Momoyama, the Japanese hibachi joint inside the hard-hit Lundy’s building at 1901 Emmons Avenue, only just began their cleanup efforts on Friday.
When we stopped by, workers were there getting wooden boards up to secure the location, after Sandy’s flood waters battered the door. Like other establishments in Lundy’s ground level, Momoyama received upwards of six feet of water.
And it shows.
The restaurant’s table-sized grills, where so many of us have gathered for high school friends’ birthdays, were flipped and rusting on the floor, and chairs were scattered about. Although the water drained, it still had the musty-meets-salt-water smell we’ve gotten used to around here.
On the upside? The birthday drum on the wall seems to have survived unscathed. When they get back on their feet, we’ll be sure to visit and pretend it’s our birthday.
When the writer over at Sheepshead Bites first photographed me this past June, I was hopeful that I could be rescued real soon. But here it is, October, already and I’m just making my debut on the site! Oh, well. I guess shopping carts behind bars and windows can’t expect to be showcased on their own timeline.
Life in the back area at the Momoyama restaurant at 1901 Emmons Avenue is kinda dreary. I mean, it’s supposed to be so great working at a landmarked building. Thing is, I got stuck in the storage area and this Lundy’s building can be kind of dreary in the unrenovated side. And, yeah, there’s a waterfront out there, but even taking a smoking break over by the window gets me a view of nothing but garbage. But, I guess that ain’t too far from the real thing.
I guess in this economy, I gotta be glad I still have a job.
(Photo courtesy of Alexandre Chang via Flickr)
To help you plan your weekend better, Sheepshead Bites is launching a new feature – the Restaurant Review Mania. Every Friday we’ll scour the web’s top business and restaurant review sites like Yelp and Citysearch to bring you the latest opinions posted about our local spots. Agree with one you see? Disagree with it? Let your fellow readers know in our comments sections.
Sheepshead Bay’s sushi scene got a few new followers – and brought back a few old ones – this week. First up was Steffi R., who had stopped visiting the half-price sushi joints under the persuasion of a stomach assaulting roll. But Momoyama (1901 Emmons Avenue) renewed her faith in Brooklyn sushi, and she says the Yaki Shrimp was totes not yucky. Meanwhile, Greg W. had been staging a Wheeler’s-inspired “No Sushi” protest in light of the “slew of Japanese joints … in stupid close proximity to one another.” But he violated his sushi strike with a weak-willed trip to Mitoushi (1714 Sheepshead Bay Road), and raves about the appetizers, special rolls and – yup – the prices. But he promises he’ll go back to solidarity with Wheelers. We’re not holding our breath. Lastly in the sushi vein, Aleksandr R. felt it was time to pay Yelp tribute to his favorite sushi spot, Yoshinoya (1741 Sheepshead Bay Road). He just loves that they remember his face, but he hasn’t realized it’s ’cause they can’t forget the crazy guilo who never orders anything new.
Elsewhere in restaurant review world:
Reviewer JJ K. from Ft. Lauderdale loved the outdoor service of “this Russki place,” XO Creperie (2027 Emmons Avenue). But he warns to stay away from the hookah “as they have no clue how to do it nor do they know that it should be cleaned, once in a while.” Eek.
Greg W. – perhaps the same one on strike from Wheeler’s – is “lukewarm on [Cafe] Istanbul” (1715 Emmons Avenue). There’s nothing wrong with it, he says, but there’s nothing great, either. We’re starting to get a little “lukewarm” on Greg.
Munchinette (1738 Sheepshead Bay Road) inspires Melinda P. to blab on about its freshness of ingredients. She thinks it’s a cut above the “assortment of bagel and sandwich shops” on Sheepshead Bay Road and Emmons Avenue and swears by the everything bagel with cream cheese, tomato and lox. She also says the salmon platters are “surprisingly delicious.”
