Opening Soon

Get an exclusive taste of this highly anticipated Austin restaurant before it opens

In what was perhaps the most high-profile closure of the year, chef Paul Qui pulled the plug on his namesake restaurant this fall. Now, after granting a sneak peek at the restaurant's replacement, Qui and team have set a date for the opening of highly anticipated Kuneho: January 2, 2017.

Ahead of the grand opening, Kuneho is offering the public a chance to attend exclusive preview seatings December 27-30. Kuneho will showcase a limited selection of menu items each night, and those who attend the previews will earn guaranteed entry into a New Year’s Eve celebration featuring a special menu, entertainment, and a champagne toast.

With Kuneho, Qui is going back to his roots and specializing in Japanese dishes (Qui trained under Uchi's Tyson Cole and was executive chef at Uchiko). The format includes entrees and shareable dishes, but it heavily emphasizes sushi, pinxtos, and "perfect bites."

"At Kuneho, you can experience comfort and complexity in each perfect bite. From shared plates to a full sushi bar, our menu offers an approachable dining experience that we want to offer our community," says Mia Li, chef de cuisine, in a release.

Qui and his team worked with local firm A Parallel Architecture to create four separate but cohesive spaces in the restaurant: dining area; sushi bar; outdoor patio; and cocktail lounge, named The Borough. The latter will focus on innovative mixed beverages for both the seasoned connoisseur and the casual drinker.

"The concept for our cocktail menu should relate to those who want to experiment with the nontraditional while sharing common ground with the classics and staying true to the seasons," says general manager and beverage director Andrew Grenz. "We're excited to play around with numerous techniques to showcase various flavors and aromas, all for the final product of a balanced cocktail."

The past year has been a busy and tumultuous one for Qui. The local celebrity chef opened two new concepts in Austin — well-received Otoko and a brick-and-mortar version of Thai-Khun — in addition to Pao in Miami. However, he garnered national media attention when he was arrested on assault charges in March. Qui opened up to the Austin American-Statesmanabout his struggle with drugs and alcohol, and following a stint in rehab, he is looking to refocus his efforts as a chef and dedicate more time to his team.

Kuneho's hours will be Sunday through Thursday, 5-10 pm, and Friday and Saturday, 5-11 pm. In addition to dinner service, the space will be available for private parties and events. Those interested in attending the preview dinners can email reservations@kunehoatx.com for more information.

Kuneho's grand opening is January 2, 2017.

Photo by Mark Weatherford

Kuneho's grand opening is January 2, 2017.

dinner east-austin openings drinks chefs

Back to the Plow

Homey Austin jam and bake shop closing and returning to farmers market

Confituras/Instagram

Confituras Little Kitchen is closing its brick-and-mortar store, but feeling optimistic about the future.

A famers market find is returning to its natural environment after six years in a brick-and-mortar location. Confituras Little Kitchen, which specializes in locally sourced preserves, is closing its jam and biscuit shop after service on Sunday, December 22. However, it will continue selling goods at the Barton Creek Farmers Market and via retailers.

Confituras announced the change in a newsletter to its customers in December. The letter called the news "bittersweet."

"Although the brick and mortar will no longer be, the good news is that this will be a fresh new start for us – we are bursting with energy and creativity at the thought of being back out in the community where it all started for confituras," it said.

The kitchen is closing because the lease is up, and the team has decided to "give up the chase." The newsletter emphasized the ups-and-downs of business over the past several years — ones that were chaotic for just about any business, let alone a small, fairly niche food operation.

"So much has happened since we decided to open a brick + mortar – a wonderful kickstarter fundraiser, THE PANDEMIC, the AFTER-EFFECTS OF THE PANDEMIC, and an ever growing city," the letter says. "We tried so very hard but never really got our footing. We know we are not alone, many small business are in the same boat. We renewed our lease during the pandemic because we were hopeful we could make it work - the changing times had other ideas."

Finally, it shared how customers could keep enjoying Confituras creations:

The Barton Creek Farmers Market is open at 2901 S. Capital of Texas Hwy. every Saturday from 9 am to 1 pm.
A list on confituras.net compiles retailers including Royal Blue Grocery, Farmhouse Delivery, and Antonelli's Cheese Shop.
Jam share and Table22 subscription customers will have more instructions coming soon about picking up their goods in January at the same space, 2129 Goodrich Ave.
Customers may also reach out to inquire about continuing to order meals directly.

The kitchen also hosted frequent events and workshops, but the letter did not address this aspect of the business.

A shorter message shared on Instagram has inspired 63 comments so far, five days later. Customers eulogized the shop for its community feel and providing a sense of regularity during the height of the pandemic thanks to weekend pick-ups.