“Kibako”, a new contemporary Japanese restaurant, will open in Fitzrovia in mid-March, offering a menu of dishes that blend traditional techniques with modern flair. At the centre of the restaurant’s offering will be its signature kibako - expertly curated, omakase-style boxes after which the restaurant is named. Every box will contain between six and 12 hand-crafted sushi and sashimi dishes per diner, with the selection chosen personally by the kitchen for each guest.
Kibako’s menu will feature re-imaginings of classic dishes that combine specialist Japanese ingredients with the highest-quality produce from around the world, including hand-picked Maldon rock oysters and 36-month aged organic Parmigiano Reggiano alongside Kagoshima Wagyu beef and Sanpuku nori.
Guests will be able to choose between two of the restaurant's three course set menus, both featuring a kibako to start, which includes dishes such as: seared butterfish with red jalapeño sauce; hand dived scallop with plum and rock shrimp tempura, followed by a main dish and a dessert. For the main course, there will be a selection of unique and refined takes on well-known Japanese dishes, including:
Grilled saba (blue mackerel), spicy oroshi (daikon radish)
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48hr marinated grilled black cod, saikyo miso (sweet rice miso)
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Grilled aubergine, saikyo miso (sweet rice miso), truffle
Diners can also opt to go a-la-carté, selecting from a menu of sushi, sashimi, maki and carpaccio, as well as larger, hot-dishes such as, seafood donburi and A5 Kagoshima Wagyu don, all of which are classically served with rice, miso soup and Japanese pickles. Finally, guests will be able to enjoy desserts including a selection of house-made ice creams.
Kibako’s concept was developed by Founder and Director, Shrabaneswor Rai, who will oversee the restaurant’s day-to-day operations as well as working directly alongside Executive Chef Padam Raj Rai. Chef Padam will head up the kitchen at Kibako, bringing over 20 years of experience as a sushi chef, having originally trained as a sushi chef in Osaka before moving to London to take up positions at some of the capital’s best-loved sushi restaurants, including Sake No Hana, Roka and Nobu. Kibako will showcase his attention to detail and skill through a succinct menu that embodies the artistry and technique expected of modern Japanese cuisine.
The 50-cover restaurant, designed by award-winning studio Muzo Design, will boast an intimate dining room with traditional wooden-panelling and low, warm lighting. Diners will also be able to sit at the restaurant’s sushi bar, watching the chefs expertly prepare their sushi, sashimi and carpaccio in front of them for a more intimate experience.
Kibako, from the team behind Islington’s popular Japanese restaurant Hot Stone, will be located on Fitzrovia’s Windmill Street, taking the site of the group’s Japanese fine-dining restaurant, RAI, which will close earlier in the month and is currently looking for a new home.
