Moon Restaurant Opens In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — While many Greenwich restaurants boast a long history of serving residents in town, the owners of Moon, a new restaurant on East Putnam Avenue, are emphasizing a new and fresh vibe run by a youthful leadership team.

According to Matthew Madera, who co-owns the restaurant with Kevin Yin, Moon opened Jan. 21 and has already built up a loyal customer base. The concept for the restaurant developed from Madera and Yin's observations about the local eating scene in Greenwich.

"We had seen a lot of other restaurateurs, let's say from Manhattan, kind of fail in Greenwich," Madera said. "I think that's because they don't understand the market very well, and also because they come with the presumption that Greenwich people have a lot of money, but [residents] don't necessarily want to spend a lot of money on food."

According to Madera, the Moon team worked to create a concept that was both "approachable" and "realistic" in regard to its prices and menu.

"That's why we have things on our menu that are not as expensive," Madera said, "and we have things that are moderately priced."

Yin agreed, and noted customers in town have enjoyed this unique atmosphere thus far.

"I had a vision at the very beginning that Greenwich would love to see a restaurant like this: great service and an approachable menu, blended in with New York City upscale casual dining vibes, in addition with chic and concise interior design without losing a sedate look," Yin said.

All of these combined elements, Yin said, ultimately fit together very well in Greenwich.

According to Madera, part of Moon's unique vibe derives from the fact that both owners are younger than the typical restaurateur; Madera is 27, and Yin is 29. As such, they set out to attract a younger demographic and vibe while, at the same time, making sure all ages of customers feel welcome. (To sign up for Greenwich breaking news alerts and more, click here.)

"We're hoping that with our youth," Madera said, "and with some of our progressive ideas and a more casual ambiance, we would be able to not only attract younger people, but also older people who want to feel younger."

To create this atmosphere, Madera said the owners conducted extensive research through dining.

"We ate at every restaurant in Greenwich over the course of six months at the beginning of the project," Madera said, "and then we also did a lot of research where we went to all the restaurants in Manhattan that [Greenwich residents] like."

Among those New York City restaurants were Buddakan, Nobu and Blue Ribbon Sushi, which helped set the tone for the "Asian-American fusion" menu the duo wanted for Moon.

"We kind of built our menu off of that ideology," Madera said, "so that we can have some familiarity with the clientele and they wouldn't be completely intimidated by crazy, outlandish ingredients or anything, and we made sure to use similar phrasing so that it was approachable."

Nisorin Paulino, the head chef at Moon, previously worked with Madera at an upscale New York restaurant and is also in his 20s.

"He's a very talented chef," Madera said, "very classically trained."

The menu at Moon includes a sizable sushi menu, with options for a 12- or 14-course "omakase" sampling menu. Notable starters include Thai coconut mussels, grilled octopus and pork belly baos, while main courses featured include Colorado lamb loin and a large New York strip steak.

The dessert menu even offers Okinawan doughnuts and a matcha green tea chocolate tart. Meanwhile, the cocktail menu seems to be Moon's biggest crowd-pleaser so far, according to Madera.

"We've been having huge success with our cocktail program," Madera said. "I can probably say without a doubt, only because I've eaten at all these restaurants, we have the best cocktails in Greenwich."

Greenwich Chamber of Commerce President Marcia O'Kane spoke highly of the restaurant's unique menu.

"Moon offers a menu that is truly different," O'Kane said, "something you would find at one of the chicest restaurants in New York City. The vibe is also fun, whether one wants to stop in for a curated cocktail, sake or glass of wine with a sushi sampling or some really innovative entrees. The menu offers a unique variety of ingredients and flavors from Japanese, Chinese and Thai culture."

She also noted the restaurant's East Putnam Avenue location is familiar to many in town, as it is also the former site of the Asiana Cafe, which moved down the street to 68 E. Putnam Ave. in 2018, according to the Greenwich Free Press.

Madera said the Moon team chose the approximately 3,000-square-foot location due to its available free parking and the heavy car traffic the area receives from the nearby Whole Foods Market.

Though the restaurant was originally planned to open around May of last year, the team hit delays due to the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

"We lost a lot of money just waiting," Madera said.

In addition to delays in getting the necessary paperwork and inspections completed, Yin said the team also encountered construction delays.

"Moon would have opened eight months earlier without these barriers," Yin said. "Well, finally we won all the fights, and we are open now."

Further information about the restaurant, including its full menu, can be found on the Moon website. The restaurant also plans to offer a prix fixe menu option for Valentine's Day weekend, along with extended dining hours.

According to the website, Moon is an Ambias Hospitality Group restaurant.