Japanese

  • Los Mochis London City is their new rooftop restaurant in Broadgate

    Los Mochis to open a second site, this time it’s a rooftop restaurant in Broadgate

    12/3/24  - updated with the opening date

    Following the success of their Notting Hill restaurant, and their recent ...

  • Endo Kazutoshi reveals details of his Kioku by Endo restaurant and bar at The OWO

    endo restaurant at the owo

    Back in 2021 we first wrote about the fact that top sushi chef Endo Kazutoshi was planning on opening both a rooftop restaurant and sake bar at The OWO. Now, three years down the line, we're finally getting some concrete details about what it's going to involve.

    To begin with we have a name - both the restaurant and bar will be called Kioku, which is the Japanese word for memory. The restaurant, Endo says, "will combine all

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  • RAI omakase restaurant returns, this time in Bloomsbury

    RAI omakase restaurant returns, this time in Bloomsbury

    RAI, from the same people behind Islington's Hot Stone, originally launched in Fitzrovia before closing last year. But now the restaurant is back again in a different location, just up the road in Bloomsbury. 

    The food is once again led by Executive Chef Padam Raj Rai (previously at Nobu, Sake no Hana and Tsukiji) and it'll be an omakase-only restaurant, with dishes in the

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  • Test Driving Juno - a tiny omakase doing things differently in Notting Hill

    ALT

    Pairing Japanese and Mexican influences, Juno is a six seater omakese restaurant in Notting Hill serving up an extraordinary food experience.

  • Clap is spreading to Knightsbridge

    Clap is spreading to Knightsbridge

    10/1/24 - updated with the opening date

    In a strong case of "you really should have renamed this before opening in the UK", Clap is coming to Knightsbridge. 

    Clap, a restaurant that's inevitably only going to be referred to with a definite article attached, has opened in Dubai, Riyadh and Beirut before landing in London. Referred to as "sensory Japanese dining" (which we're not sure makes it any

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  • Iné is a new Japanese (and omakase) restaurant in Hampstead from the Taku team

    Iné is a new Japanese (and omakase) restaurant in Hampstead from the Taku team

    14/12/23 - Updated with the opening date

    Can London have too many omakase restaurants? It appears not, as the people behind Taku in Mayfair are getting ready to open a restaurant with its own omakase counter in Hampstead (taking over what used to be Goldfish).

    Iné will have an eight-seater omakase counter alongside booth seating if you want to pop in for

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  • Tokyo's Kobe beef specialists Aragawa are heading to London

    aragawa steakhouse mayfair london

    Updated 17/10/23 with opening date

    London's carnivores with big pockets have a new treat coming their way this summer. One of Tokyo's most prestigious restaurants is opening its first restaurant outside Japan, in Mayfair.

    They're taking over the old Miyama site on Clarges Street bringing their legendary - and pricey - steaks to the West End.

    Billed as one of the world's most expensive

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  • London sake brewery Kanpai are moving their taproom and kitchen to Bermondsey

    kanpai sake brewery moving to bermondsey

    27/9/23 - updated with details of the launch

    Seven years after they opened their taproom and kitchen in Peckham, London sake brewery Kanpai are on the move. Over the past few years, the self-taught brewers Tom and Lucy Wilson built up a loyal audience for their small-batch craft sake, opening first their taproom followed by a kitchen opposite where they ran a series of residencies serving up Japanese

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  • Test Driving Hiden - the Japanese curry lab expands its size and menu in Finsbury Park

    hiden restaurant review finsbury park

    Japanese curry specialists Hiden have expanded to Finsbury Park and the menu's grown too. We went along to pay them a visit.

  • Okonomiheads sees the SushiHeads team open in Haggerston

    Okonimiheads opens in Haggerston

    The folk behind SushiHeads in Tottenham have now got a new venture to pour their energies into. Having closed their Tottenham restaurant just weeks ago they're now open as Okonomiheads in Haggerston.

    The talent behind the business is Naomi Simpson. Her decision to open an okonomiyaki restaurant has its roots in her family history - her parents ran an okonomiyaki bar in Osaka. They retired this year and, as Naomi

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  • Hiden are bringing their Japanese curry to Finsbury Park

    hiden opening stroud green road

    A Hot Dinners exclusive

    A walk along Stroud Green Road today revealed that the finishing touches are currently being put on Hiden's new restaurant. If you haven't tried their food before, the Japanese curry specialists can also be found at Coal Drops Yard. Up in Finsbury Park they've taken over where Seasons used to be. 

    They serve up three iterations of the curry - original beef, a mild chicken

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  • Sushi Kanesaka brings omakase to 45 Park Lane

    Sushi Kanesaka brings omakase to 45 Park Lane

    We're still a little surprised when it happens but occasionally the odd restaurant does manage to launch in a fairly stealthy fashion. The latest of those is Sushi Kanesaka which is opening at 45 Park Lane, the hotel right opposite The Dorchester. 

    It comes from top sushi chef Shinji Kanesaka who also has a two-Michelin-starred restaurant by the same name in Tokyo. The London

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  • London's best restaurants with omakase menus

    omakasecollage

    Japanese omakase restaurants (which roughly translates as "leaving the menu up to the chef") have become a big thing in London of late. Long tasting menus, often sushi-led, are delivered in some of London's most beautiful dining rooms. Here's our pick of the best along with a guide to the restaurants where you can get the experience on a (slightly) smaller budget.  

  • Where to get a great lunchtime bento box in London

    londons best bento boxes 

    Some of London's great lunchtime deals come in the form of bento boxes. Here's our pick of the best out there.

  • London's best sandos - the sandwich as art form

    kitsune 

    Sandos - they're just so pleasing to the eye aren't they? London, as you might imagine, has its fair share of these symmetrically-crafted sandwiches on offer. If you hate crusts, then come this way.