Two new handroll sushi bars are about to launch in London’s West End, offering a different twist on Japanese dining.
Temaki opens next week in Maddox Street, Mayfair, after a five-year run in Brixton Market that ended last summer. Billed when it opened as London’s first handroll specialist, it won high ratings in the Harden’s guide – and offered diners the chance to sample wagyu for as little as £15, as well as a keenly priced sake flight.
This new venue is bigger than the original, with 16 seats in the upstairs bar and a Japanese-style ‘listing bar’ with another 28 seats downstairs.
Founder A.M. Dupee says: “We’ve been working on some fun new dishes and will, of course, serve our signature handrolls – I can’t wait to open the doors!“
Next month sees the arrival of Kumori in Denman Street, Soho, from founder Marc Flekei with head chef John Randy De Guzman, formerly of Nobu and Tobi Masa.
Marc says: “Handroll bars have always been my favourite way to eat sushi, and I felt London was missing that. Soho was chosen for energy rather than prestige. It is one of the few places in London where food, fashion, music, and nightlife intersect naturally, allowing Kumori to exist as both a daily ritual and a destination.”
The 30-seat venue will feature handrolls made individually in front of the customer and served directly, with fillings like spicy tuna with jalapeno miso and torched scallop, as well as vegetarian options.
Handroll sushi with rice and toppings wrapped in nori seaweed have long been made in Japan, but were first popularised as a main focus for venues in California a little over 10 years ago.
