Kinjo
Japanese restaurant · DUMBO ·
14-seat omakase sushi bar with inventive cocktails and snacks
14-seat omakase sushi bar with inventive cocktails and snacks
"A 14-seat omakase-style sushi counter beneath the Manhattan Bridge housed in a former torpedo factory, offering a $95 seasonal menu by a Bar Masa alumnus that blends modern and pan-Asian influences across small plates and nigiri. Expect personal touches like shrimp brushed in Indonesian curry sauce and kampachi topped with truffle paste and morels, plus a sleek front Japanese whisky lounge serving inventive cocktails such as a miso-laced Old Fashioned." - Kat Odell
"Kinjo serves a $95 sushi omakase at a 14-seat counter that’s dominated by Dumbo locals who are already on their third visit. It’s right under the Manhattan Bridge, and so close to the water that you can see the ferries going past from the entrance. But once you actually locate this place—in an unmarked warehouse—and figure out how to get in—through an unmarked door—you could frankly be anywhere. (That’s a good thing.) Bring a date, and start with a cocktail at the bar up front before you head behind a curtain and eat some slippery shrimp brushed with curry glaze." - willa moore, bryan kim, sonal shah, molly fitzpatrick, carina finn koeppicus, hannah albertine
"In our batsh*t city, most $95 omakases are rushed, a little impersonal, or served in a room that could be a dentist’s office. Not at Kinjo. It’s a sub-$100 omakase cosplaying as a $300 one, in a stylish, former Dumbo factory that's now a factory of dressed-up nigiri and fifth dates. photo credit: Willa Moore photo credit: Alex Lau photo credit: Alex Lau photo credit: Alex Lau Pause Unmute Once you actually locate the Brooklyn restaurant—in an unmarked warehouse—and figure out how to get in—through an unmarked door—you could frankly be anywhere. (That’s a good thing.) Behind a curtain is one long 14-seat omakase counter facing two chefs who move in tandem like a pair of artistic swimmers. There are limited distractions, so it's easy to focus on your dining partner, not to mention the Dumbo local to your left, and the shrimp nigiri that just landed in front of you, which is ever-so-slightly seared, and then brushed with a smoky curry glaze. photo credit: Alex Lau photo credit: Alex Lau photo credit: Willa Moore Pause Unmute Kinjo can likely get away with its $95 price tag because the 11-course menu goes heavier on the cooked items (usually about two or three, plus dessert). This might be a disappointment to some raw fish purists. And those cooked dishes— like a koji duck with pineapple hoisin sauce wrapped in charred flour tortillas—slightly pale in comparison to the nigiri. But for a fancy-feeling omakase experience, Kinjo is a great choice that's not as expensive as most. There’s a bar up front and a couple of tables where you can grab a drink before your reservation, or just stop in for a few a la carte bites and a moment of quiet on an evening in Dumbo. Food Rundown Omakase Because no one can seem to open a sub-$100 omakase place without it these days, Kinjo serves otoro with caviar. But there’s also akami zuke with a slight sweetness from Asian pear on top, and scallop topped with both calamansi juice and lime zest. The several cooked items are less exciting. But when your check comes in at around $100, you’ll probably look past this fact. photo credit: Alex Lau" - Willa Moore
"I experienced Kinjo, a 13-seat omakase counter with an attached bar that offers an 11-course menu priced at $95; the chefs behind it came by way of Masa and Momofuku." - Emma Orlow
"I learned that, just after Kinjo (2206 Polk) received its first Michelin star last fall, the restaurant was suddenly closed by flooding from an upstairs neighbor; repairs took longer than expected (they had originally hoped to reopen in January), and although Kinjo has finally reopened, it isn’t exactly the same. The 42-seat omakase sushi spot was opened in January 2016 by Takatoshi Toshi (Sushi Ran) with Billy Kong and Kua Chuang of Lower Haight sushi spot Ijji, but during the extended closure Toshi departed, returning to Marin to open Masa’s Sushi and Appetizer in Novato. Now the kitchen is led by chef Fujii Tahahiro of Japan, billed as a “guest chef,” and he’s introduced new offerings: both a kaiseki multi-course dinner and a sushi-focused omakase; according to the restaurant website, sushi bar seating is reserved for the full kaiseki menu ($135 per person) while table service is $80 per guest, and hours are Wednesday to Sunday from 5:45 p.m. to 9:30 p.m." - Caleb Pershan