By Jacqueline Mroz | | January 23, 2024 

At the prominent chef’s newest eatery, the aesthetic and ambience are a treat for the senses. But the food is the real reason to visit.

Jamie Knott, one of the top chefs in the state, already runs four critically acclaimed and popular restaurants here (Madame and Cellar 335 in Jersey City, the Saddle River Inn, and the Saddle River Cafe). But Knott has always loved Asian food and its flavors and wanted to try his hand at something new.

The result is Kinjo, Knott’s first Japanese restaurant, which opened in November. Located in downtown Newark, it’s become a hot spot for hip foodies in the city and nearby—and has landed on New Jersey Monthly’s Best New Restaurants list.

With a relaxed aesthetic (clean lines, cherry-blossom wallpaper, and Japanese anime and soap operas playing discreetly on TVs), Kinjo is a treat for the senses. But the food is the real reason to come here.

Knott, 43, who grew up in Nutley and went back to live there with his wife and three kids (“Nutley forever and ever,” he says), wanted to open a restaurant where people could come to share small plates, relax with a cocktail, and listen to music when the DJ sets up on the weekends.