Yopparai is the perfect name for our place where Japanese comfort food, sake pairings and a warm, cozy ambience inspire night-long conversations that turn to laughter, friendships and dreams.
Good food is a must here. Whether we find our ingredients from a local farmer’s market or shipped direct from Japan, we relish the authenticity of each dish and design our menu with our guests in mind.
A choice selection of sake from all over Japan adorns our shelves for you to discover. See us perk up with any chance to share the stories of each bottle along with suggestions to pair with your dishes.
About Us
Yopparai and Izakaya Ronin are both owned and operated by the husband-and-wife team of Gaku and Christy Shibata and their dedicated staff including long-time chefs from Japan. Founded in 2012, Yopparai has been setting trends on the Lower East Side of NYC for over a decade, eventually inspiring the launch of Izakaya Ronin on the same block in 2023. Residing both in Brooklyn and in upstate NY, Gaku and Christy now also offer off-site services including catering, pop-up events and cooking workshops in the Catskills region.