I walked by this place a couple of days ago and I was shocked that they painted the second floor brickwork black. Your (before) picture shows the brick was in good condition so why on earth did the building's owner agree to this ugly extended signage? To me it chops the building in half and suggest the restaurant is on two floors which of course it is not. I will not eat here ever.
September 11, 2014 at 8:39 AM
Anonymous said...
The lanterns look so tacky.
September 11, 2014 at 9:37 AM
Gojira said...
Stupid name. Stupid look. This is the second place that has destroyed a nice mural, the first being Schnitz when they painted over the charming Russo's artwork. Screw 'em both, I'm staying away.
September 11, 2014 at 10:25 AM
Anonymous said...
The geisha covering her eyes speaks volumes.
September 11, 2014 at 10:31 AM
Anonymous said...
Was going to post about the stupid name, but already beaten to it. Yeah the second story thing is disgusting destruction of a classic facade. I probably would have given this place a try, but it oozes stupidity right off the bat. Pass.
September 11, 2014 at 10:31 AM
Anonymous said...
I like the look.
- East Villager
September 11, 2014 at 10:48 AM
Anonymous said...
I bet 10 bucks and a round of sushi that the place is packed on day one. The black makes it look like those awful Tonic sports bars, which are as crowded as any place in all of New York,
That black reminds me of all the burned out buildings the EV used to have, which makes it just the right color for this location.
September 11, 2014 at 12:20 PM
Anonymous said...
So ugly.
September 11, 2014 at 1:44 PM
Makeout said...
"Oh but it looks so modern & fresh & authentic. Just what Megan & I need" Cough cough.
September 11, 2014 at 2:14 PM
Anonymous said...
WOW! such diatribe - If any of you have ever been to Kyoto, this design is reminiscent of traditional facades & establishments. This is emulating the Shou-sugi-ban style of charred wood - a technique that adds beauty and longevity to wood siding.
September 11, 2014 at 2:17 PM
Anonymous said...
Since "beron beron" means falling down drunk, I have a feeling that the food is going to be an afterthought here.
September 11, 2014 at 3:41 PM
Anonymous said...
Good place to take a dump.
September 11, 2014 at 4:45 PM
Anonymous said...
Anon 2:17 Excuse our ignorance of Japanese architecture however this is a red brick building on a corner in the east village. What you just told us makes me dislike it even more because now it's yet another "themed" restaurant, "Shou-sugi-ban" how fun.
Since their name literally means "very drunk" perhaps they can sell Japanese biscuits and change their tagline to;
Sushi. Sashimi. Sake. Drunk.
September 11, 2014 at 4:54 PM
Anonymous said...
I believe storefronts in the EV can come in any shape or form and should reflect the business which occupies that space. I hate when a business extends beyond the street level to the upper part of the building as this restaurant has. What is to stop the next themed store, boutique, Subway, Starbucks from taking entire facades into extend store signs? This sets a dangerous precedent for the architectural integrity of our neighborhood.
September 11, 2014 at 5:00 PM
Anonymous said...
OMG look what's happening on 3rd ave.
September 11, 2014 at 6:50 PM
Anonymous said...
Oh yea... well how come nobody bitches about all those silly murals and crappy graffittis that are plastered up entire buildings, Yaffa mural (now google), that silly cartoon figure on Ave A & 9th that goes up the whole building, De Roberits Pastry Shoppe sign on the 2nd FLOOR,Veniero's sign that goes up 3 stories , bla diddy bla bla - integrity my ass - this neighborhood has NO integrity left. Racists! you are all Racists!
September 11, 2014 at 7:02 PM
Anonymous said...
If you don't like silly murals move!
September 11, 2014 at 7:35 PM
Anonymous said...
Are we racists because it's a Japanese restaurant or because it's painted black? Ridiculous.
"What you just told us makes me dislike it even more because now it's yet another "themed" restaurant, "Shou-sugi-ban" how fun." Maybe you'd feel more comfortable with a 'Subway' themed restaurant. There are quite a few venues in the neighborhood that would appeal to your aesthetics.
You're not racists, just incredibly judgmental. Let's see how their food tastes. After all, isn't that the prime criteria by which a restaurant should be judged? And the lanterns are a very big part of Japanese summer festivals. So we finally get another (possibly decent, affordable) Japanese restaurant down here and so many 'critics' already are tripping over themselves with inane observations.
September 12, 2014 at 2:24 AM
Anonymous said...
Seems like the comments are a little out of line. It's the same chef, management, waitstaff and menu as Sapporro East (but with a new owner). Anyone who ate there regularly knows what a neighborhood place that was. During Hurricane Sandy they came to work and made free food that was served by tealight. Give em a chance, would you?
September 12, 2014 at 3:45 AM
Anonymous said...
I was discouraged by the new name and thought that it was going to be a beer and sake bar with a little bar food. But I went by last night and was happy to see the whole Sapporo East staff working. The menu is nearly the same, although the prices have gone up a bit. It was crowded and I didn't wait to go in but I will eat there soon. I'm glad to see Sapporo East get a new life.
September 12, 2014 at 8:26 AM
Anonymous said...
I decided to try this place last night, hoping I would love it as much as I did Sapporo East. The food wasn't terrible, but they were shady and overcharged for sake. Apparently, they ran out of house sake, and decided to serve a more expensive sake - without telling us. When politely questioned about it, (we thought it was an error, as they were having POS issues), the waiter shrugged and said - no, you drank a different sake which is more expensive. You're right, I should have told you, but this is your bill. Quite frankly, this is not the way to start anew. I will most definitely not be returning.
September 19, 2014 at 9:51 AM
Anonymous said...
hat old mural was a eyesore since day one... glad to see it go... one thing if the food is not to expectation but the senseless critiques of how bad things are or overpriced... well you must be eating at incredible cheap places.... give me a break and quit the whinning, it's new york
As we understand it, the Japanese restaurant, whose management team includes Yuji Umeki, a manager at nearby Kenka, will feature a menu similar to the former tenant — Sapporo East.
After 30 years in business, Sapporo East closed at the end of December along with its sister establishment Shima on Second Avenue and East 12th Street, as we first reported.
We're sure that one of the food blogs will have more about Beronberon's offerings.
26 Comments
Close this window Jump to comment formI walked by this place a couple of days ago and I was shocked that they painted the second floor brickwork black. Your (before) picture shows the brick was in good condition so why on earth did the building's owner agree to this ugly extended signage? To me it chops the building in half and suggest the restaurant is on two floors which of course it is not. I will not eat here ever.
September 11, 2014 at 8:39 AM
The lanterns look so tacky.
September 11, 2014 at 9:37 AM
Stupid name. Stupid look. This is the second place that has destroyed a nice mural, the first being Schnitz when they painted over the charming Russo's artwork. Screw 'em both, I'm staying away.
September 11, 2014 at 10:25 AM
The geisha covering her eyes speaks volumes.
September 11, 2014 at 10:31 AM
Was going to post about the stupid name, but already beaten to it. Yeah the second story thing is disgusting destruction of a classic facade.
I probably would have given this place a try, but it oozes stupidity right off the bat. Pass.
September 11, 2014 at 10:31 AM
I like the look.
- East Villager
September 11, 2014 at 10:48 AM
I bet 10 bucks and a round of sushi that the place is packed on day one. The black makes it look like those awful Tonic sports bars, which are as crowded as any place in all of New York,
September 11, 2014 at 11:52 AM
That black reminds me of all the burned out buildings the EV used to have, which makes it just the right color for this location.
September 11, 2014 at 12:20 PM
So ugly.
September 11, 2014 at 1:44 PM
"Oh but it looks so modern & fresh & authentic. Just what Megan & I need" Cough cough.
September 11, 2014 at 2:14 PM
WOW! such diatribe -
If any of you have ever been to Kyoto, this design is reminiscent of traditional facades & establishments. This is emulating the Shou-sugi-ban style of charred wood - a technique that adds beauty and longevity to wood siding.
September 11, 2014 at 2:17 PM
Since "beron beron" means falling down drunk, I have a feeling that the food is going to be an afterthought here.
September 11, 2014 at 3:41 PM
Good place to take a dump.
September 11, 2014 at 4:45 PM
Anon 2:17
Excuse our ignorance of Japanese architecture however this is a red brick building on a corner in the east village. What you just told us makes me dislike it even more because now it's yet another "themed" restaurant, "Shou-sugi-ban" how fun.
September 11, 2014 at 4:52 PM
Since their name literally means "very drunk" perhaps they can sell Japanese biscuits and change their tagline to;
Sushi. Sashimi. Sake. Drunk.
September 11, 2014 at 4:54 PM
I believe storefronts in the EV can come in any shape or form and should reflect the business which occupies that space. I hate when a business extends beyond the street level to the upper part of the building as this restaurant has. What is to stop the next themed store, boutique, Subway, Starbucks from taking entire facades into extend store signs? This sets a dangerous precedent for the architectural integrity of our neighborhood.
September 11, 2014 at 5:00 PM
OMG look what's happening on 3rd ave.
September 11, 2014 at 6:50 PM
Oh yea... well how come nobody bitches about all those silly murals and crappy graffittis that are plastered up entire buildings, Yaffa mural (now google), that silly cartoon figure on Ave A & 9th that goes up the whole building, De Roberits Pastry Shoppe sign on the 2nd FLOOR,Veniero's sign that goes up 3 stories , bla diddy bla bla - integrity my ass - this neighborhood has NO integrity left. Racists! you are all Racists!
September 11, 2014 at 7:02 PM
If you don't like silly murals move!
September 11, 2014 at 7:35 PM
Are we racists because it's a Japanese restaurant or because it's painted black? Ridiculous.
September 11, 2014 at 8:41 PM
"What you just told us makes me dislike it even more because now it's yet another "themed" restaurant, "Shou-sugi-ban" how fun." Maybe you'd feel more comfortable with a 'Subway' themed restaurant. There are quite a few venues in the neighborhood that would appeal to your aesthetics.
September 12, 2014 at 2:15 AM
You're not racists, just incredibly judgmental. Let's see how their food tastes. After all, isn't that the prime criteria by which a restaurant should be judged? And the lanterns are a very big part of Japanese summer festivals. So we finally get another (possibly decent, affordable) Japanese restaurant down here and so many 'critics' already are tripping over themselves with inane observations.
September 12, 2014 at 2:24 AM
Seems like the comments are a little out of line. It's the same chef, management, waitstaff and menu as Sapporro East (but with a new owner). Anyone who ate there regularly knows what a neighborhood place that was. During Hurricane Sandy they came to work and made free food that was served by tealight. Give em a chance, would you?
September 12, 2014 at 3:45 AM
I was discouraged by the new name and thought that it was going to be a beer and sake bar with a little bar food. But I went by last night and was happy to see the whole Sapporo East staff working. The menu is nearly the same, although the prices have gone up a bit. It was crowded and I didn't wait to go in but I will eat there soon. I'm glad to see Sapporo East get a new life.
September 12, 2014 at 8:26 AM
I decided to try this place last night, hoping I would love it as much as I did Sapporo East. The food wasn't terrible, but they were shady and overcharged for sake. Apparently, they ran out of house sake, and decided to serve a more expensive sake - without telling us. When politely questioned about it, (we thought it was an error, as they were having POS issues), the waiter shrugged and said - no, you drank a different sake which is more expensive. You're right, I should have told you, but this is your bill. Quite frankly, this is not the way to start anew. I will most definitely not be returning.
September 19, 2014 at 9:51 AM
hat old mural was a eyesore since day one... glad to see it go... one thing if the food is not to expectation but the senseless critiques of how bad things are or overpriced... well you must be eating at incredible cheap places.... give me a break and quit the whinning, it's new york
May 14, 2015 at 11:00 AM