Critically acclaimed Woodridge restaurant Momo Yakitori, at 2214 Rhode Island Ave. NE, will close on Dec. 29, owner Andrew Chiou announced.
“Thank you for your support!” Chiou wrote on Instagram. “We will be closing our doors at the end of the year. Our last day of service will be 12/29. We’d love to see you at least one more time!”
The first and only full-fledged yakitori spot in D.C., it offers savory skewers of meat and vegetables, a home-made toasted marshmallow dessert and an after-hours lounge bar with Japanese-inspired cocktails and ramen.
Chiou is searching for another space and may revise the menu to include more casual lunch options like curry rice, he told Eater D.C.
He told the Hyattsville Wire that he will continue to do private events and catering and that he was working on pop-ups and collaborations with other chefs for 2020 in the existing space, but that the restaurant reached a point where they needed a different kitchen and space.
Earlier this year Chiou faced a lawsuit from his former girlfriend and co-founder Masako Morishita, who alleged she worked without pay for a year. Chou said Morishita was never formally an employee of the restaurant and told Eater DC that he couldn’t discuss the lawsuit, but that it certainly didn’t help the restaurant.
