London sushi superstar Endo Kazutoshi is moving east for one night only. On October 15, the chef-owner of Endo at Rotunda in White City cooks a menu of British seafood and game with Tomos Parry, chef and co-owner of Brat in Shoreditch.
Both Michelin-starred chefs are known for their seafood sources—fish for sushi and sashimi in Kazutoshi’s case, Pari with his signature whole turbot he shares—though each differs in their approach. Yokohama-born Kazutoshi is a third-generation sushi master trained in traditional Japanese techniques, while Welshman Parry was inspired by family restaurants in the Basque Country in northern Spain and pioneered the art of fire cooking in the UK.
The evening will begin with sake cocktails and sushi at Brat’s bar before guests move to the restaurant for an omakase tasting menu with a focus on British seafood and game. The idea behind the chef partnership stems from a shared belief in building long-lasting relationships with producers and sourcing the best ingredients from British fishermen and farmers.
Dishes on the night will include fire-roasted wild mushrooms with egg, Cornish spider crab zosui (Japanese rice soup), wood-fired mallard duck Brat with kabocha squash and sea bass tempura.
On the drinks side, Endo sommelier Natsuki Kikuya, the founder of the Sake Museum, will offer specially paired sake and wine by the glass and bottle, including craft sake produced in London by Kanpai in Peckham.
Explaining his motivation behind the collaboration, Kazutoshi told the Standard: “I’m excited about the synergy created by the two completely different cuisines: Basque and sushi. I’m collaborating with Brat as part of my challenge to bring the beautiful world of sushi to the UK and help omakase culture take root here rather than just being a passing trend.’
Brat’s Tomos Parry
/ Benjamin McMahonHowever, there is more to the menu than raw fish. Parry will cook game dishes from Brat’s menu with joint influence from Kazutoshi. “We celebrate beautiful autumnal British produce such as shellfish from cold waters, wild game from the land and vegetables from the fields of Cambridge and Cornwall,” Parry said. “I have been a long-time admirer of Endo’s respected British seafood sourcing. He is one of the most exciting, talented and skilled chefs in London and it will be an honor to cook with the sushi master himself for one night only at Brat.”
Dinner excluding drinks will cost £150 per person. Not cheap, sure, but not as expensive as the £225 omakase menu on offer at Endo at the Rotunda. And with Kazutoshi and Parry behind the sushi bar and manning the ovens in the open kitchen, the evening promises to be a brilliant night of chef theatre.
Reservations can be made via email [email protected]
Brat, 4 Redchurch Street, E1 6JL, bratrestaurant.co.uk
@mrbenmccormack