ABOUT JUBAN
Juban is an inventive Izakaya dedicated to bringing wonder to the experience of Japanese cuisine in a local setting. With every meal designed for discovery, its creative spirit unfolds through community. Artful sushi, masterful seafood, elevated skewers, and neighborhood favorites are served family-style to celebrate sharing and connecting. At once serendipitous and soulful, its unique approach always serves the moment.
Set in the heart of Chelsea’s gallery district, Juban’s rich culture offers a convivial and inspired experience of authentic fare. Here, seasonal menus and artful murals converge—serving tradition with the wink of innovation.
time and place
MONDAY - CLOSED
SUNDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, THURSDAY 4:30 - 10:00 (LAST ORDER SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
FRIDAY AND SATURDAY 4:30 - 11:00 (LAST ORDER SUBJECT TO CHANGE)
207 10th Avenue
Between 22nd and 23rd
New York, NY 10011
RESERVATIONS
WE DO NOT OFFER RESERVATIONS FOR THE BAR
WE ARE NOT ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE ANY REQUESTS FOR SPECIFIC TABLES OR DINING AREAS
PLEASE NOTE THAT RESERVATIONS ARE OPTIONAL, WE DO ACCEPT WALK INS
PRIVATE DINING/LARGe PARTIES
OUR PRIVATE ROOM IS AVAILABLE FOR GROUPS OF UP TO 20! MOST OF YOUR QUESTIONS CAN BE ANSWERED HERE
Large Party Menus are available to view below under the Large Party Menu link, these prices are for food only and do not include drinks, tax or service charge.
We do not offer any beverage packages, all beverages are on offer on consumption basis
The minimum required for private dining is 15, the maximum capacity is 20
Groups smaller than 15 or larger than 20 are accommodated in our main Dining Room which is semi private
We do not charge any room rental fees
There is a $2,000 minimum Food & Beverage spend for our private room, not including tax or service charge
The configuration of the private room is shown in the photo on the right, due to the dimensions/shape of the room we are not able to accommodate different configurations
If you are looking for something different or have additional questions, please e-mail us at info@jubannyc.com
If you would like a contract drafted, please send us your menu selection (click on link below), day, date, and number of guests in your party and we will get back to you as soon as we can
This our Private Dining Room, tables will be in a similar configuration
TAKEOUT (pick up only)
Please call 646-398-9770 for a pick-up order!
WE KINDLY ASK THAT YOU ARE READY WITH YOUR ORDER WHEN CALLING
WE ARE CLOSED EVERY MONDAY
WE DO NOT OFFER DELIVERY
Consider an experience at Juban as a gift for friends and family.
Send them a digital gift card.
The Story of Juban
Ashwin Balani’s journey with 207 Tenth Avenue began long before he held the keys. As a college senior pursuing a degree in Hospitality Management, he began working at the neighborhood’s beloved Izakaya Ten. Over six years, he rose from server to manager, feeling an inexplicable pull to the space that he couldn’t quite name. Even when he left to pursue his own restaurant dreams, the spirit of that little piece of Chelsea never left him.
After leaving Izakaya Ten, Ashwin envisioned creating an Indian gastro pub, a nod to his heritage. After finding the perfect space and going through a grueling, monthslong process with a landlord, the lease fell through. It was not meant to be, though it was difficult to see at the time. Ashwin had the itch to open Khemchand, in honor of his grandfather, but his father urged him that the space was not the right fit and to give it more time.
A few years later, after putting the project on hold, Ashwin heard through the grapevine that Izakaya Ten was closing, but was not sure what the future of the space held. Over dinner, he told his family the news of the closure and they insisted that he contact the landlord to sign a direct deal after Ten closed. His family was the catalyst to making this happen in the early stages, one sister telling him that two things cannot exist in the same space at the same time, and that the universe was now ready to offer it to him.
He called the landlord and brought his father with him (he was 29 at the time). At just the first meeting, the landlord shook his hand and signed the lease and that was that. After his previous ill-fated experience, this seemed too good to be true; too easy. Ashwin’s father sagely said that sometimes when things are meant to be, the universe makes it easy and urged Ashwin to trust the process.
His father was right. While the lease process was easy, it was all true to form and Ashwin shortly took over the space and made it his own. He oscillated between an Indian pub and a reincarnation of Izakaya Ten. Having explored a past-life regression that revealed a deep, ancestral connection to Japanese culture, Ashwin realized the space didn't need a new identity - it needed a rebirth.
The word Ten in Japanese (written as the Kanji 天) translates directly to "heaven" or "sky." This linguistic connection provided a meaningful explanation for the "heavenly" sense of peace that Ashwin had always associated with the restaurant. Along with the intense connection he felt to both the physical restaurant and Japanese culture, the space really felt more like an Izakaya, so he pivoted and decided to create Juban. Juban means number 10 in Japanese; an homage to the former restaurant, but also Heaven. It was the reincarnation of Izakaya Ten. The story came full circle. The space that inspired the dream also brought it to fruition. Juban tells the story of life and death, rebirth, with an emphasis on a connection with unexpected origins.
Juban opened in March 2015. Former patrons of Izakaya Ten came to dine, as well as new fans from the neighborhood. In 2019, four years in, Ashwin was feeling a bit overextended and took a trip to Santa Fe, New Mexico to reset and do a little soul searching and introspection. In a small shop in town called Poetic Threads, he struck up a conversation with a very nice stranger. After chatting for a while, Ashwin mentioned he worked in Hospitality, specifically as owner of a restaurant in Chelsea. The stranger asked where in Chelsea, as his family owned a restaurant in the neighborhood. As they compared landmarks, they realized the stranger’s family restaurant had occupied the exact same address as Juban, long before Izakaya Ten ever existed. It was the final kismet moment: Ashwin was exactly where he was meant to be.
Over the past decade, Ashwin has seen couples meet, marry, and add seats to their weekly reservations. He has made friends with regulars and has since attended three weddings of Juban loyalists. Diners walk in, and Ashwin greets them - suggesting their favorite sake or cocktail. This is a place where everyone feels taken care of and as if they are the most important person there.
Again and again, all signs pulled Ashwin back to Juban. The restaurant seems inevitable. It is a truly special place - woven into the fabric of the neighborhood - that demanded to come to be. Guests can feel the special spirit of Juban the moment they walk into the door, and it creates a hold over them bringing them back again, just like it did for Ashwin.
What are you waiting for?