Acclaimed Chef Chikara Sono Returns to NYC with Japanese Tavern BBF in the Lower East Side - Eater NY

"BBF, which stands for Brooklyn Ball Factory, debuts on July 21 and is the more casual of the two restaurants. A bright and airy, white-washed space, it is a 54-seat upscale tavern that proffers Japanese-Western fused dishes. In Japan, izakayas — tavern-like eateries whose menus are designed to pair with alcohol — can range from hole-in-the-wall gyoza joints to elegant engagements offering top-grade otoro and uni. BBF falls somewhere in the middle. The casual ambiance is matched with a menu that ranges from more approachable dishes starting at $7 to other seasonal dishes that cost up to $40. Expect plates like croquettes stuffed with Australian greenlip abalone beside a creamy truffle sauce and kale chips; fried chicken with burdock chips; and grilled Magret duck with umami salt and wasabi mashed potatoes. Sono’s signature farm salad takes shape as more of a crudité dish, and requires guests to dip root vegetables into a side dressing. He’s also going to offer “sushi bombs,” rice that’s been shaped in mini spheres with a variety of toppings and fillings like flower-cut avocado and yuzu salsa, clearly inspired by his partner Suzuki’s restaurant Bozu in Williamsburg that highlight these round nigiri bites. Ultimately, Sono says that his menu represents dishes he loves to eat. But it would be too simplistic to say BBF is simply serving Japanese bar food. After all, Sono hails from a longtime kaiseki background — he credits Fumiaki Totsuka, owner of Tokyo’s longstanding kaiseki fixture Nadaman — as his mentor, and it’s there he learned the craft before moving to New York for his decade-plus tenure at Kyo Ya. And his kaiseki background comes into focus here at BBF; diners will note attention to the seasons, along with various cooking methods (fried, grilled, steamed, raw, baked) that are requisite in kaiseki cookery." - Kat Odell