Sushi master Endo Kazutoshi is the latest chef to join one of London’s most hotly anticipated openings, The OWO.
Endo, whose father and grandfather were sushi masters before him, was born in Yokohama and specialises in the Edomae style, a technique particular to Tokyo. His expertise has made his Michelin-starred flagship restaurant, Endo at The Rotunda, one of London’s most exclusive dining rooms. It is housed in the former BBC TV Centre in White City.
At The OWO, set to launch this summer, Endo will lead a “Japanese-influenced” rooftop restaurant alongside a sake bar on the ground floor.
“We are delighted to be joining The OWO,” Kazutoshi said. “Our new restaurant and sake bar will be an ode to the traditions of Japanese cooking with my personal touch. We look forward to sharing a piece of history with our guests.”
He added: “Japanese cooking is rooted in my culture and as a third-generation sushi master, I hope to bring these techniques and traditions I have learnt along the way. I want to combine these with the all-important elements of a Sake bar, mixing my tradition with the inspiring setting of this building rooted in British history.”
The opening is the latest project from the Creative Restaurant Group, of which Endo is chef patron, and which was co-founded by the restaurateur Misha Zelman, the man behind the likes of Burger & Lobster and Goodman steakhouse in Mayfair.
Their latest project will see a 60-cover rooftop dining room, chef’s table, and outside terrace on the roof of the once tobacco-stained, now plushly renovated Old War Office in Whitehall.
The Grade II-listed landmark is where Winston Churchill deliberated plans to defeat Nazi Germany, and where Ian Fleming was inspired to write James Bond. There will be a private dining room in one of the building’s historic turrets.
Madani Sow, the CEO of development management company WDS, added: “We are truly honoured to be partnering with one of London’s most distinguished Japanese chefs.”
An announcement said guests here will enjoy panoramic views across St James’s Park, The Mall, and onto Buckingham Palace, while the sake bar below can be accessed directly from Whitehall Place.
Ahead of its launch, the space has already been tipped to be a prime location for Champagne-fuelled parties and lavish dining, with nine restaurants — including Kazutoshi’s — and three bars planned.
The destination recently announced the London debuts of the acclaimed French restaurant Café Lapérouse, and the Italian restaurant Paper Moon. Chef Mauro Colagreco, who leads the three Michelin-star Mirazur in Provence, is likewise opening three dining concepts.
The OWO will also host Raffles, where there will be 120 rooms, 85 Raffles-branded residencies, and a spa and health club.
