How is this sushi different from all other sushi?
Akimori Omakase Bar, a high-end Japanese mini-chain with several locations in the tristate area, has announced plans to open a new outpost on the Upper East Side in January, according to its Instagram page. What sets the restaurant apart from the myriad omakase emporia throughout New York is that (1) its founder is not Japanese, and (2) the food it serves is kosher.
Akimori is the brain child of 27-year-old Teddy Khafif, whose first job out of school was as line cook and dishwasher at a French bistro in Brooklyn Heights. Noticing the paucity of kosher Japanese restaurants, he headed to Japan to learn the craft at its source, though the language barrier slowed his progress. After gaining experience working at a hotel restaurant in Japan, he returned to New York, where he eventually landed a job at the three-Michelin-starred Masa.
While Kosher dietary law restricts the restaurant from serving shellfish, it doesn’t prevent Khafif and company from striving for excellence. Most of the fish is flown in daily from Japan.
The exact location of the new Akimori and date of opening have yet to be announced.
