'Fantasy Playground' Toy to Open in MePa This Month

As rumored last month, brunch-loving twins Daniel and Derek Koch are taking over the Tanuki Tavern space with a brand new dining and nightlife concept called Toy. El Chod is still a co-manager of the space, but this project will be very different from his failed Japanese Izakaya. Reps are billing Toy as a "fantasy playground" that will have an indoor/outdoor oyster bar, a "fractal mirror ceiling," a large outdoor area, and a two-level dining room. Also: after 1 a.m., it will turn into a full-on club. The Koch brothers tell the WSJ:

While the area has some great Asian establishments, few have delivered the sex appeal that we are creating with TOY...Dinner has shifted from just a meal to a fully immersive setting that transitions into a night out...We want to raise the bar.

Apparently, the Koch brothers are talking Doron Wong, who previously worked at Shang and Delicatessen, about becoming the chef here. Toy is slated to open at the end of the week.
UPDATE: A rep notes that the space is slated to open the week of June 18.
· Meatpacking District Gets New Playground [~ENY~]
· Is El Chod Handing Tanuki Tavern Over to Koch Bros? [~ENY~]
[Photo: the Old Tanuki Tavern Space via West Village Food]

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TOY New York

18 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10014 212-201-1222

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Tanuki Tavern

18 Ninth Avenue, New York, NY 10014 Visit Website

Toy

18 9th Ave, New York, NY