David Chang’s Momofuku Kāwi has permanently shuttered in Hudson Yards after remaining closed throughout the pandemic.
The restaurant, whose closure was first reported by Eater, is the latest retailer to pull out of the Shops at Hudson Yards. Peach Mart, a to-go concept from Momofuku, is also closed.
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“Kāwi was a special and deeply personal restaurant for Chef Jo [executive chef Eunjo Park] and everyone at Momofuku,” a spokesperson said in a statement to Eater. “We want to thank our teams who worked hard to make Kāwi and Peach Mart what they were and to our guests who have supported us since day one at Hudson Yards.”
Kāwi received critical acclaim after opening in May 2019. Eater critic Ryan Sutton called the establishment “a bright spot in the mall’s otherwise bleak dining landscape.”
The top-floor area previously occupied by Kāwi will become commercial office space, according to a spokesperson for Hudson Yards.
Two other Hudson Yards eateries, TAK Room restaurant and Bouchon Bakery, closed for good earlier in the pandemic.
Merchandise retailers have pulled out as well. Neiman Marcus, which anchored the high-end mall, closed after it announced bankruptcy in May 2020. It had signed a 50-year lease.
Pandemic restrictions initially limited restaurants to take-out service and later allowed them to serve diners outdoors, and then indoors at severely reduced capacity — rules which don’t work for expensive, sit-down establishments such as Momofuku Kāwi.
[Eater] — Sasha Jones