Mayfair, London W1, has become a centre for omakase dining, with three chef-led counters drawing attention, according to Robb Report. Here is what the magazine reports on each.
Tobi Masa at the Chancery Rosewood
Masayoshi Takayama, described by Robb Report as the first Japanese chef to receive a Michelin star in the US, opened his London debut with a seven-seat omakase counter in February. It completes the restaurant offering within the new hotel. The price is about 260 pounds per person.
Takayama said he had long wanted to come to London. "I love London," he said. He wants this address to feel different from his New York flagship: "In London, I wanted it to be more casual, more relaxed."
The menu changes with the seasons. One evening might begin with nuta, made with tuna, sea greens and cucumber dressed in sweet Kyoto miso and mustard. It could go on to toro tartare with caviar, grilled fish and a soup course, before moving to hand-shaped sushi such as fatty toro, kinmedai or scallop. Robb Report also mentions Takayama's fish-based pasta, made from flourless noodles of almost entirely seafood.
Endo at Annabel's
Until July, Endo Kazutoshi is hosting a 10-seat residency at Annabel's, while Endo at the Rotunda is temporarily closed. The counter runs four evenings a week. Two services are reserved for members of the private club and two are open to special guests of Endo's. The price is around 245 pounds per person.
Guests are served a blind 14-course tasting menu. It opens with a handroll of seaweed and tuna passed directly from chef to guest, which Endo calls his business card. Later dishes might include squid, akami tuna, crab shinjo or langoustine, finishing with Wagyu and a light souffle.
Endo said Mayfair suits this style of dining, which "relies on attention, trust, technique and quality ingredients".
Sushi Kanesaka at 45 Park Lane
Shinji Kanesaka's Michelin-starred restaurant is reached through a discreet doorway within the hotel. Robb Report describes a counter carved from a single piece of Kiso hinoki, approximately 500-year-old Japanese cypress, and a flower vase made for the restaurant by ceramic artist Shiro Tsujimura.
Up to 20 courses are served, with seafood treated by the ikejime method and rice and wasabi from long-standing Japanese suppliers. The surprise menu costs about 420 pounds per person.
On 5 May, as part of its annual Michelin Series, the restaurant hosts a one-night, four-hands collaboration with Michael Wignall.
Photo: User:No Swan So Fine, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
