A 15-year-old sushi restaurant that closed in December for what the head chef then called “touch-ups” will reopen later this month — not with sashimi and nigiri, but with handmade dumplings, dim sum-style dishes and cocktails.
The owner of Okinawa Japanese Cuisine, which has been a neighborhood favorite since 2010, will reintroduce the space, at 2301 E. Colfax Ave., as Ma’s Kitchen: Dim Sum, Noodles & Bar. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Xi Yong Zheng last year opened a smaller version of Ma’s Kitchen next door in the former Tacos Tequila Whiskey space, at 1514 York St.
That spot, which will focus more on takeout, lunch, and “efficient dining,” according to a press release, will now be called Ma’s Kitchen | Next Door.
Dim Sum, Noodles & Bar, on the other hand, will have more of a dinnertime ambiance and come with an expanded menu of dim sum and Asian fusion dishes, as well as a cocktail program run by Alisha Taylor, formerly of The Devil’s Drink.
The future of Okinawa Japanese Cuisine was uncertain when customers noticed it closed unexpectedly late last year. At the time, Okinawa’s head sushi chef said it would be closed “just for touch-ups.”
Both restaurants are expected to debut in the middle of the month, with a more formal grand opening planned for later in the month.
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AloJapan.com