Japanika, a kosher restaurant that serves sushi, Chinese and American food, is slated to open in the coming days on Bustleton Avenue — the latest venture from the owners of Burger.org.
Nava Danielli has been waiting for a kosher sushi restaurant to open in her Northeast Philadelphia neighborhood since she moved to the area from New York three years ago, said her husband, Yoni.
She’ll soon get her wish, with the imminent arrival of Japanika, a kosher restaurant that serves sushi, Chinese and American food. The restaurant, which was slated to open Feb. 1 on Bustleton Avenue, is the latest venture from the owners of Burger.org, which has locations in Center City, Narberth and Margate City, N.J.
“All the young people — and the older people — are excited,” said Yoni Danielli, 28, who works in his family’s glass and mirror business and whose father, Shmuel, serves as president of Congregation Beth Solomon, an Orthodox synagogue in the Northeast. “It will definitely bring in new faces to the area, and hopefully have our community grow even bigger.”
Japanika will join at least four other kosher restaurants in the Northeast, including Judah Mediterranean Grille, Holy Land Grill, Holy Land Pizza, Palace Royal, and Espresso Cafe and Sushi Bar. But those are all about a 10-minute drive from Beth Solomon and Danielli, whereas Japanika is in the immediate neighborhood.
While the Northeast will be gaining another kosher establishment, Elkins Park will be losing one.
The Burger.org owners recently shuttered what had been their fourth outpost, Burger.org Fusion, which also served Asian and American food. That restaurant had opened in 2012 in the space that had been occupied for five years by another kosher eatery, Max & David’s.
“Sometimes it’s crazy packed — you can’t move — and sometimes it’s dead,” Nadav Abargel said of the Elkins Park locale. He partnered with the owners of Burger.org, Eyal Aranya and Yoni Nadav, at Elkins Park and now is partnering with Aranya on Japanika. Abargel’s brother is also in the industry, running the Espresso Cafe.
Japanika has the same name as an Israeli chain but is not affiliated, the owners said. The 24-seat restaurant will serve a range of items, including sushi, shawarma and schnitzel. Community Kashrus of Greater Philadelphia, which oversees the other Burger.org locations, will also supervise Japanika.
