Chef Leo behind the counter at Juno
There are a lot of omakase restaurants in London. What sets Juno apart?
This teeny new omakase restaurant in Notting Hill has several defining attributes. The first is its size - with just six seats at the counter it's one of, if not the, smallest omakase restaurants in London. Then there's the fact that everything here is both gluten and nut-free making it a great spot to pick for a special dining out occasion if you have dietary restrictions.
Last, but by no means least are the chefs involved - Executive Chef Leo Tanyag is ex-OKKU and Zuma and he's aided by Head Sushi Chef Han Heung (ex-Nobu and Roka).
Where is it?
You'll find it upstairs at Los Mochis, a Japanese-Mexican restaurant about a minute's walk from Notting Hill Gate tube. To get to the restaurant you have to walk through the bustling upstairs dining room and through a curtain into a separate area where you'll find the omakase counter presided. It's a beautiful space with a handmade walnut counter.
What's on the menu?
As this is omakase, the menu each night is left to the chef who in turn is influenced by what his fish suppliers have got their hands on. To discover what you'll be eating when you arrive there are five shelves as you come in with fifteen wooden blocks, each with an ingredient written on it with chalk. Those form the basis of your dinner here.
Chef Leo talks us through the ingredients being used that night. There's a strong focus on sustainability and ethical sourcing here with only line-caught fish from suppliers that stick to a daily limit of 10 fish to avoid overfishing. Leo's passionate about this and that really shines through when he talks about his relationship with the fishermen.
Like the restaurant outside, the menu takes inspiration from both Japanese and Mexican cuisines so it's very different to London's other omakase offerings.
Without wanting to give too much away, but also because the menu changes daily, here are just some of the courses we enjoyed during our dinner here.
Taraba Kani - Alaskan King Crab served with a bowl of Ponzu Butter dipping sauce. Beautifully presented - that crab has already been portioned up for you to make it even easier to dip.
Madai - wonderful sea bream with the chef's own lime aioli and borage flowers giving their cucumber scent to the dish.
Cuttlefish nigiri. We've sometimes struggled with cuttlefish texturally at sushi restaurants but this was so tender with the cuttlefish marinated in beetroot for that extraordinary colour and earthy taste.
Snowcrab and ikura hand roll - served hand to hand from the chef to the diner having been rolled in front of you.
Wagyu A4 nigiri - this was a bit of extra theatrics from chef Leo. The beef from Kagoshima is served with an agave worm salt and Wagyu bone marrow that's been blow-torched to drip on the sushi.
Throughout all of this, we found the guidance from the chef notably helpful. We're all for being told whether the next piece was to be taken hand to hand, eaten in one bite or two etc. It's just another nice detail that made this omakase experience more fun than formal.
Room for dessert?
The meal ends with another fusion dish, this time one that mixes both Japanese and Italian influences.
Matcha tiramisu - can we just pause for a moment to appreciate this presentation?
What's the drink list like?
While you're of course able to go a la carte with your drinks options, there are two pairing offerings, a sake for £85 and wine pairing for £160. We tried both and thought them really inventive. We were particularly taken with the wine option that included an Albarino aged under the Atlantic and covered in coral which we hadn't encountered before as well as a Denshin Yugi Junmai Ginjo sake made with mountain snow water.
And how much is this going to set me back?
The 15-course omakase experience is £207 including the service charge, and there are two sittings, at 6pm and 8.30pm, that last about two hours.
Overall thoughts
We were fully blown away by our dinner at Juno. Not only was it one of the most interesting takes on the omakase experience, but chef Leo's personality made it a particularly fun and easy meal. Apparently, the first night's service was marked with someone proposing - it's that kind of place! It comes with our highest recommendation.
More about Juno
Where is it? 2-4 Farmer St, London W8 7SN
Find out more: Visit their website or follow them on Instagram @juno.omakase
Hot Dinners dined as guests of Juno. Prices correct at time of publication.
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