CHEF YUKIKO’S KITCHEN
A Special One-Night-Only Dining Experience at Odo
Monday, October 26, 2026 | $100 Tasting Menu
On Monday, October 26, Odo invites guests to experience Chef Yukiko’s Kitchen, a special one-night-only dining event led entirely by Sous Chef Yukiko Nishi.
Inspired by makanai—the staff meals traditionally prepared and shared in restaurant kitchens—Chef Nishi presents a tasting menu that draws on the familiar, comforting dishes that have long been part of her life as a chef. Reimagined for a special evening at Odo, the menu brings together the warmth of everyday Japanese home cooking and the care, technique, and sensibility of a professional kitchen.
For this exclusive event, Chef Nishi will take the lead in conceiving the menu, shaping the dining experience, and preparing the dishes herself. The result is a personal expression of her culinary perspective, offering guests a different way to experience Japanese cuisine through the dishes that inspire and sustain the people behind the kitchen.
The $100 tasting menu will begin with three small seasonal dishes, followed by a comforting bowl of tonjiru, a traditional Japanese pork and vegetable miso soup. Guests can then explore a selection of à la carte mains and small plates, including sukiyaki, menchi-katsu (Japanese breaded ground-meat cutlet), miso-simmered mackerel, simmered sea bream, sesame tofu spring rolls, and chili shrimp.
For the final savory course, guests may choose between nabeyaki udon, a hearty hot-pot noodle dish with vegetables, mushrooms, and egg, or oyakodon, a comforting bowl of chicken and egg over rice, served with kombu and turnip pickles. The evening concludes with matcha mousse coated in white chocolate, accompanied by tea.
Rooted in the everyday traditions of the Japanese kitchen, Chef Yukiko’s Kitchen celebrates the dishes that bring people together around a meal—and the creativity that can emerge from the most familiar flavors.
Event Details
Chef Yukiko’s Kitchen
Monday, October 26, 2026
Odo (17 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011)
Time Slots - 6:00 PM & 8:30 PM
— Tasting Menu —
$100 per person
■ Appetizers (3 small dishes)
・ Kinpira (Simmered root vegetables)
・ Dashimaki Tamago with Mentaiko (Japanese rolled omelet with spicy cod roe)
・ Grilled Eggplant with Meat Miso and Salsa
■ Soup
・ Tonjiru (Pork and vegetable miso soup) with julienned white scallions and shiso flowers
■ Mains & Small Plates (À la carte)
・ Sukiyaki
・ Menchi-Katsu (Japanese breaded ground-meat cutlet)
・ Miso-Simmered Mackerel
・ Simmered Sea Bream
・ Sesame Tofu Spring Rolls with Shiso and Mountain Yam
・ Chili Shrimp
■ Noodles / Rice (Choose one)
・ Nabeyaki Udon (Hot-pot udon noodles with vegetables, mushrooms, and egg)
・ Oyakodon (Chicken and egg over rice, served with kombu and turnip pickles)
■ Dessert & Tea
・ Matcha Mousse coated in White Chocolate
About Chef Yukiko Nishi
Born in Fukuoka, Japan, Chef Yukiko Nishi built a rigorous foundation in traditional kaiseki cuisine during her years at a renowned Kyoto-style restaurant in Tokyo. Seeking to broaden her culinary perspective, she expanded her expertise across various disciplines, including sushi in Nishiazabu and robatayaki (charcoal grilling) in Okinawa, where she also honed her skills in restaurant management and team leadership.
Driven by a desire to share the depth of Japanese cuisine globally, Nishi relocated to New York and currently serves as Sous Chef under Chef Hiroki Odo. Drawing on her diverse background, she brings precision, balance, and creativity to the kitchen. Her culinary philosophy centers on the belief that a dish is not complete through the chef's work alone, but rather its true meaning is realized through the experience shared with the guest.
