Williamsburg’s Shalom Japan (310 S. 4th St.) serves a unique fusion of Jewish and Japanese cuisine. The restaurant is owned by husband and wife duo Sawako Okochi, known as Sawa, and Aaron Israel, who are not only the owners but the chefs.
After 11 years, Shalom Japan is ready to expand with a new cafe and event space combo that will be located next to the original restaurant. The new space will be called Tokidoki, which translates to “sometimes” in Japanese, a nod toward the combined use of the space that will sometimes be a cafe and sometimes be an event space.
During the day, Tokidoki will serve Japanese sandwiches, onigiri and onigirazu or rice sandwiches, plus a daily bento box. At night, the space will be used as a private dining destination for up to 20 guests, or as an area for collaborative and creative events for Shalom Japan. The team is aiming to open Tokidoki at the end of the month.
While waiting for Tokidoki to open, locals can satisfy cravings with Shalom Japan’s new matzoh ball ramen kits, which the restaurant recently launched, just in time for Rosh Hashana. Matzoh ball ramen is Shalom Japan’s signature dish, and it can now be enjoyed at home with these takeout kits that serve two people and cost $30. The kits stay fresh for one week in the fridge and up to three months in the freezer.
The matzoh ball ramen kits are available for pick up at Shalom Japan during restaurant hours, and can also be delivered through Grubhub or UberEats. When Tokidoki opens, they can also be picked up there.