A new Japanese restaurant has arrived in Mayfair. Planting itself on Heddon Street, this concept comes from the man who brought you Shoryu Ramen, Tak Tokumine and is the latest London restaurant from The Japan Centre Group. Partnering with two-Michelin-starred sushi haven The Araki (the home of sushi master Mitsuhiro Araki) means it’ll be a much more high-end venture for them than before.
Sakagura offers the same renowned, authentic Japanese cuisine but in a more accessible, relaxed setting aimed at a young crowd and spread over two floors. It’s going to be serving a Southern Japanese menu, by their Executive Chef Kanji Furukawa and Head Chef Jin Yackshin. It’ll primarily be serving ‘Washoku’ which uses rice, miso and fish in each meal. They’ll also have Hakata yakitori, grilled skewers, hand-made udon and soba noodles and freshly made sushi. There is, of course, a list of saké-based cocktails: the Karai Saké blends chilli-infused saké with silver Tequila, agave syrup and grated ginger.
Beneath the ground floor’s intimate booths and saké bar, you’ll find an 11-seater kappo bar (a Japanese-style chef’s table similar to The Araki’s). Moodily decorated in dark woods, copper, brass and textured concrete, Sakagura’s aim is to represent thoroughly traditional Japanese cuisine, aka ‘washoku’.
Sakagura’s opening forms part of The Crown Estate’s ongoing £1bn investment in the Regent Street area, which included transforming Heddon Street into a pedestrianised food quarter in 2008.
Sakagura
8 Heddon Street
London
W1B 4BU