Endo goes East: sushi master Endo Kazutoshi is collaborating with Brat’s Tomos Parry
(Picture: Press handout)West London sushi superstar Endo Kazutoshi is moving east for one night only. On 15 October, the chef-owner of Endo at the Rotunda in White City is cooking a menu of British seafood and game with Tomos Parry, head chef and co-owner of Brat in Shoreditch.
The Michelin-starred chefs are both renowned for their sourcing of seafood — fish for sushi and sashimi in Kazutoshi’s case, Parry for his signature whole turbot to share — though each differs in their approach. Yokohama-born Kazutoshi is a third-generation sushi master trained in traditional Japanese technique, while Welshman Parry is inspired by the family-run restaurants of northern Spain’s Basque Country and has pioneered the art of cooking over fire in the UK.
The evening will begin with saké cocktails and sushi in Brat’s bar before diners move into the restaurant for an omakase tasting menu with a focus on British seafood and game. The idea behind the chef partnership sprang from a shared belief in building long-lasting relationships with producers and sourcing the best ingredients from British fisherman and farmers.
Dishes on the night will include wild mushrooms cooked over fire with egg, Cornish spider crab zosui (a Japanese rice soup), mallard from the Brat wood ovens with kabocha pumpkin, and sea bass tempura.
On the drinks front, Endo’s sommelier Natsuki Kikuya, the founder of the Museum of Saké, will offer pairings of saké and wine by the glass and bottle including London-brewed craft saké from 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 am collaborating with Brat as part of my challenge to introduce the beautiful world of sushi to the UK, and to help omakase culture become deeply rooted here and not just be a passing trend.”
There’s more to the menu than raw fish, however. Parry will be cooking game dishes from Brat’s menu with collaborative influence from Kazutoshi. “We are celebrating beautiful autumnal British produce, such as shellfish from cold waters, 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 respectful sourcing of British seafood. He is one of the most exciting, talented and skilful chefs in London and it will be an honour to cook with the sushi master himself for one night only at Brat.”
The dinner, without drinks, will cost £150 per person. Not cheap, certainly, but not as dear 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 by emailing events@bratrestaurant.com.
Brat, 4 Redchurch Street, E1 6JL, bratrestaurant.co.uk
