Kinjo, a 13-seat omakase counter and cocktail lounge, opened on Wednesday October 23rd in a former torpedo factory under the Manhattan Bridge in DUMBO at 11 Adams Street.
Behind a long walnut sushi counter, chef and co-owner Johnny Huang (formerly of Masa) serves an elevated 11-course omakase that takes inspiration from the flavors of broader East Asia. The opening menu includes six high-quality nigiri and five additional courses, showcasing premium ingredients like Kumamoto oysters dressed with ikura, scallop and yuzu crudo, wagyu with truffle, botan ebi with curry glaze, and koji-cured duck with pineapple hoisin.
The bar program features specialty cocktails crafted using Asian spirits and flavors such as a yuzu negroni, a salty plum margarita, a shiso and peach highball, a miso espresso martini, and more. Kinjo also partnered with locally-based Brooklyn Kura to create and bottle a custom Junmai Gingo Namazake craft sake – a crisp, light and aromatic sake with a dry finish.
Small plates – available in the bar and lounge area – are overseen by chef de cuisine Eddie Lee (previously of Momofuku), and include rice cakes with truffle butter, udon with poached egg and aonori, snow crab dip with chips, tuna toast with crème fraîche, and a cucumber salad.
The design celebrates the building’s industrial heritage while creating an intimate dining experience that connects the culinary artistry of sushi with the vibrant energy and history of DUMBO. Designed in partnership with architects KIMOY Studios, the industrial space features a 15-seat stone bar and cocktail lounge with a sweeping leather banquette, while maintaining the century-worn wooden beams and exposed brick walls. A wide proscenium window between rooms features a twist on an exposed restaurant kitchen, revealing a view of white-coated chefs and the omakase diners through a translucent curtain. A subtly-lit Kinjo sign and black door lead into the dining elegant room.
Co-owner Alex Lee (also previously at Momofuku) is overseeing operations of the restaurant, including menu development and the bar program. Longtime DUMBO resident David Liu (XO Group, The Knot) and fellow entrepreneur and neighbor Dan Chiu (OS NYC & OS Studios) join Johnny and Alex to lend their community focus and business acumen. The team behind Kinjo – meaning “neighborhood” in Japanese – hopes that the restaurant will soon be one of the neighborhood’s go-to restaurants and gathering places to linger over a snack and a drink.
Kinjo is located at 11 Adams St, Brooklyn, NY 11201.
Open Tuesday-Saturday with 3 seatings nightly (5:30pm, 7pm, 8:30pm – this seating will change to 9pm starting 11/5). Bar & lounge opens at 5pm.
