Tigerlily Kitchen is preparing to return to the full-service dining scene. The team has filed liquor license paperwork with Community Board 3 for a restaurant at 125 Canal Street in Chinatown.
The Asian fusion concept got its start as a ghost kitchen in 2020 before opening as a full-service restaurant in 2021 on Third Avenue in the East Village. However, it has been closed since August, when it was forced to shutter to make way for demolition plans in the East Village. Since then, Tigerlily Kitchen has been offering catering services, and it did a pop-up residency at Nimbus Kitchen during the fall.
Now, they are preparing to reopen, co-owner John O’Brien told What Now New York. He said they are targeting a June opening, though the timeline will depend on the progress of construction, which has not started yet. O’Brien said the construction will focus largely on cosmetic changes to the space on Canal Street.
Customers can expect the same concepts for the menu. As before, the menu will focus on serving Hong Kong-inspired vegetable-centric cuisine that is largely gluten-free and vegan-based. The offerings, inspired by recipes from co-owner Michelle Morgan’s mother and her travels throughout Asia, are designed to offer variety while also catering to those with dietary restrictions.
“It won’t be a far cry from what we did on Third Avenue,” O’Brien said. “It’ll be something similar to that but not exactly the same — an evolution of that.”
The proposed menu includes items like bibb lettuce and tangerine salad, coconut mango ceviche, spring rolls, veggie fried rice and red curry chicken, according to the filed paperwork.
Paperwork indicates plans for seven indoor tables that will seat 36 and one bar with nine seats, as well as a sidewalk cafe with three tables and six seats. The proposed hours of operation are 12 p.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday for the interior. Hours for the sidewalk cafe are expected to be 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. daily.
“We’re excited to show our evolution,” O’Brien said. “We have a couple surprises.”
