James Beard finalist opening late-night Japanese food stall in uptown Charlotte
Known for taking bold and inventive ideas and turning them into realities, James Beard Award finalist chef Sam Hart is staying true to their tradition of creating what they wish existed and opening a Japanese robatayaki food stall called Maneki.
The concept, first reported by Unpretentious Palate, will be open until 2 a.m. It is slated to open by March 2024 uptown in the former Latta Arcade, now The Alley. It will serve traditional Japanese grilled skewers with a variety of dipping sauces.
“We are going hyper traditional — no modern flare. Just super old school, grilled over Sumi charcoal. The flames on the Konro grill get to 1500 degrees Fahrenheit, so you can cook super fast and it gives a beautiful flavor to everything,” Hart told CharlotteFive.
Guests can also choose to make a reservation to enjoy a 45 minute omakase tasting menu at a four-person bar. Each reservation will be for an hour and a half time slot, with the last available time at 12:30 a.m. to cater to the late-night restaurant industry crowd.
The kitchen of the 475 square-foot food stall will be run by former Bardo chef Kenny Do.
“The fun part about Counter-, Biblio and now Maneki is that you get a team together and it continues to grow, and you realize that people have developed so strongly that we need to find a way to get them a new home,” Hart said about the opportunity to combine Do’s talents with their joint love of Japanese cuisine.
In preparation for the opening, Do will travel to Hokkaido, Japan, for a month to study the centuries-old technique of robatayaki, or open-fire cooking. The method was developed by Japanese fishermen who would light charcoal and take it with them in a fire-proof box when they left shore for the day. After catching fish, they would place the box on their oar and their fish in the box so when they returned home hungry, they had food prepared to eat.
Unlike many Japanese restaurants that import food from Japan, Hart said Maneki will follow a more Japanese-minded approach and source all of its food locally.
“It’s probably not what people expect — you won’t see uni on the menu, you aren’t going to see scallops from Hokkaido — it’s not sustainable. Our sources will be local — oysters from the East Coast, proteins from the Carolinas. We will prepare it all in the traditional way, but it’s more of the traditional Japanese mindset of using what’s local,” Hart said.
In addition to skewers that will range from $3-5, Maneki will serve a variety of traditional side dishes such as rice and cucumber salad. It will also have an extensive sake list.
Perhaps the best news about Hart’s latest endeavor? Charlotteans won’t have to wait until March to try it. Maneki will be hosting pop up events around Charlotte prior to its grand opening that feature the entire menu.
Maneki is opening as part of Irreverently Refined Hospitality Group, which includes Hart, Audra Harman and two partners.
Maneki
Location: 320 South Tryon St., Charlotte
Instagram: @manekiCharlotte
This story was originally published August 17, 2023 at 5:00 AM.
