Sono, A Korean Trattoria, Opens In Manhattan’s East Village

LifestyleTravelSono, A Korean Trattoria, Opens In Manhattan’s East VillageByMelissa Kravitz Hoeffner,Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Melissa is a writer based in Brooklyn.Follow AuthorJun 05, 2026, 04:21pm EDTBottarga pasta with Korean zucchini, pollock roe, nori, and saffron butterSonoA new restaurant blending two beloved cuisines is open for dinner in the East Village. Sono, a new Korean-Italian restaurant at 176 First Ave., offers handmade pasta with Korean flavors, including fermented sauces, pickled vegetables, and Korean pantry ingredients. “Sono is really a reflection of my life. It’s 30 percent Korean, 70 percent Italian, which is honestly just who I am,” says chef Chef Sechul Yang, an alum of Gramercy Tavern and Oiji Mi. Yang grew up in Korea, and spent most of his career cooking in Italian kitchens. “At some point, I stopped seeing those two parts of myself as separate. This isn’t fusion for the sake of it. I’m not trying to mimic Italian culture, and I’m not trying to follow Korean culture. This is about putting out a concept that represents who I am and what I have learned over the years,” he says.Outside Sono on First AvenueSonoDining at SonoSono was created as a trattoria, an informal, comfortable restaurant to linger in. The menu follows traditional Italian framework: antipasti, primi, secondi, contorni, plus dessert, of course. “The two cuisines are more connected than people expect. Both come from peninsula cultures with coastlines that shaped their cooking, so seafood runs deep in both traditions,” says Yang. “Both are built around handmade noodles, fermented flavors, alliums, and the ritual of sharing many dishes at once around a table. Banchan and antipasti are not so different in spirit. Kimchi and Italian pickled vegetables are cousins. The umami of doenjang and aged Parmigiano come from the same instinct, patience, fermentation, and depth.”MORE FOR YOUOn the menu, Yang points to spaghetti alla...