Jason Atherton reveals more details on new Japanese site Sosharu

Michelin-starred chef-restaurateur Jason Atherton has revealed more details on his soon-to-launch Japanese-style restaurant, Sosharu, on London's Clerkenwell Road.

The site will also offer a separate dining space named Kisetsu - which translates as "season" - with its own kitchen, at which a daily-changing tasting menu will be served in fine-dining style along the ‘omakase' or ‘trust the chef'-style tradition.

There will also be a 40-cover cocktail bar named Seven Tales in the basement, headed up by bar manager Geoff Robinson, which will aim to recreate the night-time atmosphere of Tokyo. The drinks menu will be inspired by Japanese culture, including cocktails such as Munenori's Mojito, a mojito made with cold-brewed matcha, nigori, Cuban rum, tonka bean and absinthe; and Yugen, containing rose vermouth, citric acid, hibiscus salt and sparkling sake.

Executive head chef in the restaurant will be Alex Craicun, who has spent a year immersing himself in Japanese cuisine to prepare for the role, having relocated to Japan and studied at the Kyoto Culinary School. He also worked at restaurant Kikunoi under chef Yoshihiro Murata in Kyoto, followed by time at the RyuGin restaurant under Seiji Yamamoto, in Tokyo.

Typical dishes at Sosharu will include chashu pork belly with udon and king oyster; bream sashimi, with shichimi and crispy potato; scallops with yuzu butter and fresh nori; and sukiyaki wagyu beef with glass noodles and young leeks. Desserts will include apple pie with miso butterscotch; and white sesame with chocolate and miso caramel.

The site's interior design will be from Shanghai-based studio - and Atherton favourite - Neri & Hu, who also did Atherton's Pollen Street Social in London and his new restaurant, Kensington Street Social, in Sydney. It will be inspired by traditional ‘minka' Japanese houses, and also feature wallpaper aiming to offer a view of Japan's ‘golden age' movements from the 1960s.

Commenting on the new site, Atherton said: "Sosharu is a complete departure from anything I've done before, which makes it that much more exciting for us. This restaurant has been a long time in the making as we wanted to get it right."

The site will be the 16th restaurant in Atherton's growing collection, which also includes Little Social and Social Wine and Tapas in London, the Marina Social in Dubai; the Clock Tower in New York; the Commune Social in Shanghai, and 22 Ships, Ham & Sherry, and Aberdeen Street Social in Hong Kong.

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