Kono (restaurant)
| Kono | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | April 25, 2022[1] |
| Food type | Japanese |
| Street address | 46 Bowery |
| City | New York City |
| State | New York |
| Postal/ZIP Code | 10013 |
| Country | United States |
| Coordinates | 40°42′56″N 73°59′48″W / 40.715681°N 73.996755°W |
| Website | www |
Kono (stylized in all caps) is a Japanese restaurant in New York City that primarily serves yakitori.[2][3][1] Opened in 2022 by New York City-based yakitori chef and breakdancer Atsushi Kono, it is located in the Canal Arcade, a pedestrian passageway that runs between Bowery and Elizabeth Street in Chinatown.[1][2]
The restaurant has received coverage and acclaim from publications like The New York Times, Thrillist, Bon Appétit, and Grub Street, as well as nominations for the James Beard Awards.
History
[edit]After serving as the executive chef of Yakitori Torishin for a decade, Kono left to open his own yakitori restaurant, Kono, in April 2022 after finding a suitable location for it in the Canal Arcade of Manhattan's Chinatown.[4] Kono told Represent that he had always wanted to open a restaurant in a hideaway, much like the yakitori restaurants in Japan.[5]
With fourteen seats, Kono currently serves an omakase tasting menu with sixteen courses—most courses are a yakitori skewer utilizing a different part of chicken.[6][7]
Kono, also a breakdancer, has frequently stated his love for hip-hop and regularly plays it during restaurant hours.[8] In 2023, Kono was the venue for the rapper Nas' 50th birthday party.[5]
Critical reception
[edit]Many publications have lauded Kono's yakitori.[9][4] Pete Wells, writing for The New York Times, gave Kono three out of four stars, named it an NYT Critic's Pick, and called chef Kono a "Yakitori Master" as well as "the city’s most accomplished yakitori chef and, by extension, one of its greatest chicken cooks."[10] E. Alex Jung, writing for Grub Street, called Kono's yakitori "chicken in its most elevated form."[11]
Kono has been twice-nominated in the Best Chef: New York State category of the James Beard Awards, in 2024 and 2025, for his cooking at his namesake restaurant.[12][13]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c Odell, Kat (April 22, 2022). "A Yakitori Master Launches a 14-Seat, Chicken-Centric Omakase in Chinatown". Eater NY. Archived from the original on June 11, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Wells, Pete (July 25, 2022). "Restaurant Review: At Kono, the Chef Knows Chicken Inside and Out". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ "Kono Review - Chinatown - New York". The Infatuation. August 4, 2022. Archived from the original on October 5, 2023. Retrieved June 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Baskette, Izzy (April 26, 2022). "Yakitori Fare Shines at a New 14-Seat Tasting Menu in Chinatown". Thrillist. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ a b "Nasも通うB-Boy料理人・河野睦の焼き鳥店「KONO」とは？ | Represent". heads-rep.com (in Japanese). July 30, 2024. Archived from the original on December 8, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ Dalal, Avery (January 11, 2023). "How Chef Atsushi Kono Makes Chicken Skewers Out of Wings and Testicles". Eater. Archived from the original on December 5, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ Video, Eater (May 2, 2019). "Watch: How Yakitori Master Atsushi Kono Makes 13 Skewers Out of One Chicken". Eater. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ Hatchett, Caroline (August 1, 2022). "The Secret to NYC's Most Exciting New Restaurant? Break Dancing". Robb Report. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ "14 Seats, 16 Courses, 1 Chef: A Day With The Yakitori Master at Kono". Bon Appétit. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ Wells, Pete (July 25, 2022). "Restaurant Review: At Kono, the Chef Knows Chicken Inside and Out". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on April 29, 2024. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ Jung, E. Alex (February 9, 2023). "The Best Way to Stop Taking Chicken for Granted". Grub Street. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ "The 2024 Restaurant and Chef Award Nominees". www.jamesbeard.org. Archived from the original on April 9, 2025. Retrieved April 21, 2025.
- ^ "The 2025 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Award Nominees". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved April 21, 2025.