10/1/24 - Updated with the opening date
For the last two years, chefs Tamas Naszai and Tomoko Hasegawa have been running omakase restaurant Roji in Mayfair (which we thought was excellent). Now Roji is (temporarily) shut while the chefs launch a brand new restaurant in Carnaby.
Taking over from Ino on Newburgh Street, Himi (which means "taste of Japan") is going to have a different approach to Roji (although you will be able to try some of that restaurant's signature dishes here too). Modelled more after Tokyo neo-izakayas they'll have modern interpretations of Japanese classics in a more laid-back atmosphere, letting the chefs work outside of a more traditional omakase setting.
The initial launch menu includes scallop isobe age,Yorkshire wagyu with Jerusalem artichoke, inaniwa udon with duck dashi and their take on chicken kara-age. There will be a combination of open-flame charcoal cooking alongside sushi and sashimi which, if Roji is anything to go by, should be excellent. They'll also carry on the big focus on seasonality from Roji. As for drinks, those have been selected by wine and sake sommelier Yuta Fujii, and there will be exclusive sake imported from the famous sake shop Kimijimaya in Yokohama on offer.
The chefs say "For our next challenge, we’ve created a restaurant that really gives that true homely izakaya atmosphere, which we always seek out when back in Japan." Roji is a great restaurant so we have very high hopes for this new venture from them.
More about Himi
Where is it? 4 Newburgh Street, London W1F 7RF
When does it open? 31 January 2025
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @himi_ldn.
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