About Izakaya Juraku
Founded in 2018, Izakaya Juraku is a neighborhood Japanese izakaya and gastropub on Ludlow Street in the Lower East Side. We serve Japanese comfort food with an NYC spirit, from crispy karaage and yakitori to Wasabi Shake Shake Fries, ramen, handrolls, and late-night plates made for sharing.
Our bar is built around Japanese craft beer, sake, whisky, and playful house cocktails. But Juraku has never been only about what is on the table. It grew through regulars, friends, artists, and the people who kept showing up. Some nights are loud and chaotic. Other nights feel like sitting at a friend's house. Either way, we want people to feel welcome.
A Note from Kiyo
I've been thinking a lot about why Juraku means so much to me.
The truth is, I've felt broken for a long time. I think a lot of us carry something like that, even if we never say it out loud.
For a while, I thought building this place might fix things that could not be fixed. Maybe it has helped. Maybe that is not really how it works. What I do know is that I can use this place to give other people a little comfort.
I can cook the Japanese food that brings me peace, pour drinks that help people loosen up and laugh, and create a room where nobody has to pretend too hard. Some nights Juraku is loud and chaotic. Some nights it feels like home.
Juraku is the place I wish existed when I needed it most. A place where you can eat, drink, laugh, and leave life's problems outside for a while. A place to feel at home when home has been hard to find.
If you've ever felt that way too, this place is for you.
– Kiyo