Yummy and attractive are the two words I would use to describe this place. This place has a bit of a retro feel and it opens late if you're a late eater. They have all the Japanese classics here like omurice and curry so I was enticed! We came with a party of 6 and got a few items to share! My favorite honestly is the mentaiko pasta and the omurice. The mentaiko pasta is so creamy and flavorful and the omurice is soooo fluffy. I was really happy about that. The katsu on the curry was so crispy and made to perfection along with the crispy calamari on the side! The truffle fries were just as good as McDonalds just with some truffle flavor but I would say they aren't bad at all! Everything we got was really good and they accommodated our large party of 6 last minute so it's a win win for me! Just be careful if you're eating the croquettes it's really ho

Great food and service. We stopped by during 4th of July weekend and wetquickly seated. We got a few apps along with katsu sando. Everything was delicious, king oyster mushrooms were really delicate, agedashi tofu was good, the crab cream croquettes (so good and creamy especially when dipped in the sauce provided). Food came out quickly and was a great experience overall.

Yummy food and quick service! Prices are a bit high, but the ambiance is cosy and comfortable.

Food was so good! I ordered the Mentaiko pasta. It was good but kind of heavy and creamy. Almost chunky. The bacon potato salad that came in the side dish was okay, it was just pieces of cooked (soft) bacon slices in Japanese style potato salad. We went Saturday night and it was a little empty but still some people there. I think the curry may be one of the best ones I've had in a while. King oyster mushroom is also sooo good (buttery, creamy and melts in your mouth) but $15 is out of my price range for some mushrooms.

We love this place! We normally get the tonkatsu and the curry teishoku. The little side dishes are so cute, always tasty, and it includes a dessert too. The space is really nice for hanging out, the staff is so nice, and food always comes fast with no issues. Even the shredded cabbage is so tasty, it comes with a nice sesame dressing. The happy hour drinks are a steal at $6.

Solid restaurant in my opinion! There was no wait on a Sunday afternoon, and they were very accommodating about last calls from the kitchen during their midday break. I was debating between the Mentaiko Pasta and Omurice. Asked the waitress for her opinion, and she suggested the Omurice since it's their most popular item. The egg was light and fluffy, and perfectly cooked! It was soft and jiggly in the middle, just like how you would expect from viral videos:-) My only qualm was that the demi glacé was on the saltier side. It was also a tad sweet, so would be perfect if you're the type of person who likes some sweetness in your food. I really want to try the Mentaiko Patsa next-- my friend had it and it looked to die for. The service overall was very friendly and attentive! I also thought the restaurant had a great vibe and was decorated so nicely. Definitely a calm and welcoming spot!

Came here on a weekday lunch date. You might miss the restaurant since it is downstairs. We were greeted quickly. The ambiance gives me a cafe/diner vibe. We ordered truffle fries, curry with pork katsu, and lunch combo of ebi sando + green tea. The truffle fries were seasoned well but the texture, in my opinion, was a bit rough. The ebi sando was very filling with the mayo and lettuce. They actually refill the green tea, which was great and unexpected. We had to add pork katsu to the curry since it wasn't a meal option. The pork katsu was crispy and cooked well. The curry came with a few sides and miso soup, which was a bit salty. Would like to come back and try the mentaiko pasta and omurice.

This is the spot for cozy, good Japanese food! I love their Truffle Nori fries and Mentaiko Pasta. Their Omurice and Sandos are also really good. The restaurant can be easy to miss since it is down a flight of stairs. The interior is laid back and comforting. There is a ceiling of flowers, an area with vinyl records and a couch. The staff are friendly and food comes out super fast. The portions are quite filling so you can even skip appetizers and just get one entree. The Mentaiko Pasta is creamy and slightly spicy. They do not skimp on the mentaiko which is salted pollack roe. The Truffle Nori fries are crispy and savory. Each fry has nori seasoning and is coated so well. Between the katsu sando and the ebi sando, I recommend the ebi sando - it is light and crispy. The omurice slices open perfectly and has a slightly sour demi glacé which makes each bite very addicting.

I forgot how I first heard about AOI but it's been on my list for a while, and I finally had the chance to come by for a late dinner last week with some friends. We had a reservation so we got seated immediately, and when we came around 8pm on a Friday it was still pretty busy - most tables were occupied - so having a res is probably best. I adored the cosy, intimate bar/cafe vibes of this place - the decor was lovely, all the way from the elegant tableware and the iconic table lamps and the beautiful floral display on the ceiling. The light music selection and dim lighting (annoying for photos lol but excellent ambience) really set the scene nicely; I feel like it could moonlight as an underground jazz bar or something lol The four of us ordered a bunch to share: - ebi sando: a good starter for us. the shrimp was so flavourful and soft, and I loved how well the spicy mayo and tartar sauce went with the lovely japanese bread (not quite the milky bread but close. It was rather expensive for the size, but I suppose that's NYC for you - omurice w/ tonkatsu: the tonkatsu was lovely - tender and juicy pork with a well-fried crispy edge. the egg was also very nicely cooked and presented (it was fun to cut it open ourselves haha. the curry I found to be less savoury that I'm used to, and had a much stronger sweet (?) and sliiiightly spicy undertone to it; it wasn't bad by any means but not sure if I'm the biggest fan of it - loco moco: the hamburg steak was OK, if not a little bland. most, if not all, of the flavour basically came from the curry (same comment about the sweet/spicy-ness as above, too). Nothing glaringly bad, but I'm not sure that it was worth the $22 -mentaiko pasta: delicious! i loved the savoury flavours of the mentaiko mixed with the creamy sauce. the noodles were well-cooked, and it was (as promised!) actually unexpectedly spicy, esp for japanese food lol - the teishoku sides were a mixed bag. I liked the bacon potato salad a lot, but that's just because I love potatoes (there was nothing really special about it). the hiyayakko tofu was rather bland, and the two veggies were just as meh, the "dessert of the day" (a small bite of cake topped with cream and a strawberry) was not great; cake was dry and unflavourful, and the strawberry was hard to chewy and sour Overall the amount of food we ordered was just right for the 4 of us, and the price point wasn't too bad! (mid 30s including tax/tip) I feel like maybe the teishoku set sides were quite overrated, esp for the price, and could be skipped next time, but overall I was pretty pleased with how yummy all the mains were.

Food (3/5) - I have only seen omurice in pictures and have been dying to try one for the longest time. This was pretty well executed - runny in the middle and solid on the outside, the sausage fried rice was nice and light, the sauce is sweet and salty, was a little too salty for me. Miso soup that came with it was fine. Also got the nori fries - they're shoestring fries (which is my favourite type of fry) and the seasoning was good, wish the seasoning to fry ratio could've been higher! Price (4/5) - Fine for the area, 20-25 for mains, 10-15 for sides. Portions were fair. Ambiance and service (4/5) - Could get a table pretty quickly, though the area was full. Service was pretty prompt generally and staff were quite nice, refilled our waters pretty frequently.