Ikigai New York

Ikigai, 生き甲斐, means a sense of purpose in Japanese. A reason for living. Spend one meal here and you’ll understand why they chose that name.

What makes this place even more special is that it’s a non-profit. Every dollar you spend goes toward fighting food insecurity. They’ve helped rescue over a million pounds of food! Not only are you eating well, but you’re doing good at the same time.

This was my second visit, and there’s something really cool about watching a restaurant find its stride. Ikigai has done exactly that.

The menu is a New York expression of Kaiseki, rooted in Japanese technique but shaped by the seasons and ingredients of this city. The chawanmushi with cauliflower, aged cheese, and truffle was quietly one of the best bites of the night. The Wagyu with ramp, myoga, and tomato was another standout. And the Kegani rice set to close was the kind of ending that makes you sit back and appreciate everything that came before it.

If you haven’t been, go. And if you have, it’s time to go back.
Swipe through to see what we had!

#ikigaibk #kaiseki #japanesefood #nonprofit Less