Palm Desert, CA

A new dining concept is coming to one of the Coachella Valley’s most prominent shopping corridors, as the restaurant group behind the recently shuttered Shorebird prepares to reimagine the space with a modern Asian menu.

Wild Thyme, the management group overseeing the El Paseo location, announced that Shorebird officially ceased operations on May 12, 2026, and that the group plans to reopen the space in August 2026 under a new concept called YOZU — A Modern Asian Bistro.

“We are excited to introduce this new cuisine to the Palm Desert community and believe it will be a wonderful addition to the Shops on El Paseo,” the group said in a statement.

YOZU describes itself as a modern izakaya — a neighborhood spot built around sushi, shareable plates, and a curated sake program. The menu draws from Japan, Korea, China, and Southeast Asia, with hand rolls and nigiri served from a dedicated sushi bar upstairs, alongside wok-fired dishes such as shaking beef and Kurobuta pork belly fried rice, citrus achiote pad thai, Korean fried wings, sticky ribs, and pork belly buns. A short list of robata-grilled skewers rounds out the kitchen’s offerings.

Heading the kitchen is Chef Kellen, a Le Cordon Bleu-trained culinary artist whose background spans a range of kitchens and mentorships.

The pivot reflects ongoing challenges for restaurants along the upscale retail strip, where foot traffic tends to skew toward tourists and seasonal residents. The shift to Asian cuisine also signals a bet on broader, more flexible menus that can appeal to both lunch and dinner crowds.

On the drinks side, YOZU plans a sake program accessible to both first-timers and regulars, signature cocktails built on yuzu, plum, and jasmine, and a wine list anchored by California favorites — along with a daily happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. and DJ-driven weekends.

The space itself will seat 150 guests across a main dining room downstairs and an open sushi bar with semi-private dining upstairs, styled in what the restaurant calls “Desert Modern meets Tokyo” — cherry blossom installations and bonsai under warm gold light, with dark plaster, smoked wood, and black steel.

Management expressed confidence that the new Asian bistro concept will have a better chance at success on El Paseo than its seafood-and-steak predecessor, which had operated at the location since early 2024.

Some Palm Desert locals expressed surprise at Shorebird’s closure. “It’s shocking to see another place closed down in El Paseo,” said Ariel Jimenez, a regular visitor to the area. “I was not expecting it.”

YOZU is located at 73-061 El Paseo, Suite 172, in Palm Desert, and is expected to open in August 2026.

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