The Residence of Mr. Moto (186 Grand St.), from the team behind Manhattan’s The Office of Mr. Moto, is opening in Williamsburg on December 9 with a menu of refined Japanese comfort food, sushi, sake, and cocktails.
The fictionalized story behind The Residence of Mr. Moto and its name dates back to 1852 when President Fillmore commissioned Commodore Matthew Perry to travel to Japan in an effort to open the country to trade with America. The character of Mr. Moto, a food and art connoisseur, accompanied Commodore Perry, and throughout the voyage, documented discoveries about Japanese gastronomy.Â
The Residence of Mr. Moto is styled to look like the private home of a globetrotting connoisseur with design details that capture the nostalgia of his travels.
There’s a gallery wall that includes genuine antique pieces from Japan and other items similar to those Mr. Moto collected during his travels.
Butler bells, placed between tables, allow guests to summon attendants for a signature ochazuke pour when ready, creating an interactive touch. The bathroom is hidden behind a sliding bookshelf, and guests must press a button to enter a mirrored hallway that leads to it.
The kitchen at The Residence of Mr. Moto is helmed by Chef Tomotsugo Kubo, known as Tomo. Chef Kubo is also behind The Office of Mr. Moto and other Manhattan Japanese spots.
At The Residence of Mr. Moto, the menu is inspired by traditional Japanese home-cooked recipes. One signature dish is the ochazuke, which is a rice dish infused with a rich 60-hour seafood broth. Chef Kubo encourages diners to pair the ochazuke with kaisen-don, a traditional Japanese donburi featuring steamed rice topped with a variety of fresh seafood.
One kaisen-don highlight is the The Captain’s Bowl with tuna tartare, scallops, clams, and yuzu tobiko served on top of seasoned rice with crisp cucumber and oshinko. There’s also The Sailor’s Bowl with amberjack, sea bream, daikon pickles, tosazu sauce and seasoned rice.
The menu includes appetizers like pickled edamame, uni shooters, and monkfish liver with ponzu, and a section of larger bites like seared scallops, miso cod, chicken wings, and a rainbow salad.
The menu offers a full page of sushi, with fresh fish prepared as nigiri or sashimi and flown in regularly from Japan, plus rolls and sushi sets, and ends with two dessert options from Kitsby Dessert Bar.
The Residence of Mr. Moto’s beverage menu includes a wide array of premium sake, shochu, beer, wine and inventive cocktails, including non-alcoholic options. There’s also tea and soda.
Cocktail highlights include Taro the Diplomat with peach, pear, and shochu, and Hiroshi the Captain with plum and yuzu. Hideo the Artisan with shiso and vanilla fizz is a tempting non-alcoholic option.
After opening day, The Residence of Mr. Moto will be open Tuesday through Sunday 6 p.m. – 11 p.m. until the new year.