Miami’s Wood-Fired, Pan-Asian Barbecue Hit Kyu to Debut in NYC

Kyu, an acclaimed pan-Asian barbecue restaurant that first launched in Miami in 2016, is making its debut in NYC this winter. The New York Post reports that the wood-fired spot is sliding into the former location of celebrity chef Bobby Flay’s Gato, at 324 Lafayette Street, between East Houston and Bleecker streets, in Noho. The restaurant, known for its grilled and smoked meats, seafood, and an eye-twitching cocktail menu — the description for one drink, the No Way Rosé, reads “you like stuff in a big glass? us too” — is slated to open “before Christmas,” according to the Post. Kyu’s executive chef Raheem Sealey will lead the kitchen.

The Post notes that Kyu’s owners, the controversial, billionaire Reuben brothers, have been busy snapping up NYC real estate during the pandemic, including the Surrey Hotel on the Upper East Side — a deal that shuttered Daniel Boulud’s longstanding Café Boulud from the property. The family also recently scooped up an 88,000-square-foot Union Square property that they plan to convert into a posh hotel, restaurant, and private club.

Reusable cups and bowls are back — sort of

Chains including Starbucks, Think Coffee, and Just Salad have started accepting reusable mugs and bowls again from customers, Crain’s New York reports. The practice was widespread prior to the pandemic, and then many local businesses temporarily suspended their programs due to public health safety concerns. Not every place is back to welcoming in diners’ coffee mugs — Union Square Hospitality Group cafe Daily Provisions, for example, hasn’t yet resumed filling reusable cups — but Crain’s reports that there’s enough interest to sustain at least one new reusable cup app startup Cup Zero that launched last week at Brooklyn coffee shop Little Skips.

Gramercy’s Laut Singapura rebrands

After recently opening Wau on the Upper West Side, restaurateur Salil Mehta is retooling his two-year-old Singaporean restaurant Laut Singapura in Gramercy. The new restaurant, simply called Singapura, is a more relaxed “Southeast Asian-inspired beach bar and restaurant,” according to a press release announcing the switch. It debuts on November 15.

Watch this space

Former Contra sous chef Fidel Caballero is starting a two-month residency at Brooklyn zero-waste wine bar Rhodora, according to a spokesperson for the restaurant. Caballero is using the time to test out dishes for his new project, Corima, ahead of opening a permanent restaurant in a yet-to-be-named location in 2022.