Celebrity Magnet Nello Will Reopen in Midtown | Eater NY
"Kooth Hospitality and chef Isao Yamada have opened a kaiseki chef's counter in Chinatown at 16 Elizabeth Street (at Canal Street), joining sibling spots in Canal Arcade to form a small Japanese corridor. After more than a decade at acclaimed Japanese restaurants and a New York stint at Brushstroke—where he led the team to earn a Michelin star and a two-star New York Times review—chef Isao Yamada describes the style as “more high-level,” and “more experiential” than his previous work. The opening ten-course menu includes courses such as monkfish liver paired with red shrimp and clams; chawanmushi topped with king crab and uni; otoro and Kyushu-sourced wagyu; and the meal concludes with a Japanese tea ceremony during which Yamada whisks matcha for diners. Design by Blank Creations blends wabi-sabi and Scandinavian hygge; the actual counter was flown in from Japan. There are two seatings (5:30 and 8:30 p.m.) and the ten-course tasting is $300 per person." - Melissa McCart
