On 1351 H Street NE, you’ll find an appealing minimalist duplex that houses multiple experiences within one space. Maketto is best characterized as a communal marketplace textured with retail, restaurant, bar, and a cafe, making the operation truly an all-day spot.
On the retail side, The Annex and Cool Kids Vinyl showcase high-quality threads and sounds. Maketto’s restaurant side pulls inspiration from both Cambodian and Taiwanese cuisines—meaning unique and comforting plates of bao, fried chicken dishes, scallion pancakes, and much more. Chef Erik Bruner-Yang stands by an open invitation: “Our home is your home.”
With the pandemic hitting the District at 2020’s beginning, Chef Erik and his team moved quickly to create an emergency response program: The Power of 10 Initiative. The vision is straight forward—by raising $10,000 weekly to create 10 full-time jobs, one thousand free meals could be serviced out of the participating kitchen. The initiative has expanded beyond the District into 30 kitchens across the country with over 275,000 meals donated thus far.
Demonstrating resilience in the face of the pandemic and dedication to their neighbors, Chef Erik and his team have certainly embodied the Maketto mission “to build a sense of community through quality, consistency, and accessibility.”
