Chef Daisuke Shimoyama to open restaurant in former Allegra site

Chef Daisuke Shimoyama is set to open a Japanese restaurant in the former site of Patrick Powell’s Allegra next month.

Shimoyama, who is famed for his omakase restaurant Hannah on London’s Southbank, will launch Kokin on 1 May at east London’s Stratford hotel, which is part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection.

The seventh-floor, 140-cover restaurant takes its name from the Japanese word for “past and present” and will serve a woodfired-inspired menu paying homage to the chef’s childhood memories of growing up in the mountains of Gunma, Japan.

Dishes will be infused with the scent of cherry and apple wood, as well as Binchotan charcoal. These are set to include woodfire x charcoal grilled turbot combined with Kyoto white miso, otoro and akami.

The restaurant will also offer omakase and host dedicated evenings to showcase sustainable bluefin tuna provided by specialist tuna fisherman Hajime Tanaka. Meanwhile, drinks will be curated by Provisions Wine & Cheese.

The site was previously home to Allegra, which was launched by Powell in 2019. The restaurant closed after five years of trading in August last year.