Chef Matthew Kenney Opens His 15th Vegan Restaurant

Vegan chef Matthew Kenney recently announced plans to open his 15th restaurant, Kanu, in July. Kenney described the restaurant—his first in Canada—as a “modern, beautifully designed space,” with a menu that will blend some of his classics as well as new dishes made to cater to the local Canadian community. On May 4, Kenney opened Japanese-inspired restaurant Arata in New York City. Arata is next door to two other businesses owned by Kenney: vegan pizzeria Double Zero and Mexican restaurant Bar Verde. Arata, Kenney’s fifth restaurant in New York City and his 14th globally, was described by the New York Times as “sleek” with “minimalist décor.” Menu items at Arata include kimchi pancakes, salads, rice cakes, tempura mushroom hand rolls, steamed buns, ramen, and udon bowls. Arata will also offer its own cocktails, many which will feature vegetables. In April, Kenney opened New Deli, a vegan convenience store in Venice, CA that features “sustainable, practical, everyday products” such as packaged snacks, vegan ice cream, chocolate, candy, companion-animal food, and artisanal coffee. Kenney is also working to open a second location of Double Zero in the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, NY by October—with future locations planned in Los Angeles, Boston, and Philadelphia.