One of Japan’s best-known restaurant groups, Forrest Fooding, has opened its first US outpost on the Lower East Side.

Yasuo Shigeta, a restaurateur, and the creative director Tomoyuki Iwanami have brought over three chefs who specialize in the cooking of the Hida region of Japan, a mountainous area northwest of Tokyo. 

The menu includes dishes such as Hida nigiri (beef sushi), Dashi (broths) and the signature Hoba Yaki, which involves meats and vegetables glazed with miso and fire-roasted on magnolia leaves. Kaikagetsu NYC offers both à la carte and kaiseki menus.

As well as the menu, the restaurant’s interior too is inspired by the Hida region, featuring design elements of the mountain’s historic homes, from black wood and white walls to little trinkets such as umbrellas and baskets.

Signature Dishes

With influence from the Hida region of Japan, this restaurant serves three kaiseki courses, a vegan / shojin kaiseki course, a la carte dishes, and pairings with carefully curated drinks.