Why Come Here? Cool vibe, inventive American-friendly Izakaya fare, date night, dinner with friends
Right Amount for 2? Six small plates
Cherry Izakaya is a swanky newish spot from the team behind Bond St. and Cherry at the Dream Hotel. It’s located smack in the middle of the hottest part of Williamsburg, on N 8th Street between Bedford and Berry. Normally, this level of coolness doesn’t translate to the kind of dining experience I seek out. But Cherry offers up a creative and all-around solid small plates menu and cocktail list that make it a great for starting a night out in the ‘burg or a casual date night meal.
While the signage for Cherry is easy to miss, the large window looking into a wooden and gold circled bar is not. This first floor bar is a sexy spot to grab a drink from the impressive cocktail menu or one of their sakes, available by the “can” which is really a poptop glass (see above). Up a flight of stairs on the mezzanine lies the main dining area which feels like something that would be in whatever the Williamsburg of Tokyo is. Think lots of dark wood, dim lighting and wall paper that combines Imperial Japan with anime. Hidden up another half flight of stairs up is a closed off lofted dining area for those still unwilling to be spotted dining in Brooklyn.
The food is Izakaya style, which is basically to say Japanese tapas. However, don’t expect a traditional Izakaya with Octopus balls, fermented fish or other dishes that require a few years in the Land of the Rising Sun to “appreciate.” The menu at Cherry is built to suit the American palate, but it does so with creative fusion dishes instead of by dumbing down the classics. The gyoza (dumpling) section was excellent and you should be sure to order a couple dishes from here. Ditto for the Zensai (hot & cold small plates). The skewers, salads, ramen and larger plates all had some strong sounding offerings as well. Basically there’s something to please anyone who remotely enjoys Japanese food.
Also noteworthy was the pacing of the meal, which was absolutely perfect. Dishes came out one at a time with no overly long waits in between. Sadly I can’t even remember the last time that happened with small plates in New York.
Here’s what we tried:
Foie Gras Short Rib Gyoza 
This is the must order dish at Cherry. All the gyozas here are phenomenal with light, slightly crispy skins. But the rich flavor inside matched with the sake glaze and sour cherries makes this one the winner.
Tuna Tarts 
White truffle oil is pretty much guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser. Sprinkled on two thinly sliced pieces of raw tuna on a thin wafer spread with creamy ponzu, it doesn’t disappoint.
Tuna Crispy Rice 
The top layer is kind of a tuna tartar mixed with chili mayo and topped with a jalapeno. I enjoyed the texture of it over the crispy rice, which reminded me of a non-sweet rice crispy treat.
Shiitake Confit Gyoza Like I said, the gyoza wrappers here are top notch. The shiitake confit comes with some onion chili puree, but the mushroom flavor definitely dominates this one.
Sushi Cherry may not be a top tier sushi place, but all their fish is fresh, enjoyable and probably at least as good as your favorite delivery spot. We tried the Big Eye Tuna, Seared Salmon Belly, Uni and a Yellowtail roll. All good, but I’d be most likely to order the roll again.
Cherry Izakaya
138 N 8th Street (Bedford & Berry Sts.)
Brooklyn, NY
