Greenpoint has become one of New York City’s culinary hotspots in recent years, and a new, luxe chef’s counter is adding yet another destination-worthy dinner to the North Brooklyn neighborhood.
Directly across from McCarren Park, Chef Yuu Shimano’s first restaurant sits on a tree-lined block, offering a unique and elegant 18-course French omakase menu. The Japanese chef trained at Tsuji Culinary Institute in both Osaka, Japan and Lyon, France. Following his graduation in 2002, he cooked at two-Michelin-starred La Villa des Lys at the Hotel Majestic in Cannes before becoming the Chef de Partie of Meats and Sauces at three-Michelin-starred Restaurant Guy Savoy in Paris.
In 2017, Yuu relocated to Manhattan, where he opened MIFUNE and ran the kitchen as executive chef. Now, Restaurant Yuu is the culmination of his experiences and talents, offering an 18-course tasting menu, featuring Japanese ingredients, flavors and several one-bite items reminiscent of an omakase experiences. To drink alongside the menu are a wide selection of wines and sakes by the bottle and by the glass, plus four beverage pairing options by Sommelier Akio Matsumoto: wine and sake, a premium “Noble” wine and sake, low-ABV, and non-alcoholic pairings.
A smoked trout tartlet with fennel cream, finished with smoked trout roe at Restaurant Yuu
At two nightly seatings, guests are escorted to a black marble L-shaped 18-seat chef’s tasting counter. Behind the counter, an open kitchen outfitted with top-of-the-line equipment — a custom-made Molteni oven, a binchotan charcoal grill, a pastry station with a pie maker — serves as Chef Yuu’s stage, to present dishes and connect with guests throughout the meal with banter in French, Japanese and English.
Every course is served on a different plate, each sourced from Japanese designers including Arita Plus pottery, Japan’s storied Koransha porcelain, and lipped bowls from Aya Morishita Woodwork, accented by steak knives inspired by Japanese swords from Tojiro Wakisahi and other artisanal flatware as well as Kimura glassware from Tokyo.
Duck pie at Restaurant Yuu
Dishes are intricate, yet easy to enjoy. The A5 Wagyu Sea Urchin features wagyu seared on the binchotan for a smokey flavor and aroma and served over uni rice and topped with uni and sancho sauce then garnished with chrysanthemum tempura. Eel Foie Gras, in sunchoke purée with daikon, is served with sunchoke chips and coffee powder; and Leek poireaux is tangy with balsamic-anchovy vinaigrette, topped with radish and cashews. The final course is Chef Yuu’s signature Duck Pie, a house made pie filled with duck breast and duck thigh, spinach, and foie gras, served with a black pepper cognac and duck jus sauce. Guests get a preview of the pre-baked item, showcased across the counter, and enjoy a steamy slice when it’s fresh out of the oven. The menu will change with seasonality and availability.
Young Japanese ayu fish wrapped in a shiso leaf at Restaurant Yuu
Pastry Chef Masaki Takahashi (of two-Michelin-starred Narisawa in Tokyo) offers a multicourse dessert menu, followed by a final sweet in the parlor. Guests are escorted to sofas, designer chairs, and coffee tables with sconce lighting for mignardise and tea or digestifs.
Restaurant Yuu is located at 55 Nassau Ave. in Brooklyn. Seatings are Tuesday – Saturday, at 6 pm and 8:30 pm. Reservations for the $250 tasting are available via Tock.