First Look (And Taste) at Dainobu Japanese Deli
Dainobu, the new Japanese bento place/grocery store on 47th btw. Lex+3rd, quietly opened a few weeks ago and it looks like they are going to be some serious competition for Cafe Zest (on the same block).
Taking a page from the Yagura playbook, Dainobu is half grocery store (with all kinds of wet and dry Japanese ingredients) and half lunch spot.
In the front they have pre-packaged sushi, bento boxes, rice balls, and more.
In the way back they have soups and curry, and plan on adding more hot prepared foods.
I wasn’t necessarily planning on eating anything until I spotted something pretty amazing…
A soft shelled crab sushi roll for $5.50!?! You know how I feel about soft shelled crab, and this is about as cheap as it gets for a roll that will run you close to $10 at some sushi restaurants. Putting aside the soft shelled crab (which was pretty good), the rice was surprisingly well made for pre-packaged sushi. Still not as good as fresh made sushi, but for the pre-packaged take-away stuff, Dainobu might be my new goto place. And the price is definitely right.
There was one misstep though… I got all excited when I saw one of the rice balls labeled “raw salmon”, thinking that finally somebody had made a rice ball with raw fish (they’re almost always made with cooked salmon or tuna). Unfortunately they forgot one important word… eggs. It was raw salmon eggs- which I don’t mind, in theory, but it was still kind of disappointing.
Either way, it was a fine first effort and I will definitely be returning to Dainobu.
Dainobu, 129 E 47th St (btw. Lex+3rd)
Posted: 10:00 am, January 6th, 2009 under 47th btw. Lex+3rd, Dainobu, Japanese.
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12 Comments
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Nice…need a new place to buy my sriracha sauce.
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Yums, I love this style of place… even though I don’t work in Midtown :P
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i like how it says miso soup three times on the front of the counter. They’re really pushing that miso.
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you’re supposed to say it three times fast in a mirror
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As long as it has Apple Gummy Candies …
“Every drop of fresh apple juice, carefully pressed from the reddest apples, shinning in colors of the cheeks of a snow-country child, is yours to enjoy in each soft and juicy Kasugai Apple Gummy”
… I’m all set.
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I’ve been a couple of times. It’s a great option to have in the neighborhood (especially for the groceries and $1.25 Hi Chew’s — cheaper than any I’ve found in the area).
I got the hot curry from the back of the store on my first visit and was underwhelmed. It doesn’t hold a candle to Yagura in my opinion. I went again today but with a co-worker. He got a rice ball that he wasn’t impressed with… not much filling, just a lot of rice. Still, the sushi is dirt cheap, so as long as they keep turning their stock over, it’s OK in my book!
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I think your blog was right on point. In fact, one of the best I’ve ever read on this site. BTW, you look amazing in your photo! This Naomi girl rocks!
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i am always looking for japanese places….luv to load up on japanese instant noodles and soup from the grocery part. :)
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Just went today. Very clean, very nice employees, and super cheap. Most of their candy is priced at $.98. Even Pocky which is at least $1.99 everywhere else.
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mmm mmm spicy tuna rice ball – and YES it is raw tuna, nicely spiced and well packed with filling. Not sure if I hit a freak accident or if it’s the motherload of all riceballs! Either way, can’t wait to tear into the dumplings and and finish off with a red bean cake!
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[...] point this week and I needed to try something really different. Luckily, Midtown Lunch did a feature on the new Japanese grocery and lunch place, Dainobu. I decided I would score an inexpensive [...]
This looks awesome. Someone needs to install one of these on the west side! by 8th ave!