Beloved Miami Restaurant KYU Makes Its Manhattan Debut

Photo Credit: Courtesy of KYUIt’s time to welcome a little bit of Miami flavor into New York. The acclaimed wood-fired Asian-inspired restaurant, KYU, opened its doors in Manhattan on Lafayette Street. A staple of Miami’s eclectic Wynwood neighborhood since 2016, the bold-flavored restaurant has received several esteemed recognitions like TIME’s Best Restaurant in Florida. On the heels of KYU’s major success in the Miami and Mexico City markets, the Manhattan opening marks the start of the restaurant’s global expansion.

With a focus on original Japanese yakiniku wood-fired grilling methods, KYU’s signature dishes include a smoked wagyu beef brisket, whole-roasted cauliflower with goat cheese and shishito herb vinaigrette, and the restaurant’s sought-after, multi-layered coconut cake for dessert. Designed to share, each meal is equally as tasty as it is camera-ready with bold flavors offsetting bouquets of fresh herbs.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of KYUThe new restaurant’s talented culinary team is helmed by executive Chef Chris Arellanes, an alum of New York favorites like Per Se and Eleven Madison Park. Additional menu highlights include the seven-hour smoked short ribs, burrata with yuzu, tunta tataki with roasted peppers, and roasted red snapper with brown butter-white miso. The bar is equally decadent offering clever twists on classic cocktails like their Wynwood Mule infused with vodka, ginger beer, bitters, and house-smoked pineapple. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of KYUUpon entering, guests are fully immersed in the KYU experience with a sleek lounge followed by a focal point bar and open kitchen. The design of the space embodies a harmonious dichotomy of concrete finishes manifesting modernity juxtaposed against warm Versailles oak wood floors. 

Photo Credit: Courtesy of KYU

We’re officially deeming this Manhattan outpost as an haute dining spot. KYU is located on 324 Lafayette Street, New York NY 10012.