Kono

Tucked inside Chinatown's Canal Arcade, Kono is quietly one of the most acclaimed dining experiences in New York City. The 14-seat counter run by chef Atsushi "ATS" Kono ranks No. 23 on North America's 50 Best Restaurants list, offering a 16-course kappo-style yakitori omakase where every course spotlights a different cut of chicken, grilled over kishu binchotan charcoal. A two-time James Beard Award finalist in the Best Chef: New York State category, Kono was also the first chef in the United States to earn a Michelin star for yakitori cookery, a distinction he achieved during his decade-long tenure at Yakitori Torishin before striking out on his own. And hidden behind one of the restaurant's walls is a secret four-seat Japanese whisky bar and vinyl listening room, a nod to the chef's other life as a former professional breakdancer with the legendary Rock Steady Crew.