Nosh Pit

First Look: Momiji

Pike/Pine’s newest bar and restaurant opens publicly Wednesday, October 5. Get a sneak peek now.

Posted by: Christopher Werner on Sep 30, 2011 at 10:16AM0 Comments

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Will Doherty will head up the bar. He’s stocking 25 types of sake and shochu and ten Japanese whiskeys. The cocktail program, promises Han, will be on par with the Hill’s many drinky destinations. Installation artist Yuri Kinoshita designed the cotton candy light fixture. (Or as one irreverent worker quipped during our visit, the floating hot dog.)

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“We like seeing everyone’s eyes bug out,” says Han of the dramatic transition from bar to back room.

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The mulit-course kaiseki menu invokes the culinary traditions of Kyoto. Plates might include deep-fried, yuba skin–wrapped scallops and shrimp; fresh tuna and marinated salmon roe atop somen; slow cooked pork shoulder; or fried tofu with yuzu miso.

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“We’re on the Hill, we want to have fun,” said Han when asked about the vibe he’s going for. “We want Momiji to be full of energy.” (Remember there’s that DJ booth, but it won’t get used until spring, according to Han.)

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Han recruited Hiroshi Matsubara of GM Studios to rehab the space once belonging to Dawson Plumbing. The garden, by Juni Miki of Zen Japanese Landscape and Design, and second dining room were added on, bringing the total square footage to 4,200.

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Much has been made of the design at Momiji, the upcoming Japanese restaurant of Steven Han (Umi, Kushibar). As you’ll see in the photos here, the buzz is not unwarranted—at the least, Han is delivering something unique to Seattle.

Momiji meaning maple tree, three variants of the wood dominate. A bar accommodating 24 anchors the front of the house; amble back a sleek hallway and find a sushi counter, DJ stand, and brawny booths and tables, all of them handcrafted by renowned woodworker Craig Yamamoto. Descend another hallway (“I like splitting up spaces,” explains Han) and you’re in a more intimate dining room, back-lit paper murals festooning its walls. Streaks of amber pepper the leafy artwork “like the changing colors of maple trees,” cooed Han during our tour. At the center of it all is Momiji’s piece de resistance: a Kyoto-style garden courtyard, where in warmer months you can dine alfresco.

Curious yet? Click through the slideshow to take a look around.

All photos by Seattlemet.com photographer Lucas Anderson.

Tags: New Seattle Restaurants, Seattle Restaurant Openings, Capitol Hill, Seattle Japanese Food