Zenkichi's new winter garden
photo: Courtesy of Zenkichi
It’s not often that we get to write about a restaurant opening a garden in November, but then Zenkichi in Williamsburg never does things the usual way – what other eatery in New York has call buttons for waiters? The Japanese izakaya has just opened its enclosed winter garden, adding some extra seating to the multi floor restaurant. Husband-and-wife owners Motoko Watanabe and Shaul Margulies say the inspiration was “a Japanese mountain retreat” and that the garden created a few design challenges: “We have two big trees that we wanted to work with instead of cutting down," explains Margulies, "and hopefully the natural feel is embedded in the space." He's also excited about the garden's glass ceiling, "I'm anticipating the first snow ‘look' – I think that'll be a highlight.”
But the garden isn’t the only change Zenkichi is contemplating – the duo are currently scouting spaces for a potential relocation to Manhattan sometime in the future. Says Margulies, “The idea is to stay roughly the same size and price range, but to eliminate the three-floor ordeal of running up and down all night long. We also plan on making the seating area a bit more private and luxurious.”