Kansas City's Anjin finalist

Anjin, a 20-seat Japanese-style pub in Kansas City’s Crossroads, is a finalist for the 2026 James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant. (kcur.org) The James Beard Foundation announced the finalists on March 31, and winners are scheduled to be named June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. Anjin is one of seven finalists in the national category. (jamesbeard.org) Nick Goellner and Leslie Newsam Goellner opened Anjin in July 2025 at 1708 Oak St. in the Crossroads. The couple also own The Antler Room, which had earned prior James Beard attention in Best Chef: Midwest. (kcur.org) Anjin is built around the model of a Japanese izakaya, a casual drinking place where small plates come out in a tight, social setting. The room centers on a U-shaped bar facing an open kitchen. (kcur.org) The menu is deliberately narrower than the Japanese food many Kansas City diners already know. Leslie Newsam Goellner told KCUR the goal was “a style of restaurant that wasn't just sushi or ramen.” (kcur.org) That approach shows up in dishes like a fried Sakura pork collar sandwich, pickled mackerel, rotating skewers, sake flights, and soft-serve in flavors such as black sesame or strawberry. (kcur.org 1) (kcur.org 2) Nick Goellner told KCUR the restaurant is “not like many in the Midwest,” and the owners said they want diners to try parts of Japanese cooking that are harder to find elsewhere in Kansas City. The restaurant’s name also nods to Goellner’s grandfather, whose postwar ties to Japan shaped his interest in the culture. (kcur.org 1) (kcur.org 2) The national nod comes less than a year after Anjin opened, and the small room is already booking its busiest seats early and late, with the most available reservations often around 5:30 p.m. or after 9 p.m. For a restaurant built to make Kansas City diners a little more adventurous, the next date on the calendar is June 15. (kcur.org) (jamesbeard.org)