NONONO
Japanese restaurant · Midtown East
118 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Highlights
Nestled in Nomad, Nonono is a vibrant two-level Japanese eatery where yakitori reigns supreme, complemented by an expansive, sharable menu of playful bites.
Nestled in Nomad, Nonono is a vibrant two-level Japanese eatery where yakitori reigns supreme, complemented by an expansive, sharable menu of playful bites.
"What It Is: A Japanese restaurant in Nomad where most things come on skewers Perfect For: Casual Weeknight Dinner, Date Night, Dining Solo This casual two-floor Japanese restaurant in Nomad is owned by the same people who run two Korean places we like a lot ( and ). Like those spots, Yakitori Nonono is both very good and very crowded. You can get a variety of things - from scallops to chicken hearts - on skewers, and there are other options like ramen, sushi, and meat and vegetable small plates. All six skewers we tried were great, but the meat and fish ones are a little hard to share, so plan to order a lot (they cost around $5 each). The Verdict: We liked everything we ate here. Yakitori Nonono is now on our Hit List." - hannah albertine, bryan kim, katherine lewin, hillary reinsberg, chris stang, matt tervooren
"At some point, you’ve probably experienced ordering anxiety. You stare at a menu with seven dishes that sound promising, trying to picture the future you want for yourself. Just as you start to forget how to read and who you are, the server comes over. You pick one $27 entree like you’re going to ask for its hand in marriage, then spend the next 20 minutes trying not to look distracted while your friend reenacts her phone call with the cable company and you consider changing your order. At Nonono, there’s no need to worry about pledging your eternal soul to the wrong thing, because you won’t be ordering just one dish. You’ll be ordering 10. This Japanese restaurant in Nomad from the people behind and (two Korean restaurants we really like) has a menu so huge and reasonably priced that you can basically get as much as you want, like you’re some prince or person with a credit card problem. If an LSAT study book were replaced with photographs of Japanese food, it would look a lot like the menu here. It comes in a little binder, and side effects of flipping through it include not listening to what anyone is saying to you and an intense urge to order too much food. There’s a lot to choose from - 40 or so yakitori skewers, plus everything from fried chicken and ramen to sushi - and almost nothing costs more than $15. You’ll be tempted to get something from every section, and the good news is that you probably can - especially if you’re with a group. The yakitori skewers are mostly $3 or $4 each, and your options range from various chicken parts to beef, pork, fish, and vegetables (including an entire skewer of garlic). They’re seasoned and then cooked on a grill that you see as you walk in, and while these skewers are the main attraction, Nonono’s many other dishes are equally affordable and great for sharing. Some of our favorites are the tori liver pate with ginger and a rainbow sushi roll that comes with grated parmesan on top. Just be aware that the food will arrive at your table almost immediately, and pretty much all at the same time - so if you hate slow service, you’ll love it here, and if you get overwhelmed easily, consider ordering a little at a time. If you wanted to try every single thing on Nonono’s menu, you’d have to make eating here your side hustle. And we fully endorse that. Instead of suffering from ordering anxiety, you’ll enjoy the thrill of trying lots of different, excellent things, every time. We’ll keep coming back to Nonono until that feeling gets old." - Hannah Albertine
"Nonono is owned by the same people as Ariari, but instead of Korean seafood, this place specializes in Japanese food—specifically yakitori. With exposed pipes and ducts, this Nomad spot feels like eating in someone's industrial loft. Order a ton of different skewers and a few larger plates from the binder-sized menu. Everything comes out quickly, so don’t be surprised when your meal suddenly starts to look more like a banquet. It is New Year’s Eve, after all." - neha talreja
"Yakitori and sushi rolls available for delivery and takeout - order online." - hannah albertine, nikko duren, bryan kim, arden shore, matt tervooren
"This Japanese small-plates spot does serve a sushi roll topped with cheese, but otherwise, you should be good with most things on the enormous menu - from the wide yakitori selection to the ramen, sashimi, soba, and fried rice. Try to make a reservation, but if you can’t, the wait shouldn’t be too bad (it’s a big, airy space with tables on two floors, plus some seats right in front of the yakitori grill). Then order a bunch of shareable things, all of which will come to your table incredibly quickly, and show your dining companions that you don’t hate eating, you just hate eating moldy milk." - emma mustich
