Designer: Itai-san
Location: London
On offer: Acclaimed omakase chef Shinji Kanesaka, the mastermind whose namesake restaurant in Tokyo sparkles with two Michelin stars, is taking his show on the road. Housed within the 45 Park Lane hotel in London’s tony Mayfair neighborhood, the U.K. outpost of Sushi Kanesaka marks the chef’s initial foray outside of the Asia Pacific region. Sequestered in a corner of the property’s Bar 45, patrons enter through a walkway of reclaimed Japanese granite and wooden Kumiko panels inspired by the neighboring Serpentine in Hyde Park into an immersive environment inspired by Japan’s traditional sushi dens.
Standout features: Designed by Itai-san, the nine-seat chef’s counter is made from a single piece of Japanese Kiso Hinoki (cedar wood). Custom vases by renowned ceramic artist Shiro Tsujimura, hand-cut glasses by Horiguchi Kiriko, and Hinoki ice chests, first used by sushi chefs in the Edo period, add authentic notes to the intimate experience. The Edomae-style sushi program, which incorporates elements of curing and cooking, guides the 20 courses meticulously prepared using seasonal ingredients, not to mention chef Kanesaka’s own rice blend from Japan’s Yamagata Prefecture.
