America’s New Restaurant Openings – Muku New York City

Chef Manabu Asanuma is the man behind the 10-seat Muku in Tribeca, dedicated to a traditional form of Japanese cuisine.

Born and raised in the Yamagata Prefecture, he studied the culinary discipline at school in Miyagi.

From there, Asanuma went off to learn from some of Japan’s most respected culinary masters, including Koumei Nakamura, of Iron Chef fame.

And now, with the same restaurant group behind L’Abeille, he’s opened his kaiseki spot serving a 10- to 12-course menu that will evolve with the seasons.

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Bosco San Francisco

Opening in the former Bellota restaurant in the City by the Bay, Bosco will offer up wood-fired Cal-Italian fare, with much of the work of chef-partners Ryan McIlwraith and Kaili Hill on display thanks to its open-kitchen concept.

The food on offer includes housemade bread, pasta like paccheri with wild boar and buckwheat chitarra, and swordfish and bistecca alla Fiorentina from the grill.

The 230-seat restaurant’s design homes in on biophilic, earthy touches, taking cues from its name, inspired by the Italian word for “woods.”

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Txula Steak New York City

The José Andrés empire is expanding yet again. Inside the chef’s culinary destination Mercado Little Spain in N.Y.C.’s Hudson Yards, this new new steakhouse is inspired by the flavors found in Spain’s Basque Country.

Aptly named after Txuletón, a 60-day aged beef ribeye, the spot will serve up signature cuts of Ibérico pork, Spanish lamb, and American Waygu.

Alongside Spanish twists on steakhouse classics, like a beef tartare served in a Catalan-style pressed sandwich, red shrimp from the Balearic Sea, and the restaurants Iberian take on the classic Martini.

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Hwaro New York City

Sungchul Sim—one our fine dining rising stars last year—has become a prolific restaurateur.

So much so that he’s tucking new restaurants inside existing ones. His newest project, Hwaro, is a 22-seat circular chef’s counter nestled in the Theater District’s Gui Steakhouse.

The multi-course tasting-menu experience will take guests through all parts of Korean fine dining—with touches of global influences—in an immersive experience, using seasonal ingredients and pieces of both land and sea as part of its offerings.

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Crying Tiger Chicago

From the folks at Lettuce Entertain You restaurant group comes a new Southeast Asian restaurant on the Chicago scene. Lead by chef Thai Dang, the new spot takes its menu inspiration from Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, and Cambodia.

Think crispy prawn toast on Chinese donuts and sugarcane beef wrapped in betel leaves. Paired with the cuisine is what will be an eye-catching interior thanks to the minds at David Collins Studio—who recently designed the restaurant group’s Evan Funke-led dining destination Tre Dita at the St. Regis Chicago.

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Fleurette La Jolla California

Chef Travis Swikard is a native San Diegan, and he’s deeply enthusiastic about the food grown and raised in his own backyard.

After showing off how he can wield bold flavors at his debut spot, Callie, the chef is popping into the La Jolla neighborhood for his next venture, Fleurette.

The new 120-seat restaurant places a spotlight on the French Italian Riviera and its cuisine—all while using those ingredients found a littler closer to Swikard’s home.

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Via Aurelia San Francisco

Via Aurelia marks David Nayfeld’s return to fine dining. The chef, a co-creator of Back Home Hospitality, has trained in many a Michelin-starred kitchen, including Eleven Madison Park and France’s Mirazur.

Nayfeld made his mark on the Bay Area by launching his hit Italian spot Che Fico back in 2018. Since then, plenty of other iterations of the restaurant have followed, including Che Fico Pizzeria. Now, Nayfeld is back with a new 75-seat destination.

And there will be a pretty sweet view along with the Tuscan-style cuisine, too, with waterfront vistas stretching across the Bay from the full weatherized and heated patio.

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Stars New York City

Via Aurelia marks David Nayfeld’s return to fine dining. The chef, a co-creator of Back Home Hospitality, has trained in many a Michelin-starred kitchen, including Eleven Madison Park and France’s Mirazur.

Nayfeld made his mark on the Bay Area by launching his hit Italian spot Che Fico back in 2018. Since then, plenty of other iterations of the restaurant have followed, including Che Fico Pizzeria. Now, Nayfeld is back with a new 75-seat destination.

And there will be a pretty sweet view along with the Tuscan-style cuisine, too, with waterfront vistas stretching across the Bay from the full weatherized and heated patio.

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Savage Dallas

Sauvage is hitting the Dallas food scene with husband-and-wife duo Casey and Amy La Rue at the helm.

The pair formerly owned Carte Blanche, a spot that was bakery by day, fine-dining experience by night.

Carte Blanche closed, but in its wake the bakery La Rue Doughnut emerged, and now the couple is opening Sauvage, a new fine-dining spot that uses many Texas-grown ingredients throughout its tasting menu.

That roster includes dishes like foie gras truffle with charred onion jam and a house croissant; a wild boar belly and antelope with pistachio, fermented harissa, and yogurt; and an Asian pear sorbet with aloe sabayon and ginger tapioca.

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Midōsuji Chicago

Brian Lockwood has had plenty on his plate lately.

The chef is one of many who trained Jeremy Allen White for his award-laden role as Carmy in The Bear, and now he is opening a new omakase experience in the Windy City with the powerhouse Boka Restaurant Group.

The eight-seat Midōsuji, named after a ginkgo-tree lined street in Osaka, will have a rotating menu featuring items like chawanmushi with chickpea, caviar, and buttermilk-mussel sauce and a tempura rock shrimp hand roll.

Lockwood, the Eleven Madison Park alum, also has another project on the horizon: Gingie, a restaurant that combines Japanese-inspired flavors with European cooking techniques.

America’s New Restaurant Openings – Corridor 109 Los Angeles

Corridor 109 started out as a series of high-end pop-up dinners in L.A, at his family’s restaurant Kobawoo House.

Now, chef Brian Baik is making the spot a permanent affair, with a 12-seat chef’s counter and 11-course tasting menus.

Baik has cut his teeth on the dining scene at many a Michelin-starred restaurant, including Eleven Madison Park, Bouley, and Sushi Noz.