A new Japanese restaurant has opened in Newark — and it’s coming from the same owner of three other well-known restaurants, including Cellar 335 and Madame in Jersey City. Kinjo is a new Japanese-inspired restaurant and the most recent addition to the dining scene in downtown Newark. Located at 155 Washington Avenue in Newark, the new business has a straight-forward menu with Japanese items loved by many. Read on to learn more about Kinjo in Newark, New Jersey.
^ An exclusive sneak peek inside Kinjo. Photo Credit: TRBO Media
Coming to Newark
Per an Instagram post from Kinjo, the new spot is now open in Newark as of November 15th, 2023.
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The team was originally aiming for a summer 2023 opening.
Read More: Where to Eat Around the Prudential Center
The Montclair Girl spoke with Jamie Knott, chef and owner of Kinjo, about what’s to come back in June. “First of all, Kinjo means ‘neighborhood’ in Japanese and basically, we wanted to be approachable to students but kind of change up the dining scene in Newark as well,” he shared.
Photo Credit: TRBO Media
Jamie opened Kinjo along with business partner Robert Palmer. Together, they own Madame (390 4th Street, Jersey City), Cellar 335 (335 Newark Avenue, Jersey City), and Saddle River Café (171 East Saddle River Road, Saddle River). Jamie also owns Saddle River Inn (2 Barnstable Court, Saddle River), so this is the fifth restaurant he’s opened.
What To Expect
Kinjo’s menu was put together with help from Chef William Sanders. “It’s going to be modern Japanese inspired. It’s basically five dumplings, five bao, five sushi rolls, and five Ramen right now,” Jamie teased back in June, saying that the menu is subject to changes.
Photo Credit: TRBO Media
As far as the décor goes, the acclaimed chef says that the inside is “pretty spectacular.” He explained, “We have 120 seats. We have a full bar. We’re going to do a beautiful cocktail list…Listen, it’s going to look amazing. I would say it’s going to be more on the casual side based on the pricing and where we are. We’re about five blocks from the Prudential Center.”
Photo Credit: TRBO Media
Kinjo’s location is inside the Urby apartment building, which is also right next to Rutgers Law’s Newark location. Jamie told The Montclair Girl: “It’s going to be catering to students, but it’s also going to be catering to the building that we’re in. There are 320 apartments so we’re going to be doing room service as well.”
He added that there will be a QR code in each room in Urby where residents can scan and order takeout. They then can easily come downstairs and grab their food to go. “It’s really an amenity for the building,” Kinjo’s owner said.
Jamie believes that Kinjo will be a welcome addition to the scene in downtown Newark.
Photo Credit: TRBO Media
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