At the Residence of Mr. Moto, Kaisen-Don Advances to Main Character
The first question you might ask yourself is: “Who is Mr. Moto?”
“He’s a very secret man,”Tomotsugo “Tomo” Kubo, the chef and owner of The Residence of Mr. Moto says, when asked about the namesake of his newest restaurant. “If I told you, he might fire me.”
The Residence of Mr. Moto, which recently opened in Williamsburg, is the fourth New York concept from Kubo’s AYS Hospitality, the same group behind spots like TabeTomo, a tsukemen shop in the East Village, TomoTomo, a traditional ramen shop in Midtown, and The Office of Mr. Moto, an omakase counter in the East Village. The Residence of Mr. Moto specializes in kaisen-don, a raw seafood-topped rice bowl similar to chirashi. And while it can commonly be found on other menus throughout the city, it’s one of the first restaurants in the city to specialize in the dish.
We sat down with chef Kubo and his chef de cuisine, Ry Nitzkowski, (formerly of Zero Bond, Shuko, and Momofuku Noodle Bar), to learn everything there is to know about the mysterious Mr. Moto and his kaisen-don. Expect lots of seafood, plenty of sake, and a whimsical interior that’s set to transport you into another world.
The Resy Rundown
The Residence of Mr. Moto
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Why We Like It
There’s no other restaurant in the city quite like it, transporting you to the world of the fictional Mr. Moto, whomever he may be, and plunging you headfirst into its specialty: kaisen-don, delicious rice bowls topped with seafood. It’s quality Japanese food that’s playful and encourages diners to make their own choices. -
Essential Dishes
Kaisen-don; ochazuke (the soup made from broth and remaining bits of rice); sweet soy chicken wings; and hojicha panna cotta. -
Must-Order Drinks
Expect many hard-to-find bottles and flavored options for sake. Signature cocktails include Hiroshi the Captain with Kokuto and plum sake.
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Who and What It’s For
Diners who want to change things up a bit from the usual sushi counter experience, raw seafood lovers, and anyone looking for an immersive, whimsical dining experience. -
How to Get In
Reservations open 14 days in advance at 10 a.m. Select seats at the sushi counter are held for walk-ins each day. -
Fun Fact
Chef-partner Tomotsugo “Tomo” Kubo tapped chef de cuisine Ry Nitzkowski to run the kitchen after they formed a friendship from Nitzkowski dining at his other concept, TabeTomo. Since the kitchen is open late, Nitzkowski would come by after his shifts at Zero Bond for a bowl of ramen and they would often chat until the early hours of the morning.
1. This is how it all came to be.
When The Residence of Mr. Moto’s Williamsburg space, which was formerly home to the Asian American bakery, Kitsby, became available about a year ago, chef Kubo and his co-founder-partner, Mier Wang, jumped at the opportunity. They had taken note of the rise in popularity of Japanese cuisine in Brooklyn and were interested in expanding. Their first thought was to open another ramen shop, like TabeTomo or TomoTomo, but the lack of a gas hook-up forced them to pivot to a different style of cuisine: the kaisen-don. It’s approachable like ramen, the beloved noodle dish, but more difficult to find in the U.S.
“In Japan, you see lots of kaisen-don restaurants, but not here in New York,” says Kubo. He tapped Nitzkowski to run the kitchen after spending many late nights together at TabeTomo, where Nitzkowski would go to eat after the kitchen closed at his nearby work spot, Zero Bond. The two formed a friendship and after Kubo tasted his sushi, he knew he was the perfect chef for the job.
2. It’s a different kind of Japanese restaurant.
Both Kubo and Nitzkowski knew they wanted to open something very different from a typical omakase restaurant. “There are so many omakase places right now. We want to focus on fish and Japanese food, but we don’t want to make it rigid. The kaisen-don is a great way to accomplish that without a label like sushi and its parameters,” says Nitzkowski. The duo went with more homestyle, casual food, but with a playful, not so serious slant. Many of the dishes are meant to be shared, and pair well with drinks. The mood and vibe are a lot more informal and fun than a typical sushi counter. And, importantly, more affordable.
3. For example …
From the moment you walk in, you know this isn’t your average restaurant, period. You are meant to be transported into its world, specifically, the home of Mr. Moto, as the name suggests. The entryway is a dark hall lined with Renaissance-style paintings, and the restaurant’s walls are lined with books and photographs. An area near the front space has been made to look like a closet with suits, hats, and ties hanging. And the restroom is hidden behind a bookshelf.
With 13 counter seats and 39 seats at tables, one of the restaurant’s most unique elements is the inclusion of a button at every table that rings a bell. The restaurant spotlights an ochazuke concept (more on that later), which involves a pouring of broth over your final bits of rice to make a soup. The button is meant to be pushed to summon a server when you’re ready for it. The staff have even rigged up a system where a physical bell rings when it’s pushed.
4. … And now for the food.
Although it’s a kaisen-don concept, the menu features a variety of crowd-pleasing offerings. It ranges from appetizers like chicken wings with a sweet soy sauce to sushi sets. Desserts, like matcha tiramisu, were developed with the space’s former tenant and friend of the restaurant group, Kitsby. It’s a big menu, where, unlike a sushi omakase, diners can choose their own adventure.
“Going back to that whole, omakase concept that’s so overused in New York, where the chef is always telling you how you’re supposed to eat — that’s not what we’re doing here,” says Nitzkowski. “This menu is about choice.”
And to assist you with your choices, Kubo and Nitzkowski wanted to bring your attention to the following dishes:
Kaisen-Don
There are three offerings for kaisen-don on the menu, stunningly presented in deep ceramic bowls brimming with seafood. The Captain’s Bowl is topped with tuna tartare, scallops, surf clam, yuzu tobiko, cucumber, and oshinko. A milder Sailor’s Bowl includes amberjack and sea bream sashimi with daikon pickles, and tosazu sauce. And the boldest, the Scholar’s Bowl, is a spicy blend of salmon, tuna tartare and yuzu tobiko. For each kaisen-don, the seafood is served atop steamed rice with a side of soy sauce, extra pickles, a raw egg, and additional raw fish for dipping or to add to the bowl.
Ochazuke
While technically not a dish that can be ordered on its own, ochazuke is crucial to the full kaisen-don experience. When you’re nearing the bottom of your bowl, you’re advised to ring the bell and a server will come over and pour their famous 60-hour broth, infused with seafood and vegetables, over the remaining rice to create a totally new dish. It’s meant to invoke the warmth of a home kitchen. The broth only gets better with time as it carries over from one day to the next, developing a rich, deep flavor.
Sushi
Although The Residence of Mr. Moto is not your typical omakase experience, the team wanted to include sushi offerings, especially given Nitzkowski’s experience working at some of the city’s top sushi spots, and his connections to some of the best seafood purveyors). There will be three combination sushi sets that will vary daily to keep it fresh and seasonal to order with the idea of having them as an addition to the kaisen-don.
And don’t sleep on the rest …
Appetizers are meant to be shared, like sweet soy chicken wings, similar to the ones you’ll find at TabeTomo. For desserts, you have your choice of a matcha tiramisu and hojicha panna cotta.
5. Expect more than just sake, too.
The restaurant doesn’t have its full liquor license just yet, but they have put together a thoughtful sake list with many hard-to-find bottles, along with flavored options like tangerine and lychee. There are plenty of low-ABV cocktails named after Mr. Moto’s closest confidants, like the shochu-based Taro the Diplomat with notes of peach, and Hiroshi the Captain with Kokuto, plum sake, and bitters. Zero-proof offerings include Takeshi the Alchemist with shiso and matcha.
The Residence of Mr. Moto is a playful breath of fresh air, with a serious seafood backbone. Come laugh and eat some top-tier tartare — because not all Japanese food has to be so serious.
“It’s traditional, but not rigid. We think New Yorkers are ready for something different,” says Nitzkowski.
By the end of your kaisen-don, you might still not know who Mr. Moto is, but you will have certainly taken a step into his wild and singular world, all without leaving New York City.
