Sushi chef expands vegan cuisine at new NYC brasserie

Chef and entrepreneur Guy Vaknin appeared on the reality cooking competition show Hell’s Kitchen and investment reality shows Shark Tank. However, most know him for his creative vegetarian dishes and as the owner of NYC’s popular fast-casual chain Beyond Sushi.

This month, Vaknin is expanding his NYC restaurant empire with a new vegan Mediterranean brasserie concept called Anixi. The restaurant has dishes with flavors from Greece, Turkey, Syria and Lebanon.

Anixi, which means “spring” in Greek, finds its home in NYC’s Chelsea neighborhood, and the restaurant incorporates a variety of rich architectural elements and timelessness that pay homage to old New York.

Anix

The restaurant features 18th-century marble, crystal chandeliers, brass and copper fixtures, and handcrafted artwork by New York City-based artist Lia Ali. The venue offers private dining ideal for special occasions as well as full-venue rentals.

When it comes to the vegan menu, Vaknin travels close to home with the concept, finding deep inspiration in the region’s flavors, details, ingredients and textures.

Anix

The menu offers freshly baked bread; Hot and cold mezze such as taramasalata (lemon-infused yogurt, orange seaweed caviar, red onion, olive oil and sumac); shish kabobs made with cured vegan fish, chicken and steak; traditional Turkish flatbread pizza; and desserts such as Medjool Date Cake. At the bar, enjoy craft cocktails and a regionally crafted wine list.

Anix

“My vision is to create an experience that will shock diners with what a plant-based diet can be,” Vaknin said in a statement. “Anixi will be a place where we stretch that vision to its limits like no one has done before.”

In addition to restaurant meals, delivery orders can also be made on the Anixi website, as well as Doordash, GrubHub, Uber Eats.

Growth of the Beyond Sushi brand

Anixi follows the success of Vaknin’s other restaurants, including Sushi, Willow and Coletta. Chef and his wife Tali Vaknin launched Beyond Sushi’s flagship location in NYC’s Union Square neighborhood in 2012 and have since expanded the chain throughout Manhattan.

Along with the Beyond Sushi brand and others, Vaknin aims to elevate the meaning of vegan dining by offering a casual menu with high-end appeal. In addition to Beyond Sushi’s iconic vegan sushi, he serves hearty dishes like Fried Chicken Bao, Glazed Impossible Meatballs, and Ube Kazu Cheesecake.

Outside of sushi

In 2018, Vaknin appeared Shark Tank Season 10 and won a deal with investors Lori Greiner and Matt Higgins – the first vegetarian restaurant to do so. “We’re hoping to put a national spotlight on the vegan food movement with our presence on Shark Tank,” Vaknin told VeganNews at the time. “We want to show how creative and innovative vegetarian food can be.”

In 2021, Vaknin expanded his NYC presence with the opening of Willow, which specializes in vegan versions of classic American comfort food for lunch and dinner. The menu includes dishes like porcini chicken marsala, scallop cacio e pepe, cheeseburger sliders, cauliflower wings, and calamari, as well as buttermilk fried chicken and Philly cheesesteak, salads, soups, fresh juices, and desserts.

Outside of sushi

“We’re looking to the future, and we’re committed to our vision of sharing plant-based foods with our communities,” Vaknin said in a statement at the time. “We are excited to explore new flavors and offer something special and creative. I saw a real need for vegetarian comfort food, especially during the ongoing pandemic, and I wanted to bring my opinion to NYC.”

NYC’s vegan scene

From fine-dining to fast food, it seems like there’s a vegan eatery on every corner of NYC, always open. Most recently, Atlanta’s popular burger joint Slutty Vegan has expanded into the city, serving provocative vegan burgers like the Sloppy Toppy, One Night Stand, and Fussy Hussey, along with sides like Slutty Fries and Skinny Dippers.

California-based vegan fast-casual chain Veggie Grill recently opened its second location in Manhattan’s Midtown neighborhood. At its new location, the chain offers a wide variety of plant-based fare from its four existing concepts, including Veggie Grill, Mass Veggies, Stand-Up Burgers and Vegan Bowls for All—concepts available under one roof for the first time.

rabbit

And last fall, 10 new vegetarian eateries added their mark on the city, including Raw Vegetarian Rabbit. Created by restaurateur Robbie Dirci and Overthrow Hospitality, the concept is an intimate, 12-seat chef’s counter that serves a seasonal, rotating tasting menu featuring more than a dozen courses for $75 per person.

Located next to the Rabbit is the vegan dessert and wine bar The Fragile Flower. Helmed by pastry chef and burlesque dancer Lady Ashton Warren, the bar offers an inaugural menu featuring wines from around the world as well as desserts like coffee rum-soaked chocolate tiramisu, lemon meringue pie and strawberry basil parfait.

The largest vegan restaurant in NYC is the upscale brewpub Bell’s, which seats about 200 in 11,000 square feet of space. From the team behind LA’s Little Pine, Belse is the NYC outpost offering the same comfort food as apple sandwiches, sausage fennel flatbread and chicken piccata, and beer that’s brewed onsite. Since opening, the eatery has attracted high-profile fans, including New Jersey Senator Cory Booker.