At Yamada, the newest project from Chef Isao Yamada, known for his leadership at the Michelin-starred Brushstroke formerly in Tribeca, the fare, typically served in smaller courses, was born of traditional Japanese kaiseki cuisine. But the chef says he hopes to push the envelope a little further — adding Western ingredients such as caviar as well as cooking techniques he picked up in his days working with the late chef Daniel Bouley, known for Bouley Bakery.
The restaurant opened April 2 in the Canal Arcade in Chinatown, along with two other ventures from owner Kooth Hospitality.
“We think in general Lower Manhattan is the scene for this type of cuisine,” said Ivy Tsang Chu, partner at Kooth Hospitality. “People are more open-minded about interesting ingredients, a little bit more of a different type of dining experience.”
One of the highlights of the menu is a chawanmushi, or traditional savory egg custard, infused with truffle dashi.
“Some other Japanese restaurants offer some sort of version of the truffle dashi chawanmushi,” Tsang Chu said. “But this dish was originally created by chef Yamada and chef Bouley from many years ago, and this is something that was distinctly theirs.”
Each meal in the intimate 12-seat space at 16 Elizabeth St. will end as the chef personally whisks matcha tea for the guests over their dessert course. The 10-course tasting menu runs $300 per person.
Here are five other restaurants to have on your radar.
Maison Passerelle
Maison Passerelle plans to open April 17 with new takes on French classics, according to reservations platform Resy. The fine-dining restaurant will be located in the first U.S. location of Pritemps, a high-end French department store chain. Three-time James Beard Award-winning chef Gregory Gourdet will run the kitchen.
Maison Passerelle, 1 Wall St., Financial District
Fedora
The original Fedora, a decades-old West Village haunt, closed in 2020 in the wake of the pandemic. The group behind the nearby St. Jardim wine bar has taken over the space and plans to reopen the basement property in just a few weeks, Eater first reported.
Chef Monty Forrest, who most recently took the helm at Le Rock, will be in charge of the menu, Grub Street reported. The food will skew toward tried-and-true European dishes, partners told the outlet.
Fedora, 239 W. Fourth St., West Village
Leonessa
Leonessa, an Italian-inspired cocktail bar, opened on the 16th-floor rooftop of the Conrad New York Downtown on April 3. Each cocktail will be served with complimentary aperitivo-style snacks, such as fennel and orange marinated castelvetrano olives and rosemary marcona almonds.
Leonessa, 102 North End Ave., Lower Manhattan
Kansha
Kansha seeks to combine Japanese culinary techniques with Peruvian flavors, a hallmark of Nikkei cuisine, the food of the Japanese diaspora in Peru. Peruvian lomo saltado as well as miyazaki wagyu can be found on the menu. The eatery opened March 18 in Carnegie Hill.
Kansha, 1312 Madison Avenue, Carnegie Hill
Howoo
Urimat Hospitality Group unveiled Korean barbecue spot Howoo on East 31st Street in mid-March. The 7,700-square-foot, bilevel restaurant focuses on high-quality beef and Korean ingredients. The menu includes dry-aged ribeye, kimchi stew and for dessert green tea ice cream made with green tea powder from Boseong, Korea.
Howoo, 7 E. 31st St., Nomad
