Japanese restaurant known for street-food-style fare & inexpensive beer, along with flashy decor.
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Kenka Japanese restaurant – East Village, New York, NY
Kenka is a famous Japanese restaurant located in East Village, New York City.
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Kenka · No sé si notan movimientos involuntarios en mi comida. Estoy en un restaurante auténtico Japones · Photo by Stella Chen in Kenka.
Kenka | Manhattan – New York City Tourism + Conventions
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Reviews
Adam Zdeb
Amazing authentic Japanese eatery, all the food was cheap and tasty, our favorites were the pork belly yakitori and tonkatsu kimchi. We did try some delicious home made Japanese sodas peach was our favorite. Once we got the bill the waiter brought us 2 mini cups with flavored sugar. We did not what it was for so he told us there is a cotton candy machine outside where everyone can make their own desert. That was a cool touch. Best time to come is when they are opening at 5 if you don’t want to wait. If you come later be prepared because this place gets packed.
… morekevin pizha
genuinely i’ve been going here for a good while don’t get me wrong the food is amazing tastes amazing & cheap but the one problem i always get is when the lack of service is bad. like yes it’s always packed like yes we always have to wait i understand that but when it comes to serving food & taking orders that’s a whole different story everytime. this time me & 2 friends of mine order 2 french fries with other dishes of food our other dishes of food came but not our french fries we waited & waited & even ate our other order. after we finished we asked to pay the bill but we told them we didn’t get our french fries so we asked nicely to please remove it from the bill & so we paid & we sat for 5 mins & our waiter who probably came back from taking a 30 minute break literally gave us our fries but we told them we already took it out the bill & they gave us a mean look genuinely they need to fix the service like literally
… morepork rinds
food is always on point. sure theres a bit of a wait but thats usually because of how busy it is. but thats a small thing compared to the great food and its great on your pockets too. sake menu is bananas. order a shot or a bottle. dry, sweet. theyre all good. just remember, some dishes have a lot of ketchup. ask for it to be on the side.
… moreNitiphum S.
Kenka – A must-visit Japanese Izakaya on St. Mark’s!
I love this place and always bring my friends and family here — everyone I’ve taken has loved it, and it’s never once disappointed. The food, flavors, prices, and overall vibe are spot-on.
The restaurant opens at 5 PM, and it gets very busy fast, so make sure to come early and write your name down. It’s a first-come, first-served system. The interior has a gritty, authentic Japanese street-style izakaya vibe — not in a basement, but it feels like a tucked-away Tokyo spot.
The menu is mostly photos and can be a bit tricky to understand, especially for first-timers, so take your time when ordering.
We started with two pitchers of beer — grapefruit and peach flavors — at only $13 per pitcher, which is such a great deal.
We ordered a bunch of dishes:
• Tako Wasabi
• Japanese Sausages
• Japanese Pancake
• Takoyaki
• Fried Squid
• Raw Salmon Sashimi
• Grilled Salmon
• Mentaiko Onigiri
Everything was super tasty, and most dishes range from just $3 to $8 — great portions, great prices. This is a place that’s best enjoyed with a group — it’s fun, flavorful, and full of energy.
The staff and kitchen crew are all Japanese, which adds to the authentic feel. One tip: order everything at once, because the second round of orders can take a while to come out. The only downside is the restroom — it’s not super convenient, but it’s usable.
Overall, Kenka is an awesome izakaya experience in NYC. Highly recommend — don’t miss it!
… moreI love this place and always bring my friends and family here — everyone I’ve taken has loved it, and it’s never once disappointed. The food, flavors, prices, and overall vibe are spot-on.
The restaurant opens at 5 PM, and it gets very busy fast, so make sure to come early and write your name down. It’s a first-come, first-served system. The interior has a gritty, authentic Japanese street-style izakaya vibe — not in a basement, but it feels like a tucked-away Tokyo spot.
The menu is mostly photos and can be a bit tricky to understand, especially for first-timers, so take your time when ordering.
We started with two pitchers of beer — grapefruit and peach flavors — at only $13 per pitcher, which is such a great deal.
We ordered a bunch of dishes:
• Tako Wasabi
• Japanese Sausages
• Japanese Pancake
• Takoyaki
• Fried Squid
• Raw Salmon Sashimi
• Grilled Salmon
• Mentaiko Onigiri
Everything was super tasty, and most dishes range from just $3 to $8 — great portions, great prices. This is a place that’s best enjoyed with a group — it’s fun, flavorful, and full of energy.
The staff and kitchen crew are all Japanese, which adds to the authentic feel. One tip: order everything at once, because the second round of orders can take a while to come out. The only downside is the restroom — it’s not super convenient, but it’s usable.
Overall, Kenka is an awesome izakaya experience in NYC. Highly recommend — don’t miss it!
Hana Ismail
Absolutely loved it. Went thursday night and there was a huge line out the door. They take your name and the number of people in your party and the line moved rather quickly and we got inside.
I got the agedashi tofu and it was heavenly. The tofu’s seared on the outside but it was also cooked all the way through and was very soft and hot on the inside.
I also ate the edamame which i liked very much and my friend got the udon noodles with chicken and said they were great as well.
Staff was very nice and food arrived quickly. I wouldn’t go on a thursday night again though because it was packed and really loud but that’s not the establishment’s fault.
… moreI got the agedashi tofu and it was heavenly. The tofu’s seared on the outside but it was also cooked all the way through and was very soft and hot on the inside.
I also ate the edamame which i liked very much and my friend got the udon noodles with chicken and said they were great as well.
Staff was very nice and food arrived quickly. I wouldn’t go on a thursday night again though because it was packed and really loud but that’s not the establishment’s fault.
Brittnie Truong
The worst customer service I have ever experienced. I went to Kenka with my boyfriend with the intention of getting light bites and a few drinks. We got seated almost immediately after we entered. After taking a look at the menu, we began to look for a server. In the next 30-35 minutes, not a single server came over to take our order. They didn’t even offer us water. I tried multiple times to flag down a server and made eye contact with a few but was ignored. All the while, we saw the servers take orders from tables that were seated after us. I noticed that they ignore smaller parties in favor of the larger tables. Most likely because they assume that the tip will not amount to as much. After almost 40 minutes, we got up and left. Luckily, there was a spot down the block called Yakitori Taisho that had extremely fast service and excellent food. Go there instead!!
… moreAnthony Apichart Meredith
Fun spot with great vibes! The food was solid—especially the karaage and yakisoba. Service was quick and friendly, and the prices are really affordable for the area. Loved the playful atmosphere and the cotton candy machine at the end. Great place to go with friends!
… moreKatie Nemergut
Unique dining experience with great Japanese bites. We shared the seaweed salad, edamame, and pork dumplings which were all delicious. I got the cold udon noodles which were super refreshing on a hot day. After paying you receive the sugar for the cotton candy machine outside, which makes the eclectic experience.
… moreChotiros Setsirichot
If you’re looking for a restaurant to chill at and chat with friends after work, this place is perfect. I ordered grapefruit and peach beers to enjoy with my friends. As for the snacks, I ordered a lot, but my favorite was the tako wasabi — great for snacking on while sipping beer and chatting. To finish off, the restaurant has a fun gimmick: a cotton candy machine you can play with and make your own dessert. The atmosphere is really nice too. I’ll definitely come back when I get the chance.
… moreWendy Zhou
A classic spot and one of the more unique on St. Marks. Expect a line, but it does move fast – luckily they’ve cleared some space to wait inside due to the cold. The prices are great and so are the vibes, and being cramped and loud and sitting on slightly uncomfortable seats is part of the vibes. The menu (both food and drink) is huge and diverse. Perfect for a pregame before a night out in EV! My parents liked it too lol.
… more