We Are Ona Brings Design-Forward Culinary Experience to New York for ‘Frieze’ Pop-Up

Culinary studio We Are Ona is coming to New York for a special Frieze New York pop-up. Based in an abandoned warehouse in the Financial District for the duration of the weeklong art fair, the gastronomic collective will be offering six-course lunch and eight-course dinner services, with the option of drinking pairings.

We Are Ona is known for its singular culinary experiences, each of which presents a uniquely-curated menu and lunch and dinners in a given location for anywhere between one week to six months. Previously, the collective has graced cities globally, including London, Paris, Milan, Venice and Basel.

For its NY installment, the studio is teaming up with Michelin-starred chef Mory Sacko and architect and designer Harry Nuriev. Sacko is known for the Paris restaurant MoSuke, which intertwines African, Japanese and French cuisine. Nuriev, meanwhile, has made a name for himself as the creative director of the interior architecture firm Crosby Studios, heralded for his novel, transformative style.

Speaking to Hypebeast, Sacko, for whom this is his first event in the U.S., shared that We Are Ona’s New York pop-up would take on “a more playful and much less formal angle than in [his] more gastronomic restaurant.” Still, “structure and elegance” will be a common thread in the meal.

The menu is built around French cooking techniques, combined with spices, chilies, and the warmth of African cuisine, all finalized by Japanese products and condiments,” Sacko revealed.

“Mory is, for me, one of the most talented chefs of his generation,” We Are Ona founder Luca Pronzato added. As for the venue, Pronzato said that when they “scout our pop-up venues, we love for them to reflect their time and place and for them to be not known by the local crowd.”

The New York event takes place in “an amazing old insurance building on Water Street overlooking the river. Harry designed the dining room, including one long table for 60 people, a bespoke kitchen, tableware all in silver and stainless steel, which represents the idea of the virtual world for Harry.”

Reservations for We Are Ona’s New York pop-up, which runs from May 12 to May 17, are available online now.

In other food and beverage news, Highland Park celebrated its 225th anniversary with a 54-year old bottle auction at Bonhams.