When he walked into the building on 32nd Street and Campbell Avenue, the floor-to-ceiling windows on its north side reminded him of an aquarium. His team also came up with ideas for the spot, which was previously home to the coffee shops Seedhouse and Provision.
“This has been such a group effort in coming up with the concept,” Kantak explains. He and the team sat down with Phoenix New Times for an exclusive preview of the restaurant.
The all-day, counter-service sushi and matcha bar is nearly ready to make its debut. Minnow will open on July 8.
Minnow will serve a "full spectrum" of matcha drinks, from hand-whisked teas to lattes infused with banana puree and milk steeped in vanilla wafer cookies.
Sara Crocker
The chef knows that sushi and matcha are “a huge departure" from the group's other restaurants. He and Fritz have hired chef Spencer Shin, formerly the head chef of Nanaya Japanese Kitchen, to craft the restaurant’s sushi menu.
The former coffee bar has been transformed into an open kitchen. Customers will see Shin and the kitchen crew putting together nigiri, sashimi and rolls. There will be familiar California, caterpillar and dragon rolls, he says, as well as bites that showcase shrimp and unagi.
The restaurateurs hired Shin because “he’s really open-minded,” Kantak explains. Inspired by how The Gladly uses pickled nopales in its rendition of a Cubano sandwich, Shin is incorporating the Southwestern ingredient into Minnow's sushi. The Aguachiles roll is made with nopales, avocado, spicy crab, marinated shrimp, red onion and a house salsa verde.
Other specialty rolls, which will range from $15 to $18, include the Saguaro roll with salmon skin, spicy salmon, the pickled burdock root yamagobo, avocado, nopales and furikake. The Blanquita builds off the traditional spicy tuna roll using yellowtail, cucumber, spring onion and salsa verde.
“Using somewhat familiar ingredients in a different way is kind of what I do,” Kantak says. “I really love that (Shin) had the same mindset on that.”
Shin says he’s even playing around with how to take Kantak’s fan-favorite salad – composed of artfully plated rows of smoked salmon, pearl couscous, arugula, pepitas, asiago cheese, currants, dried sweet corn and marinated tomatoes – and make it into a sushi roll.
Kurtis Williams (left) and Andrew Fritz test Minnow's ordering kiosk. Guests can order from two kiosks or at the counter. The restaurant also has a to-go window and a full-service bar.
Sara Crocker
“It will be like biting into candied glass,” Shin explains. “It’s such a peculiar and, like, pleasurable texture in your mouth with all of the sugar and cream and everything else.”
Minnow will build on the space’s history of serving caffeinated beverages, but is leaning toward becoming a “morning matcha bar with great coffee, so there’s still something for everybody,” Fritz says.
The team will use Nekohama Matcha, offering a traditional hand-whisked pour to lattes.
“(Matcha is) such a diverse ingredient,” Taneur Perez, Minnow’s general manager, says. “I think it’s super important to highlight that full spectrum.”
Lattes will be made with ginger and ube or a vanilla wafer-infused milk and banana puree. Minnow will also pour a riff on an espresso tonic, using matcha and a toasted coconut syrup. Traditional espresso drinks will also be available, using beans from Moxie Coffee Co.
The team will keep the fast casual element of its forebears alive. There are two ordering kiosks and a staffed counter, along with a to-go window. The interiors have been refreshed with a wallpaper featuring a lavender coral pattern and rich peacock-blue tile. Behind the counter, a neon fish with a bottle tipped into its mouth casts a red glow. The tables inside are arranged in three long rows and a standing bar rail will be added. The six-seat bar will offer full service. Outside, the patio has been refreshed with sleek black patio furniture and a vertical red neon "Minnow" sign.
To drink, guests will also find beer, six cocktails and two mocktails on draft, along with sake that includes the locally brewed Arizona Sake Co., Japanese selections and the Mexican brand Nami.
The draft cocktails are “fun variations on some tried-and-true classics,” Perez says. Try a mixed berry gimlet, a sweet-and-savory honey-miso espresso martini or a whiskey sour that gets a tropical makeover with kiwi puree and pineapple juice. The cocktails will range from $10 to $12.
"That way, people can come back and visit us as much as they like, not just reward themselves with a Minnow night once a month,” Perez says. “The goal is to have this be a space for the neighborhood so people can keep coming back and spending time with us.”
Minnow
Opens July 84501 N. 32nd St.
