Hot Kitchen, the authentic Sichuan restaurant, closed at the end of October over at 104 Second Ave. between Sixth Street and Seventh Street.
Word here was that ownership planned to changed up concepts in the weeks ahead. And so they did.
As the top photo via Steven shows, Hot Kitchen will now be serving Japanese cuisine under the name of — presumably — Sushi & Sake. Expect a soft opening this week.
Hot Kitchen opened in 2011... and eventually moved away from the more traditional (and adventurous) Chinese-menu offerings in place of hotpot and BBQ. They also curtailed delivery last year. See the reader comments here for more.
I don't think anything will make a go of it here as long as that sidewalk shed is up.
ReplyDeleteHot Kitchen was one of the best Szechuan restaurants in the city. Why did they go and mess with a good thing? When they became hot pot, there were three hot pot restaurants within two blocks...now two are gone and the third keeps changing ownership.
ReplyDeleteAgreed, Hot Kitchen was good and one of the go-to Chinese food delivery places.
ReplyDeleteWho the hell is running this business? They had maybe the best Chinese delivery in the neighborhood... then just decided they wouldn't deliver any more? then turned it into a Hot Pot place (none of the hot pot places seem to do well), and now it's generic sushi?
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's a front? They don't want business and are trying any way they know how to avoid it!
what a disaster...
ReplyDeleteHot Kitchen was very good, usually crowded, and I ate there regularly. Then they went to hot pot and I never went again, and apparently neither did anyone else. Management fail.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this was a change in ownership when it went from Szechuan to hot pot? And then to Japanese.
ReplyDeleteHot Kitchen was good but it was surpassed by Mountain House in its food, atmosphere, service (the front desk at Hot Kitchen had a sour vibe), and crowds, so the writing was on the wall for the owners. I think it was evolve or die.
ReplyDelete@sophocles Mountain House sadly has almost zero vegetarian options and Hot Kitchen (before they went hot-pot only) had amazing szechuan veggie options. now i can go to Spicy Moon for some things at least but it was nice to have a more traditional restaurant that you could go to with omni friends and everyone would be happy. their eggplant in garlic sauce is truly missed.
ReplyDelete