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 |
| 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
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
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
References
- ^ 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.