Extra crispy sushi handrolls are on the menu at Kumori opening in Soho

Japanese handrolls have become a big deal in London of late. We've seen the recent arrival of Temaki in Mayfair, and next up is Kumori in Soho, an opening that has a particularly strong team behind it. You may have seen them popping up around town before (particularly in their recent Marylebone residency), and they were also at the Monaco Grand Prix. But this will be their first permanent restaurant. 

Kumori founder Marc Flekei has brought in John Randy De Guzman as his head chef. He was most recently Head Chef at Tobi Masa (the London home of Chef Masa Takayama, one of the world's best sushi chefs) as well as having a decade of Nobu under his belt. He's joined by senior sushi chef Alvin Contawe, who has previously been at Dinings and Roka. 

Kumori will be a counter-only restaurant with handrolls as the main draw. Everything is made to order, with each handroll wrapped in bespoke extra crispy nori, which they say is for "maximum crispness, snap, and structural integrity". Handrolls planned for the menu include spicy tuna with jalapeno miso, unagi foie gras, torched scallop, baked crab and toro with torched bone marrow. They will also have vegetarian handrolls.

There will be just 30 seats on the handcrafted timber and stone counter, in a restaurant that's being designed by the same people behind Kricket Shoreditch. The world Kumori means "clouded light" and the design here is apparently inspired by Tokyo at sunset, so the look should be pretty special. 

The word on their recent Marylebone residency was extremely strong, so this is definitely one to watch.