House of Small Wonder
“It was nice getting away from all the noise of the city and being able to enjoy a secluded brunch surrounded by nature.”
“I had the Sashimi Zuke Don and mint lemonade while Le boyfriend had the Grilled Chicken Sandwich Plate.”
“The trees, plants and sunny skylights make it feel like you're eating in a little hobbit-hole or fairy house.”
House of Small Wonder
Take-out: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Unique brunch spot with a Japanese twist. Try the Rosemary latte! Beautiful interior.
I really have no words to describe this place except for the service was terrible. Rude hostess! When I brought my parents here for brunch, the hostess straight up implied that the place didn't welcome older people. Their discriminating attitude was appalling! I've never met such rude Japanese people until today wow!
Ive had this place bookmarked for the longest and finally stopped by here cos i was workin around the area.
First off, i was strollin up and down the block tryna find this spot.. Its very hidden in my opinion. I took a short video clip and uploaded jus so incase anyone else has trouble findin this gem.
Once inside, the place is small but super nice!!! There IS a tree growin in the middle of the restuarant lol but it kind of adds a great touch to it. As if ure eating in a treehouse!
The menu is verrry limited but i think theres pros and cons to it. Its not overwhelming and very straight to the point. I ordered the taco rice and after hearin the waitress explain what the apple cider shake was, i was sold.
Food and drink came. And let me tell u how amazing that taco rice was. Filled w flavor and i didnt even need to ask for sauces. I usually do when its not enough flavor. Definitely pop the egg so the yolk can soak thru the whole thang!!! And the drink, (mix it good) so so good.
Bathroom was clean, service was good, food was great and the interesting/cute interior definitely gives this place a solid 5 star.
Will definitely be back!!!
Loved it!
We happened to find this hidden gem on yelp. We surprisingly had great time over!
It's a small, cozy, sweet look Japanese restaurant. Loved it as soon as I went in. They have many choices for drinks, we had Japanese rice beer and cocktail Fizzy Pear.
My bf had the Japanese Hamburger steak, and I ordered the Tsukune Don comes with a small bowl of miso soup. Both of them were sooooo yummy!
I would give 5 starts if it's not CASH ONLY!
This place is more adorable than a puggle pushing puggle puppies in a stroller. It's more adorable than a toddler falling asleep while hugging a kitten. More adorable than a baby goat frolicking with a baby tiger (assuming the goat doesn't get eaten).
It's so adorable that I'm not even that mad about the mostly awful service we experienced last time.
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Interlude About The Mostly Awful Service Last Time:
Basically, after a lengthy discussion with the server about my friend's debilitating gluten allergy, they served her a sandwich on glutinous bread. Which meant that we had to send it back, which meant that everyone else's food just got cold as we waited for hers. Which really wouldn't have been a big deal, but an apology would've been nice.
Obviously, it's my friend's fault for developing a debilitating allergy that prevents her from having delicious gluten, but seriously, an apology would've been nice.
Interlude Over.
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It helps that this service seems to be the exception to the rule, and that beyond the adorable decor, they serve genuinely delicious and gorgeous plates of food. I would eat the Tsukune Don anytime, or even just stare at it for a while. The meatballs are obscenely tender, the soft egg explodes runny yolk all over everything, and I want to eat it all damn day.
See you next time, House of Small Wonder. And please don't try and kill my friend again, that wasn't cool.
If I lived in the burg', I could easily see myself becoming a regular here. It goes without saying that one of the most prominent features of House of Small Wonder is the ambiance. And by ambiance I mean there's an actual tree weaving its way throughout the restaurant. You feel like you've been transported to a magical forest filled with good food and pretty decor. (Dreams do come true.)
I went with my friend for lunch and I was immediately blown away by the space. There's so much to look at! However, the space is fairly small and gets crowded quickly. So expect a wait.
We both split two delicious dishes which I highly recommend getting.
Tsukune Don – an absolute must. It's a Japanese Chicken Meatball dish with teriyaki, nori, scallion, with a soft egg over rice. It's an incredibly flavorful dish that keeps you full without the heavy feel. The Tsukune Don is the Japanese comfort food you want and need in your life.
Sashimi Zuke Don – soy sauce marinated sashimi with avocado, mushrooms, sesame and egg sprinkle over rice. Again, a solid dish. It was very refreshing and light which I enjoyed.
Service was very good. Ambiance is without a doubt excellent. And I really really enjoyed their food as well. They had a nice variety of options, I can't wait to come back to try their brunch.
My boyfriend and I came on a Saturday, where we were prepared for a long wait. We were told it would be about a 20 minute wait, which was less than what we were expecting. Luckily, we only waited about 7,8 minutes before they called us in. The place is super tiny but the decor is so unique and nothing like I've ever seen before. You feel like you're eating in a magical treehouse or something! It is small so you will be very close to the tables next to you.
I ordered the Tsukune don, which is the chicken meatball dish that's pretty much all over instagram. With all these "basic", mediocre foods that are hyped up by Instagram, I honestly wasn't expecting too much from my dish but it was DELICIOUS! The chicken meatballs were seasoned to perfection; they weren't dry, weren't too salty, they were just so delicious. The dish comes with poached eggs, rice and dried seaweed and when you get a bit of each ingredient, your mouth will experience a party. I highly recommend trying the tsukune don! I will definitely be back and I want to try the sashimi don, which they unfortunately ran out of the day I visited.
Cash only!! So bring cash!
I was excited to try this brunch spot after hearing rave reviews from my friends over the last year.
Is it cute? Yes. I absolutely love the creative decor. Its vintage + nature inspired, and the ways they've repurposed old items so that it's decoratively functional is a good enough reason to check this place out.
Did we finding parking on the same block on a Sunday for brunch? Yes.
Was there a wait? Yes, ~30 min around 12pm.
Service was ok. They aren't particularly friendly but got the job done.
Tables are small, cozy, and close to each other. If you're sitting by the wall, the booth seats are linen, so they can get dirty easily. You'll see food particles and/or stains on them…
…but most importantly, I just wasn't crazy about the food. It's okay and I don't think I'd be back. We shared the Tsukune Don and Hamburg Steak. However filling, both dishes seemed bland to the both of us, and we decided we didn't particularly enjoy it enough to want to come back. There are just way too many places in NYC to try for brunch.