one would have been a better option. However, the Raspberry Sauce adds the necessary sweetness and gooey texture that are otherwise missing.
Overall, LAN is a great experience. The food is total indulgence, so I recommend the tasting menu.

Low lighting, creative dishes and beverages, and of course the wonderful Miss Karen makes Lan a keeper. Here I had some of the edamame — which came out hot and salty, as well as the zen plate — an assortment of the day’s best vegetarian sushi. The chef really outdid himself, and I have NEVER had such satisfyingly delicious vegetarian sushi in my life!
Finally, got a trio of desserts in order to try them each — and the green tea cheesecake, chestnut rice pudding, and pear compote thingummy were each delish. I think the green tea cheesecake was my favorite, with very good strong Japanese green tea flavor.
It’s a bit pricey, but not overbearingly so — but be sure to come here for a casual but romantic and tasty experience.

We came in here by accident to discover that this place has «real» sushi. I use the world «real» interchangeably with «great» because as a person who buys sushi from on campus restaurants or amateur japanese places, I was amazed by how good their food was here. Their waitstaff was very attentive and very courteous. Always a plus!

Wandering around one evening in the East Village, B and I were hungry and in the mood for sushi… B suggested Lan. I didn’t even know they had sushi there! It’s one of those places I’ve seen and passed by a hundred times and just never bothered to walk into nor check out online. Not sure why…
We entered the dimly lit, wide open restaurant… from the looks of this place, I didnt’ really know what to expect. Given that I am admittedly a bit of a sushi snob, I figured I’d be having an average meal here… nothing great. But lo and behold! Lan was quite good… actually a pretty good spot for Japanese /​Asian fusion food (note that it’s not totally an authentic all-​Japanese menu)! Should’ve known all along that B wouldn’t lead me astray.
I probably would order more of the non-​sushi items here next time… and there is plenty to choose from in the menu (incl even a steak section). Sushi was good too though… fresh and generous pieces. I ordered the foie gras chawan-​mushi, which was delicious. Also had one of their petit bowls… the one with sea urchin, salmon caviar & tuna… awesome combo… really liked it. I also noticed a bunch of other interesting items on the menu… i.e., sea urchin scrambled eggs, hand made steamed tofu with sea urchin mushroom sauce, berkshire pork cheeks, etc. Also would love to check out their shabu shabu given how rare it is to find shabu shabu around here (esp japanese wagyu beef shabu shabu! but a hefty $ 68 for that!)… and since I noticed a few Japanese people eating it here.
The service was friendly, though our waiter (who looked like a teenager fresh out of high school) knew shit about sake. But he made up for it by complimenting my bag. Ha! How easily I’m won over. The prices were reasonable for the quality of the food and the place offers a nice quiet, casual but nice atmosphere. I’m definitely planning on coming back and checking out more of their menu.

Carrot Purée topped with Sea Urchin and Sturgeon Caviar
Duck Pâté with Sancho Pepper Miso
Crispy Warm Red Snapper Sashimi
Kobe Beef Shabu Shabu with Baby Arugula and Sesame Dressing
Miso Foie Gras and Duck Simmered Daikon
Broiled Black Cod with Miso Foam
Yuzu Sherbet
Chocolate Soufflé, Raspberry Sauce, Vanilla Ice Cream
This is *not* the menu. This is what I ate last night. All of it. Yes.
9 courses, $ 58.
Each dish was AMAZING.
Now all I need is a wafer thin mint…

I actually stumbled upon this place based on other Unilocal reviews and can I just give you guys a great big thank you?! Everything about Lan was superb from the extremely polite and knowledgeable staff and beautiful décor to… the… FOOD! We ended up ordering the dumplings and seared Red Snapper sashimi for starters (and I could have ordered 8 more); Shabu Shabu for the 3 of us for our main course — we got one order of the pork belly and two of the prime rib — and based on all the other reviews insisting we try the dessert, well how could we say no? We split the sake-​infused crème brûlée and of course, the green tea tiramisu. It was crazy good. All of it.
Not only does the food melt in your mouth, but the experience itself is half the fun. I will definitely be back to try the miso-​infused black cod and for another one of those green tea tiramisus (at least next time I know to get one to myself!) and would fully recommend this place for a date (I’m currently taking offers) or a night out with friends or family. They really do get everything right.

Delectable Japanese Steak House
The owner had everything right when he named LAN after the Japanese word for Orchid. This place is truly like a flower blooming in the spring!
The shabu shabu is perfect. The sea urchin is frighteningly amazing, loved the pâté, and will definitely be back for the seared steak tar tare. Even their rendition of Calf liver did not make me sick. I was pleasantly surprised!
This is one of those places that you should bookmark especially if you have Japanese clients, friends, or relatives. Very authentic and definitely from the heart.
Still can’t remember what sake I had but the bartendress did an excellent job choosing my drinks for me. I could have finished off the entire bottle! YUM!
Date Rating: 8
Pick up scale: 3
Strong Suggestions: Don’t forget to save room for dessert. I didn’t and I was sorry!!! I hear their Green Tea Tiramisu is delish!
**If you’re dining alone this is also a great spot since they have a beautiful bar with a full dinner menu.