Seattle’s king of Japanese hot dogs tells CHS he already has his Pike/Pine wiener empire in place — Shinsuke Nikaido is ready to try something new.

“Iki — in Japanese it means very stylish,” Nikaido says.

UPDATE 4/28/2016: It looks like the official name is Ikina: 

The 60-something entrepreneur tells CHS he plans to open the new sushi bar and lounge next to the Comet Tavern sometime in early 2016.

The space once host to nightclub King Cobra was temporarily lined up to be home to a Moneytree money lender before the deal fell through. It has been empty for more than five years as the Comet shuttered and was then reinvented, and the neighboring Lobby Bar moved out. Look for the Lobby’s old home to move back into motion soon, too, after the building’s longtime owners have reportedly settled on a new tenant from dozens of applicants.

Nikaido says the Iki buildout will likely take until February as he plans to create a “stylish” sushi and cocktail bar in the midst of the Pike/Pine nightlife core. It’s a neighborhood Nikaido knows well. His Gourmet Dog-Japon carts have become a force in Pike/Pine with four different corners claimed in the battle for nightlife noshing supremacy.

“We like that neighborhood very much,”Nikaido tells CHS. “Very exciting. Very young.”

Capitol Hill food+drink notes

• Thursday night, Mamnoon hosts Soup for Syria. “As of now there are more than 10 chefs donating soup for the 35$ donation tier – we’d love to get the word out and see the hill out here,” Wassef Haroun tells CHS.
• Seven Beef is now open on E Jeff. CHS will be visiting… soon.
• Canon is slipping. 15th best bar… in the world.
• What it means to be home to the 15th 6th best bar in the world…
• Gregg Holcomb of Witness says: “You never know where a customer is going to engage you. Somebody comes in and they’ve just broken up with their girlfriend, just got a promotion, or they’re contemplating life or they just saw —you never know where they’re at so we try to be open as much as possible and engage.”
• Naka: 2 stars. Also, people still get paid to write restaurant reviews!
• The best part about Seattle Restaurant Week? Quinn’s annual cheeky response.
• Capitol Hill will have to survive with only two bicycle cafes: Peloton and Metier coming soon.
• Capitol Hill needs chefs.
• Mamnoon’s Jason Stratton is lined up to be on the next season of Top Chef.
• Also Mamnoon! It’s adding a streatery on Melrose.
• Don’t know if it had anything to do with the Peet’s takeover but Stumptown Pine has changed.
• Bauhaus looking good in red. Remember that the ‘Haus is destined to return to Melrose and Pine. Someday.
  

  (Image: Bauhaus)