NYC restaurateurs with celebrity following to open Asian fusion restaurant in Atlanta
In Manhattan, an Asian fusion restaurant called Sei Less has built a reputation as a culinary destination for the stars. Its sultry atmosphere and private dining has attracted celebrities from rapper Cardi B to comedian Kevin Hart.
Now, two co-founders of Sei Less want to bring the same vibe to Atlanta.
Dara Mirjahangiry and Ivi Shano are opening Asian fusion restaurant Lo Kee in the walkable heart of west Midtown. It’s coming to the ground floor of the Windsor Interlock apartment complex off 14th Street, near the Bellyard hotel and Barcelona Wine Bar.
Mirjahangiry, in an exclusive interview with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, said he’s cultivated relationships with well-known figures in the local music industry and professional sports teams including the Falcons and Hawks — though he stopped short of name dropping.
“We like to be the place where celebrities go because they feel normal and appreciated, and people don’t bother them,” Mirjahangiry said.
But he’s not opening in Atlanta to only cater to celebrity clientele, he said. Mirjahangiry hopes to create an elevated dining experience that appeals to all.
Lo Kee is set to open Oct. 24.
“There’s really no competition for what we do in terms of good Asian fusion food,” Mirjahangiry said. “I like to call it ‘fun fine dining,’ and the food speaks for itself.”
The restaurant will fill about 5,000 square feet, including three private dining rooms. A large bar with an Asian-inspired mural of a tiger sits at the rear of the restaurant. The booths are a salmon color, creating a vibrant backdrop for photos, Mirjahangiry said.
“It’s a very warm and welcoming environment with Asian elements throughout,” he said.
The menu features plenty of crowd-pleasing Asian cuisine, from spring rolls to dim sum, lettuce wraps and udon noodles. It’s meant to be served family style, with diners ordering plates to pass around.
Appetizers include the chicken satay with peanut sauce, spicy tuna crispy rice and lobster spoons, all priced between $20 and $30.
Lo Kee’s signature entrees are Beijing chicken with a sweet red bean glaze and caramel walnuts, as well as an upscale take on beef and broccoli made with filet mignon, garlic brown butter and charred peppers.
The cocktail menu features options like a lychee martini and yuzu margarita.
In west Midtown, Lo Kee will take over a space formerly home to sports bar Lock & Key. The previous tenants spent more than $100,000 on their build-out, according to permits filed in Atlanta in 2021 and 2022, making the space relatively turnkey for Mirjahangiry’s new restaurant.
The ready-made space could be advantageous in west Midtown’s tumultuous but competitive dining scene, home to several of the AJC’s Atlanta 50 restaurants, including Hayakawa, Little Sparrow, Lucky Star, Miller Union, the Optimist and top-10 honorees Avize and Mujō.
West Midtown has also experienced a wave of restaurant closures over the past two years including West Egg, Humble Pie, Le Fat, Culinary Dropout and Superica.
But the market dynamics don’t worry Mirjahangiry, a former mortgage broker who rose in the hospitality world following the 2008 financial crisis.
“The places that build a good name for themselves and do hospitality the right way … they succeed,” Mirjahangiry said.
Mirjahangiry, after pivoting to the restaurant industry, climbed quickly from waiting tables to management with stints at New York hot spots such as Philippe Chow and Jue Lan Club. He has not shied away from attention, appearing in publications like GQ and on an episode of Chef Gordon Ramsay’s television show “Hell’s Kitchen.”
“We obviously have a big following. We do get celebrities,” Mirjahangiry said. “But we really look forward to being a place in Atlanta where people come for a date night, where they celebrate and come in large groups.”
Lo Kee. 2 Interlock Ave NW, Atlanta. lokeeatl.com
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