Pullman Yard recently announced its latest initiative: a paid chef residency program, in which a different chef will take the helm at Brick & Mortar for up to three months. Guests voted to select the first chef for the residency: Kiyoka Nishikawa of Japanese pop-up Cheffrey's Kitchen will take over at Brick & Mortar from August 16.
Nishikawa, a former official chef for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, started a pop-up store in Atlanta in 2016 after moving from Japan. Her colorful bento boxes have become popular at several markets around the city, including the East Atlanta Village and Grant Park Farmers Markets, Chef's Market at Pullman Yard and Asian Night Market.
Her job at Brick & Mortar (formerly Dairies & Sides) involves serving a seven-course menu of traditional kaiseki cuisine (Japanese haute cuisine) for $80 per person, seating 20 guests twice each night, and reservations are required and open starting today.
“My vision is to bring to my guests the beauty and culture of kaiseki, a traditional Japanese multi-course meal that reflects the changing of the seasons, using ingredients from local farms and grown in Japan,” Nishikawa said in an official statement.
In addition to Nishikawa's menu, Brick & Malter will serve its regular menu, led by Alan Somphongpakdi, founder and head chef of Asian street food pop-up Salty Smiles, from August 14. The menu features Southern-style Asian cuisine made with locally sourced ingredients. Dishes include corn scallion fritters with hot honey, massaman curry potato egg rolls with green chutney sauce, and the smash burger. No reservations are required to order from the regular menu.
“Brick & Mortar was created as a space for up-and-coming chefs and entrepreneurs and their teams to grow, learn and build sustainable business models, furthering Chef's Market's mission of promoting cultural awareness through cuisine,” Pullman Yard co-owner Maureen Mullen said in an official statement.
“Chef Kiyoka is the perfect person to launch this program, and we are excited and honored to continue to be a part of her journey at Chefley's Kitchen.”
The Cheffrey's Kitchen residency will run for three months until November, when the next residency will be voted for and announced.
