NYC's Michelin-Starred Odo To Open Lounge With Rare Japanese Whisky

New York City's Michelin-starred restaurant odo will soon open a sister lounge. According to a press release sent to Tasting Table, the intimate Japanese restaurant, which only accommodates 14 people at its chef's counter lunches and dinners, will be joined by the odo lounge — a bar and small bites location specializing in fine Japanese whiskies and cocktails.

Like the original restaurant, which is operated by Chef Hiroki Odo, the odo lounge will be an intimate location, with six bar seats and another 14 for table dining. The lounge is set to be located behind the odo chef's counter and will only be accessible to customers through a private entrance. This is not the first foray into the lounge and bar scene for Hiroki Odo, as he also owns The Gallery and HALL, all of which are in NYC's Flatiron district. However, odo lounge will be the first establishment directly connected to his eponymous Michelin-starred restaurant.

While the odo restaurant is known for specializing in seasonal Kaiseki — a traditional, multi-course Japanese culinary style meant to evoke a sense of wholehearted hospitality — the odo lounge's emphasis will be on the urbanity of its select drinks. According to the press release, the odo lounge's cocktail menu will be curated by Jordan David Smith, who serves as the lounge's head bartender and spirits director.

The menu at odo lounge will feature rare and highly sought-after Japanese whiskies and spirits, including Beam Suntory, Nikka, and KI NO BI Kyoto Dry Gin. Several complex signature cocktails have already been announced for the location, including the Sakura Martini made with Roku gin, myoga, Maraschino liqueur, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup, and Peychaud's bitters, with a ginger sugar rim and sansho berry, as well as the Five Spice Fuji made with Hibiki Harmony, Fuji apple puree, five spice syrup, fresh lemon juice, clove, maple, and demerara served over ice with garnishes of caramelized Fuji apple and clove.

The odo lounge will pair these drinks with a selection of Japanese comfort food dishes with a modern twist and a selection of traditional Japanese nibbles and Hiroki Odo's "Secret Dish of the Day." The lounge will be open from 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, and reservations are now available by contacting odo through its website.