Tsubame, a new contender for your omakase dollar, is slated to open in Tribeca tomorrow.
It is the first Manhattan restaurant for chef-owner Jay Zheng, whose previous New York ventures have included Gaijin in Astoria and Kōyō (reviewed here), which opened on the same site post-pandemic.
As is the case with kappo restaurants in Japan, guests can expect a heightened staff interaction and less formality in the service, with Chef Zheng doing almost all the prepping and serving. Expect finished dishes, moreover, to reference Japanese classics but also touch broadly on the chef’s own roots and influences. Western flourishes like caviar and truffles will turn up frequently in his edible creations.
Tsubame is named after the barn swallow that was a harbinger of spring in the chef’s childhood village in China.
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