Karasu

Karasu is good. It's located within Walter's in which you have to walk through the little diner to an inconspicuous location in the back. (10/10 on creativity it's a total 180 in concept)

We ordered:

1. Shishito Peppers: Love! Surprised as to how large the serving was, and they were roasted to perfection
2. Roasted Sweet Potato: Highlight here was the niso butter, but would save your money because spending $14 on a normal roasted sweet potato is honestly highway robbery
3. Karaage: Good, but not great. Not the worst, but not the best. Would I get it again if I visited? Maybe? Uncertain but I don't regret it
4. Tonkatsu: Similar to karaage; not the worst, but no the best. It was good.

Overall, it's a solid place to eat, and I do love the vibe. Four stars given that I've had much better elsewhere.

You know you have places that you just keep going back to, because it's comfortable, homie, and makes you feel good every time you leave? Thanks Karasu, such a hidden gem behind Walters. First off, the staff is so sweet, every person that works there including the chef is beyond accommodating and caring. The ambiance is so cute, not so small you feel like your sitting on top of each other, which i like a lot compared to some other speakeasies. The food is incredible, I have literally had everything on the menu. I used to be obsessed with their chicory salad, which isn't on the menu anymore but i can forgive them because everything else is amazing. The the Kaarage chicken is a CAN'T MISS. Crispy, juicy, perfectly fried. The Steak is actually one of the best steaks i've had in the city, so i highly suggest to get it and share it with your party.

I have been back at least 8 times....I know, i have a problem lol :) But it's delicious so go try it!

This speakeasy restaurant is hidden at the end of the hallway at Walter's so it can be difficult to find. The space is somewhat small but the ambience is quite nice and feels like a good date spot. In terms of service, everyone was nice but the food did take some time to come out.

The oysters and the katsu sandwich on the happy hour menu were great and reasonably priced. That said, I was highly disappointed with the Ikura Don dish. It was mostly rice with a drizzle of soy sauce and very few pieces of raw salmon. It felt a bit salty at times and was honestly way too overpriced for what it was. The karaage was tasty but again felt overpriced for the portion.

Overall, the food and atmosphere were great but I don't think I would return for the food. It just didn't feel worth it for the high price point. That said, I may return for the happy hour menu and drinks.

Came here for dinner on a Sunday night and enjoyed the quiet, cool atmosphere it had, very laid back. The food itself was very good and definitely worth checking out.

The wagu beef special looked like puppy chow, but in general the food, staff, and ambience are exquisite. Would definitely go back again.

Secret-y speakeasy in the back of a bustling Americana restaurant? Interesting!

The room is pretty dark (and loud) but I found it really elegant- the decor was really nice (think Japanese izakaya but art deco-y.) Vibes gave me the sense it would be a good place for an intimate dinner or nice date.

We were there for a casual double date- our party of 4 was promptly seated (we had made a reservation via Resy ahead of time, which was definitely a good idea.)

The drinks: STRONG AND DELICIOUS COCKTAILS- 5 stars for the creativeness, deliciousness and awesomeness of their drinks! Check out the White Lotus, Olive Branch, Umeshu Tonic.

The food: Pretty good- we had a vegetarian guest so we got a lot of vegetable heavy dishes (grilled shishito peppers, a nice chicories focused salad, Maitake udon) to share. All were very good! For omnivores, recommend the karaage (fried chicken)!

The service: Friendly! Our server was very knowledgeable about each dish (we had a few questions as our friends were vegetarian and we wanted to makes sure about our orders) and took the time to explain. If you don't know, ask- they will gladly inform you.

They seem to have some seasonal specials (they had a cold noodle dish when we went) so interested to see what they have in the other seasons.

Meh, nothing too special. Would I come back? Probably not, but the ambience is nice and the whole speakeasy thing is cool....maybe for drinks.

My friend and I split the udon and the steak; the udon was vegetarian and kinda reminded me of pizza without tasting like pizza. I didn't hate it but I also didn't love it. The steak was also just ok, which was disappointing. I've had $100 steak before, and this one just wasn't worth the price tag. I don't mind blowing money on food, but I didn't love anything I ate that night.

I will say though, the service was good and they were really polite when my friend and I were running late. We appreciated that they called us asking how late we'd be rather than cancelling + charging the cancellation fee.

3.5. Hmm it was fine. Tbh I was slightly disappointed by the environment - it was smaller than expected but also didn't feel particularly intimate. Dark, but not really canoodling vibes. Different than what I expected from seeing pics. Another room behind a restaurant so sort of a speakeasy but not as cool as Banzabar (location wise in the restaurant). Mediocre drinks. Food was good/fine. I liked the karrage. Overall fine but I wouldn't have a strong inclination to come back.

We came here for my daughter's birthday. Ambiance was very nice. Food was great, we have the wagyu tartar, it was really good but needed a little more spice. Service was good, we could have used more attention from the waiter, and a bit more explanation on each dish as it came out.

Who doesn't love a restaurant within another restaurant? Friend recommended this gem and it was an amazing experience.

All the drinks were amazing and the small bites were delicious. I think personally if I were to come back I'd focus on the drinks and order a few sides.

hamachi - favorite small bite. extremely fresh fish
yaki imo - who doesn't like butter with sweet potato
tuna tataki - pretty normal tuna, nothing special.
chicories - delightful and crunchy lotus root.
sayoko's karaage - not the best but was satisfying. a bit too much batter and overcooked.
shishitos - yum. yuzu with some peppers
prime ribeye for two - the koji and tosazu sauce was amazing with the prime rib. prime rib done extremely well

fun speakeasy bar in the back of Walter's. we got the Always Sunny and the Sabrosa - both drinks were strong and the bartender was extremely nice. the ambiance made it a great spot for an intimate date. there was great decor as well!