Mana Restaurant is Closing After 30 Years; ‘People are in Tears’

By Michael McDowell

Neighborhood favorite Mana, at Amsterdam and 91st Street, is closing on April 28th.

“People are in tears,” a regular wrote the Rag. “The owner has been involved with neighborhood families for over thirty years. The closing is part of the end of old New York.”

Mana has served organic, macrobiotic, vegetarian, and vegan cuisine to Upper West Siders for decades, and was an early mover in the city so far as this now nearly ubiquitous type of cooking is concerned.

Owner Sung-Hee Lee confirmed Mana will close next week.

“It’s very depressing,” an otherwise upbeat Lee acknowledged. Business hasn’t been as good as it once was, she said, and she no longer wants to deal with the headaches that accompany owning a restaurant in New York City.

Mana, which is painted in Santa Fe-tones, was bustling on a sultry Friday afternoon, and Lee fluttered from table to table, with a warm, informal demeanor and a kind smile.

“You are so sweet. Are you vegan? Vegetarian?” she asked the Rag.

An honest reporter admitted the truth, with an apology: neither vegan nor vegetarian.

“Don’t say that! I’m only vegetarian because I don’t like meat,” she reassured.

Several diners appeared to be aware of the impending closure, and asked Lee where they would find their favorite dishes, after the restaurant closes. She seemed to have an answer for each of them.

Lee arrived in New York in 1974, from Seoul, South Korea, with the dream of becoming a photographer—everything from portraits to Ansel Adams, whose work she admires. But she fell in love with restaurants, and began waiting tables at Souen, which moved from the Upper West Side to Soho in the 1980s.

“I started waitressing in the 1970s, and I worked and worked and became the owner of Mana. I’ve been here on Amsterdam since 1998, and before, I was on Broadway for nine years, since 1989,” Lee reminisced.

“I love the restaurant, but I don’t like numbers, I don’t like to give small portions, I don’t even like email! I just love people,” she smiled.

What’s next for Lee? She has no plans to slow down.

“I’m going to work, and I’m going to do what I love, which is taking care of customers,” she affirmed.

Catering?

“Perhaps. A lot of people have asked me to work with them, but my mother is 87-years-old, and I’m her only daughter, so I have to go home and take care of her, in South Korea. I haven’t been able to visit as often as I would have liked, because of the restaurant.”

She hopes neighbors and regulars know how grateful she is for their support over so many years.

“It’s been such a wonderful journey. My customers have been my partners all of these years, so I want to thank them for supporting me, loving me, and inspiring me. And giving me money!” she laughed.

Eaters have until April 28th to enjoy Mana’s specialities: pumpkin ravioli, salmon corn chowder, okonomiyaki, and tempeh temptation.