(Photo courtesy of @newyorktimes)
This speakeasy Japanese restaurant is located in the heart of Williamsburg, and is changing the whole restaurant game.
I arrived to the corner of North 6th and Wythe Street, got out of the car with my friend Zack. We looked around confused wondering if we had the address wrong... he insisted it was this building on the corner, that to me, from the outside, looks like a wooden warehouse or something. We tried one door, it didn't open. We walked along looking for a door we thought was non-existent. We pushed on the other door and entered this maze like atmosphere of jazz like music, and downtown Tokyo vibes.
"Opened in November 2006 by a homesick Tokyo-native, Zenkichi is a modern Japanese brasserie providing an authentic dining experience of popular Tokyo establishments."
We were escorted through the hall of mirrors, by booths with curtains and drapes, to a booth of our own concealed by two orange drapes. On the end of the table, was a small card and a button that stated something like, "We protect your privacy, please hit button below when service is needed." I pushed the button to see if it was real, then boom, she popped through the curtain and began telling us the 50 types of Sake they had. We ordered a sampler.
I forgot to mention as you walk by the Reservation desk there's a big sign that says "PHONES ON SILENT OR TURNED OFF." Yes, that also meant NO WIFI. So it's kind of like a phone-less dinner and it was really refreshing.
For more information check out their website (http://zenkichi.com/), and if you want a reservation make sure you call at least 1 week in advance!
77 N 6th St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, 718.388.898