Kansas City’s Anjin shines
A Kansas City restaurant called Anjin was named a 2026 James Beard Award finalist, and the nomination is being used to encourage more adventurous dining in the city. The profile notes Anjin sits near 17th Street and Oak by the old Kansas City Star building and frames the nomination as a national recognition moment for the city’s food scene. (kcur.org)
Anjin, a Japanese-style pub in Kansas City’s Crossroads, is a 2026 James Beard Award finalist for Best New Restaurant. (jamesbeard.org) The James Beard Foundation announced its restaurant and chef nominees on March 31, 2026, and scheduled the winner reveal for June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. (jamesbeard.org) KCUR reported on April 11 that Anjin is using the finalist nod to push Kansas City diners toward more “adventurous” meals beyond familiar orders. (kcur.org) Anjin opened in July 2025, making it eligible for the Best New Restaurant field less than a year after launch. Chef and owner Nick Goellner opened it with his wife, sommelier Leslie Newsam Goellner. (kcur.org) The restaurant sits at 1708 Oak Street near 17th and Oak, by the old Kansas City Star building, in a part of downtown better known in recent years for galleries, bars, and new restaurants. (anjinkc.com) Anjin models itself on a Japanese izakaya, a casual drinking-and-dining spot built around small plates, and its menu centers on handcrafted dishes, rotating yakitori, and seasonal specials. (anjinkc.com) Kansas City magazine described Anjin as an intimate 20-seat room built around Japanese technique and binchotan charcoal grilling, a style that puts skewers and other dishes over dense charcoal for high, steady heat. (kansascitymag.com) The finalist slot also gives Kansas City a place in one of the few national restaurant categories that is not tied to a single region. The James Beard Foundation calls its awards the top recognition program for the United States restaurant and hospitality industry. (jamesbeard.org) For Anjin, the next date is June 15. Until then, the nomination has turned a small Oak Street dining room into Kansas City’s lone finalist on one of food’s biggest stages. (jamesbeard.org)
