Former Nobu head-chef Scott Hallsworth is preparing his Sussex-based Japanese restaurant, Wabi, for the move to London, and if the cuisine at Nobu is anything to go by, Wabi London is set to be London’s hottest new Japanese restaurant.
Launched with his business partner, entrepreneur Andre Cochia, the new restaurant is to be located in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, and will offer a more ‘high end’ experience than previously offered at its original Sussex site. Design features of the interior will include a central theatre kitchen, a pastry bar and a sushi bar headed by another former exquisite Nobu chef, Taiji Maruyama, all set amidst a backdrop of traditional Japanese elegance partnered with contemporary European sophistication.
Australian-born Hallsworth spent six years at Nobu London before being handpicked by Nobu Matsuhisa, co-founder of the Nobu empire, to launch Nobu Melbourne in 2007. Renowned for his culinary repertoire, Hallsworth is particularly intrigued and credited with pushing the boundaries of cooking, resulting in dishes benefiting from unexpected contrasts and flavours.
The concept behind Wabi is simple. Named after a Japanese aesthetic, Wabi-sabi, which is centred on the appreciation of transience and simple, imperfect beauty, Wabi London will master the technique of understated luxury, promising elegant Japanese cuisine with a contemporary European twist. Amongst the palatable offerings expect to see included Hallsworth’s signature dishes, which will include foie gras martini with umeshu jelly, nashi & black vinegar; onsen egg with dashi-soy, truffle salt & chives and tea-smoked duck tataki with burnt ginger amazu sauce. Dishes at the sushi bar will include butter poached Spanish red shrimp with yuzu, chilli & cucumber dressing, whilst desserts will feature iced yuzu nougat parfait with green apple sorbet & warm white chocolate.
Wabi London will be opening this October.
Written by Rebecca Atherton – 2/8/12
