Yo + Shoku

Russian Restaurant Owners in the US Cope With Emotional and Business Tolls of Russia's War on Ukraine | Bon Appétit

"The reimagined concept that replaced the previous Russian-focused restaurant, built around Yōshoku — a style of Japanese cooking that embraces Western influences — and intended as a creative and emotional pivot rather than an admission of failure. The new menu preserves the spirit of several former dishes by retrofitting them with Japanese techniques and flavors (for example, pan-fried pelmeni turned into potstickers served with chili crisp and aonori-smoked crème fraîche, and a borscht transformed into a borscht curry udon with beet broth infused with dashi and Japanese curry powder, noodles, and caramelized sesame short rib). The owners view the shift as part of a healing process and a way to combine traditions to mend divisions rather than deepen them." - ByAdam Reiner