For this Broadcast series, Pioneer Works Supper Club chefs and collaborators are asked what small businesses they frequent—in a celebration of city life, good food, and all things local. In the process, we learn more about their background, their worldview, and what day-to-day activities inform their creative, culinary practice.

ABOUT BESSOU

NoHo restaurant Bessou focuses on Japanese home cooking, offering dishes that are based on food that owner Maiko Kyogoku grew up eating—her parents both moved to New York City from Japan and opened one of the first sushi restaurants on the Upper West Side. She and Bessou Chef Emily Yuen are also inspired by all the wonderful cuisines and cultures of New York, and utilize those influences and flavors for a modern update of classic home-style Japanese dishes.

Yuen and Kyogoku became friends in 2013 while working at Boulud Sud. Kyogoku is a native New Yorker with a background in art—she was Project Manager for artist Takashi Murakami before becoming Director of Private Dining for Daniel Boulud. Yuen, who comes from Canada, worked with Boulud in Singapore as Executive Sous Chef at DB Bistro before moving to New York City. Now, they are celebrating their fifth anniversary of Bessou. They not only survived the pandemic but thrived; they both became new moms and welcomed daughters less than a month apart.

“Bessou means holiday home or vacation home in Japanese. It also means home away from home,” Kyogoku told me. “And there are a lot of meanings behind that. I wanted to create a space where people could really feel like it was an extension of their home. I grew up in New York and I miss all of the wonderful restaurants that were around that used to make me feel that way. I feel like there are less and less of those types of places and that was one of my dreams, to have a restaurant that could be that kind of place for someone else.”

Photo by Landon Speers

MAIKO KYOGOKU: BROOKLYN

Maiko and I spent the day in Sunnyside, Queens where she lives with her partner Felix, his son, their dog, and six month old daughter, Remi.

TURKIYEM MARKET

46-31 Skillman Ave, Queens

“Turkiyem Market is at the end of my block. It has great Turkish and Mediterranean ingredients. I often find really nice olives or bread, and they have great dried fruits. I always get some dates on the vine that are really nice to have with cheese, or just to munch on as an after dinner snack or anytime snack. I bought some za'atar today, and also labneh. I love all their imported selections that you can't find anywhere else.”

Photo by Landon Speers

SOCRATES SCULPTURE PARK

32-01 Vernon Blvd, Queens

Photo by Landon Speers

“Socrates Sculpture Park is in the middle of Queens, right next to a Costco. You wouldn't really think this little oasis of art installations would be there, but it's there and it's really nice. I go on my way to or back from shopping and running errands. It’s a great place to just kind of chill and relax for a little bit, to just meditate on the day or the week or what not. It’s so beautiful.”

SIK GAEK

49-11 Roosevelt Ave, Queens

Photo by Landon Speers

“Sik Gaek is a really great Korean restaurant. We had the kimchi-jeon today, which is one of my favorites. It's actually a vegetarian pancake but it packs in so much flavor with their kimchi, it's delicious. They serve it with sesame oil and soy sauce on the side. We also got some kind of pork and squid stir fry. I feel like you really can't go wrong with any of the options there because there's just so much variety and they do such a good job. At night there's a karaoke vibe to the place. There’s lots of big screen TVs and people are singing, drinking, and it's a lot of fun.” ♦

Photo by Landon Speers