One of Bleecker Street’s most celebrated Japanese restaurants is gearing up for a long-anticipated revival at the Hudson River’s newest food hall.
Bessou was a highly beloved modern Japanese restaurant from chef and owner Maiko Kyogoku. Maiko established Bessou in 2016 at 5 Bleecker Street as a love letter to the food tradition she grew up entrenched in. Inspired by her mother, a passionate home cook who used every meal as an opportunity to teach Maiko and her sister about their Japanese heritage, Maiko developed a lifelong love of cooking and endeavored to found a restaurant would enable her to share that love with the good people of New York.
Envisioned as a modern take on everyday Japanese food, Bessou quickly acquired a loyal following and soon became one of the most popular Japanese restaurants on Bleecker Street. Sadly, earlier this year fans were devastated to learn that Bessou would not be renewing their lease on Bleecker street. While her departure from Bleecker was a sad moment to witness, Maiko emphasized that the closure would be temporary, that Bessou would remain a New York staple no matter what. Shortly after closing, Maiko continued to operate Bessou as a home meal delivery service through cookunity, and now more information has been revealed about the future of Bessou.
For Bessou’s next step in reopening, Maiko will be bringing her popular Japanese comfort food to the newly announced food hall at Pier 57, the Hudson River’s latest Jamestown-developed project. Returning to New York for the first time since shutting down in June, Bessou will operate a unique kiosk in the food hall that will serve their signature karaage style fried chicken, with a diverse selection of sauces, including spicy mayo, miso bbq, tangy yuzu nanban, and cod roe cream. Bessou’s Pier 57 kiosk will also serve their popular sushi-style crispy rice patties, offering delightful options like salmon sashimi, spicy tuna, and the “remi” – a ratatouille with zucchini, cauliflower, and cheesy nori crunch.
Pier 57 is currently slated to open to the public later this fall, and Bessou is currently expected to operate daily from 8:00 AM – 10:00 PM, seven days a week. Maiko is currently looking to acquire a beer, wine, and cider license for Bessou, and for further updates on the project you can follow along with Bessou on Instagram.
