Have you ever wondered where the Japanese go for an authentic meal that reminds them of home? Add to that the allure of reasonable prices and you’ll immediately find Chikubu fits the bill. Most restaurants in the midtown area of New York City are either fast food style pizza or deli places, or restaurants with high prices geared towards the business lunch. Chikubu is a wonderful exception.
Once inside the restaurant, you will be greeted by a kimono-clad Japanese older woman. In the entry foyer, there is a counter with small trays of plastic food depicting the various set meals. The main dining room is straight ahead, a narrow space that takes you on a short trip to Japan. Try to arrive early, 12:30pm or earlier for lunch, to avoid having to wait for a table. This place is very popular and fills up quickly. Usually by 1pm, there is a crowd waiting in the foyer. My friend and I once sat at the table by the entrance, but did not feel cramped or watched by the waiting crowd. The main dining room is separated from the entry foyer.
I like the simplicity of the menu, on one page with just enough variety. Most entrees come with side dishes, soup and rice. They even have Japanese style hamburger, a beef patty with steak sauce on top, without the bun. I usually order the sashimi lunch. Artfully placed on a small tray, there is dark miso soup with seaweed and tofu (extremely good, not the watery kind you get in some restaurants), a small selection of sashimi, a small dish each of marinated kelp and dried mackerel, and cabbage, and a bowl of rice. The sashimi is always extremely fresh and of top quality. Large slices of yellowtail, tuna, and squid fill the plate. There are also two small slices of the fat belly of the yellowtail. The tuna tasted almost as good as toro.
The presentation is beautiful, with nice plates sitting on a lacquer tray. Even the waiter who delivers the tray has an art of softly placing it on your table. Sometimes, I order the Nabeyaki Udon, which comes in a large cast iron pot with rice on the side. The udon is cooked just right, chewy texture, and the broth is homemade. The Unagi don (grilled eel over rice) is also very good.
The service here is very good. The Japanese women here take care to fill your tea cup and flash a friendly smile. The clientele is mostly Asian, with quite a number of Japanese customers. The sashimi is $15, and the Udon is $12, very reasonable prices for the high quality of ingredients used. Even though the crowd builds up outside, you never feel rushed.