Welcome to Kokeshi! Our name derives from the hand-painted, wooden Japanese dolls that are steeped in tradition from a time beyond memory. Those of you familiar with our other restaurant, Bambolina, might recall that Bambolina loosely translates from Italian as “baby doll”. See a pattern? Through the names of our restaurants, we pay homage to our daughters (we each have two) and celebrate the little girls who inspire our hard work. When we originally conceived the idea of opening another restaurant, we set out to create a dining experience that brings bold, authentic flavors to historic Salem from a different part of the world. We want you to explore Asian street food in a casual atmosphere with a bit of whimsy. Our food and staff are never pretentious; we’re all here to have fun! Our Asian-inspired menu items include ramen and a number of tasty small plates which are easy to share at our traditional or communal tables. We’ve dedicated our professional lives to food because we steadfastly believe that food can strengthen community bonds as nothing else can. Although we announced the opening of Kokeshi about a year after we opened Bambolina, it’s something we’ve been working on for many years: after decades of travel and experience creating new concepts and new dining experiences, Kokeshi is the result. We approach the concept full on. This comfort food has soul and it has a place here on the North Shore. The dishes are recognizable but everything has a hint of exotic flair. Our unique beverages will include craft cocktails and fun twists on favorites, a range of sake, and 15 local beers on draft. We’ll also have one or two surprises in store for those who enjoy the classics. The vast wealth of Asian cuisine will allow us to cook with the seasons and maintain culinary integrity which is, of course, paramount to us. While we are not Asian, we hope to respect the craft through continuously learning, reading, and refining our skills and techniques. Thank you for allowing us to cook for you!