Brooklyn firm Studio Tack has used white oak panelling, antiqued glass mirrors and alabaster lights to create a classy yet cosy atmosphere in this small Japanese restaurant in New York City.
Tsukimi offers a modern take on kaiseki, a type of Japanese haute cuisine involving multiple courses that are meticulously prepared and presented. The practice of kaiseki goes back hundreds of years.

The restaurant's name means "moon viewing" ? a reference to a fall harvest festival that takes place on the night of a full moon.
The lunar event is often celebrated at home with family and friends. Its themes of "contemplation, gratitude and togetherness" provided the cues for Studio Tack's design.

Measuring 660 square feet (61 square metres), the eatery occupies the ground level of a multi-storey, brick building in Manhattan's East Village neighbourhood. Tsukimi's chef, Takanori Akiyama, worked in the same space years ago, for a restaurant that was shuttered in 2016. The facade is lined with corduroy glass, offering a blurred view of the activities unfolding within.

Visitors step into a small entry vestibule with clusters of hanging, dried pampas grass ? a traditional harvest plant. Arched openings lead into a narrow, linear room filled with golden light and wooden finishes.
The use of textures and patterns are meant to evoke the disciplined flow of kaiseki.

For the walls, the team used hand-rendered plaster and ribbed wooden panels. Large mirrors made of antiqued...