Restaurants in West Orange

Bagel Schmagel’s bakers combine fresh ingredients to create nine types of Old World–style bagels and more than a dozen handcrafted cream cheeses. A commitment to freshness and quality guides the bakery's foodsmiths, ensuring that each batch of bagels emerges from the kettle with a glistening, thin crust and a warm, spongy interior reminiscent of the Doughboy's spleen. The roster of eats also includes baked goods, salads, sandwiches, and specials, which are denoted on chalkboards. A blue-and-gray-striped awning denotes arrival at the bakery, shading floor-to-ceiling windows and a dining room with lox-colored walls.

Though Fushimi Modern Japanese Cuisine & Lounge boasts contemporary decor aesthetics and fusion flavor flourishes, its sushi is deeply rooted in tradition. Chefs may reinterpret the presentation of their Japanese staples—such as the tuna sashimi, which they set on broad leaves next to bean-sprout-entangled roe—but they still ring true to traditional flavors. By contrast, cooked fusion entrees tend to incorporate the unconventional, from truffle teriyaki sauce to pineapple-lemon jam. ViaMichelin described the menu as “flashy, but well-made and very fresh;” likewise, New York Magazine chose the restaurant as a Critic’s Pick for its “innovative Japanese cuisine in a plush setting.”

The decor also melds old and new. At the bar at the Staten Island location, crimson light filters through a canopy of metallic foliage, casting a moody aura across Buddhist statuettes imported from Asia. The neon-lit Williamsburg location has a sleeker feel, its booths nestled in large circular openings that recall subway tunnels or the oversized portals of Paul Bunyan's mythical submarine. In Bay Ridge, the stateliness of traditional chandeliers contrasts with the bold colors of wall-sized photographs.

Teppan Bar & Grill's owner and chef cut his culinary teeth in Japan, and then practiced as a sushi chef in Manhattan. His talents pervade the kitchen, which prepares fresh cuts of filet mignon, lobster tails, and Chilean sea bass. To promote aesthetic appeal, the decor in which he and his team operate features large, clean windows and absolutely no waiters dressed as clowns. Within, an upscale atmosphere spreads across two stories, where plush leather bar seats provide up-close views to sushi making and drink mixing. In the dining area, the same seats offer access to table-embedded grills, while outside, cars sit idly in the restaurant's free parking area.

The party professionals at Biny Karaoke Bar thrill guests with karaoke, rotating drink specials, and Japanese fusion fare. Diners situated in one of seven private karaoke rooms or the restaurant's fluorescently decorated main lounge can choose one of more than 20,000 songs to sing while munching on sushi rolls, indulging in innovative Japanese entrees such as salmon teriyaki or tonkatsu, or air-drumming with chopsticks. Karaoke songs span from 1960 to present day and are available in multiple languages.

Obao blends the flavors of Thai, Malaysian, Filipino, and Vietnamese traditions to forge a slew of creative pan-Asian dishes. The restaurant's downtown location opens to a cozy 25-seat noodle bar where diners pump chopstick-flexing muscles with a range of stir-fried and soup-based savories, and the capacious rear dining room lavishes patrons with enough room to spread out or sculpt life-size statues of dining companions out of rice.

Nature’s Grill’s three locations in Bay Ridge, Cobble Hill, and Caesar’s Bay aim to create a healthier community by crafting fresh, made-to-order dishes from original recipes, natural foods, and high-quality ingredients. The restaurant’s health-first approach includes an aversion to microwaves, preservatives, and puddles of melted mercury, which is evident on its expansive menu, which fills bellies with smoothies, protein shakes, and savory wraps packed with grilled chicken, salmon, and tofu. Nature’s Grill’s inviting interior includes dark hardwood floors, exposed-brick walls, and bright glass cases used to display toppings.