For Tsubame, Chef-Owner Jay Zheng has created a kaiseki-inspired omakase, a multi-course menu built around the finest seasonal ingredients. As the restaurant unveils its first spring menu since openingin November 2023, it pays homage to its namesake, the Tsubame, or barn swallow, a graceful bird thatheralds the arrival of spring and evokes memories of Chef Zheng's rustic childhood village. Born in a coastal village of Southern China known as Lienchiang Country, Chef Zheng and his family migrated to America’s Midwest, where he grew up working at his family’s restaurants. Educated as an engineer, he tried the business world after college, but hospitality quickly drew him back. Stints at the Peninsula Hotel in Chicago hooked him on fine dining. Chef Zheng opened his first Japanese restaurant in the Midwest in 2011. Hoping for a more appreciative audience for real Japanese flavors, he moved to New York in 2015 and opened Gaijin in 2016, an upscale sushi restaurant in Astoria and the first Omakase in Queens. Right before the pandemic in 2019, he relaunched it as Kōyō, where he took over as Executive Chef, served his first kaiseki-inspired tasting menus and was awarded Michelin Plate 2020 & 2021. Having his heart set on opening in Manhattan, he found the perfect location to open Tsubame in Tribeca in November 2023.  ​ CUISINE: Tsubame offers a hyper-seasonal 18 to 20-course omakase, following a traditional kaiseki progression. Varied culinary techniques and surprising combinations help bring out the natural flavors of the finest seasonal ingredients. The sequence of dishes produces a satisfying culinary journey that will keep diners intrigued.