Bushwick’s Juno, has closed its doors to the public. It seems that even after undergoing a facelift, the improvements weren’t enough to keep business going. The neighborhood staple decided to close up shop after a rocky transition into new culinary leadership. But as the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens. This time around, the door leads to a dimly lit dining room that loosely resembles a dining scene in a Miyazaki film.
The team led by Bryan Moon and Hoon Smith, first started Kichin three years ago in Williamsburg’s Although as a take-out counter. Their previous iterations have been mostly collaborations with Bubble T, MoMa PS1, Boiler Room, and Yaeji,as well as a pop-up restaurant at music venues Kinfolk and Baby’s All Right.
These passionate chefs are no strangers to running a business in the big city. Kichin comes to Bushwick as the group’s first attempt at sit-in dining. They are joined by chef Patricia Lee (formerly of Roberta’s) and beverage director Jason White (formerly of Per Se and Mission Chinese).
