Asian Station’s Happy Hour is Cheap, But Empty

If you like to eat, chances are you like to drink (read: a lot of you are freakin’ lushes), so I thought maybe it was time to introduce a happy hour column to the site. Every week, our Happy Hour Correspondent “Mamacita” will post about a different bar in Midtown that fits the Midtown Lunch mentality: unhealthy food, not lame (unless it’s lame in a cool way), and most importantly… cheap.

Asian Station was first called out on Midtown Lunch for having too many cuisines on one menu: Japanese, Thai, Malaysian and the inevitable Chinese food. However, it turned out that it was better than we expected. I stopped by recently to see what was new and I am sad to report that the 3 sushi roll lunch for $10 has increased by a buck and you now only get a choice of soup or salad, not both. On the other hand, I was drawn in by their inexpensive Happy Hour.

From 4 to 8pm you can satisfy your thirst with 50% off beer, sake, sake-cocktails, and wine. The décor is what you’d expect: hip and modern. There’s neon blue back lighting to the bar, sushi chefs milling around looking like they can sashimi any fish in the sea, and cute young hostesses that are eager to seat you and offer you a sake-tini. However there was one problem…


Yogi Berra once said, “ Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowed.” That is not a problem at Asian Station. There was only one person in the place for their happy hour at 6pm when I visited. Maybe more advertisement via word of mouth needs to occur? Maybe what is a nice lunch is not a dinner destination? Maybe they had an off day and that the bar gets busy later in the night?

The service is very friendly, and the space has potential for happy hour meet ups. With prices as low as $2.50 for a Sapporo or Kirin and under $4 for a large sake, you really can’t complain. The bar is as small as Chef Yu, but I found the drinks are a better deal.

Asian Station’s happy hour has so much promise for a date night or a group outing, however on this lonely afternoon I found my self finishing my drink and heading out for a more social bar where I could run into some friends.

The  + (What people who like this place would say)

  • Good food, friendly service, chic décor
  • I like places that are cheap, and aren’t too crowded.
  • Excellent happy hour pricing
  • Would make a nice date or coworker happy hour location

The – (What people who don’t like this place would say)

  • If you are flying solo this isn’t the place to socialize
  • Asian Station is a restaurant not a bar
  • I can hear crickets and see tumbleweeds

Asian Station, 155 E. 52nd (btw. Park+Lex), 212-421-2294

2 Comments

  • i think most people associate this place as a quick and cheap lunch take out place(or eat in)…so kinda hard to look at it as a hip place to hang out after work…but for $2.50 a bottle of beer, i am down to that…if someone can hire me a night time nanny.

  • i met a friend last week at this place for $2.50 bottles of sapporo…great deal for beers in midtown, but like the review says, the place is so dead you could hear crickets. maybe 3 customers wandered in during the 2 hours we were there. even the waiters/ waitresses stood around bored and talked amongst themselves the whole nite. suggestion: come here to get your drink on for 2 or 3 beers, then go to a real bar after where you can enjoy the company of people…

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