San Antonio chef Michael Sohocki to close Kimura and Restaurant Gwendolyn, move to Five Points

click to enlarge Chef Michael Sohocki will close downtown eateries Restaurant Gwendolyn and Kimura by year’s end. - Facebook / Restaurant Gwendolyn, Kimura
Facebook / Restaurant Gwendolyn, Kimura
Chef Michael Sohocki will close downtown eateries Restaurant Gwendolyn and Kimura by year’s end.
Celebrated SA chef Michael Sohocki will close and relocate his downtown eateries Restaurant Gwendolyn and Kimura by year’s end, the San Antonio Express-News reports.

Sohocki will shutter both restaurants in December and move them to the spot that formerly housed 5 Points Local, according to the daily. He plans to have both back in operation by January 4.

The 5 Points Local building, 1017 N. Flores St., which recently briefly hosted pop-up concepts Motel Fried Chicken and J’Dub’s Burgers & Grub, will be home to three concepts under Sohocki, the Express-News reports.

Kimura will continue to offer ramen and Japanese specialties. What's more, Sohocki will add a third concept at the site, a bar and lounge in the structure's loft space, which he plans to call Dash, according to the Express-News.

The chef, however, will nix his back-to-the-1800s approach at Gwendolyn in favor of a la carte plates while still offering multicourse options. In addition to embracing the industrial appliances Sohocki shunned at his original Gwendolyn, the concept will feature a new name, which he didn't share.

In comments to the paper, Sohocki cited rising rent and cramped, sometimes dangerous, working conditions downtown as reasons for relocating.

Restaurant Gwendolyn’s last service downtown will be December 18. Kimura’s last day will fall on Christmas Eve.

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Nina Rangel

Nina Rangel uses nearly 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry to tell the stories of movers and shakers in the food scene in San Antonio. As the Food + Nightlife Editor for the San Antonio Current, she showcases her passion for the Alamo City’s culinary community by promoting local flavors, uncovering...

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