10. Jewel Bako (Opened 2001)
Jewel Bako and Restaurant Ukiyo, next door neighbors in the East Village, both shut down recently despite rave reviews from those in the community. With one Michelin star, Jewel Bako was a high-quality Japanese eatery that specialized in omakase, a chef’s tasting menu of a variety of sushi, sashimi, and other small Japanese bites. According to Michelin, Jewel Bako had much of its fish flown in directly from Japan, leading to popular dishes like pearly cod fillet.
Owners Jack and Grace Lamb’s transformed their chef’s counter restaurant Degustation into Restaurant Ukiyo, a French eatery with Japanese and other international influences. Dutch chef Marco Prins led the kitchen and created popular dishes like “parfait of foie gras” with crispy rice and halibut with dashi hollandaise. Ukiyo, which opened in 2018, was a very intimate restaurant, with just 18 seats at the counter, but its dishes were top-notch, with five and eight course menus.
“After almost 20 wonderful years, Jewel Bako and Restaurant Ukiyo are closing. Thank you to all our fantastic neighbors and all of the lovely friends we’ve made over these two decades! We cannot express how much we will miss you and truly thank you for making each night of service so memorable.”