Michelin Star Omakase: Our Review Of Taku In Mayfair

There’s no denying that omakase is having a bit of a moment right now; more restaurants than ever are celebrating this Japanese dining style, bringing it to the fore of the capital's dining scene. Omakase, literally meaning 'I'll leave it up to you', places the customer's meal in the chef's hands, who uses their culinary creativity and high-quality, seasonal ingredients to serve a range of unique, stunning dishes. One restaurant in particular has gained serious acclaim for this dining style – Taku in Mayfair, one of just two Michelin-starred omakase restaurants in London. 

Led by Executive and Chef Patron Takuya Watanabe (previously of Michelin-starred Jin Paris) and Head Chef Long Ng (master fishmonger with past experience in numerous award-winning omakase restaurants), the menu changes daily, depending on what ingredients the season brings, with just three sittings a day. Plus, depending on what you’re after, you can choose from the Tasting Omakase (£160 per person for over 17 courses), the Signature Omakase (£300 for over 20 courses) and the Prestige Omakase (which includes ultra-premium ingredients).

Taku's Japanese restaurant is one for the bucket list.

DesignMyNight's Review Of Taku

Tucked down an opulent street in Mayfair, lined with upmarket clothing shops, jewellery counters and slinky bars, sat Taku, humble and unassuming. Coats checked, we were led to an immaculate, brightly lit restaurant that was both minimalist and striking, with a centrepiece English oak bar that wrapped around the kitchen – with nothing on the walls but slate bricks and atmospheric lights. Once all diners were seated at the tall teak stools (there were only seven others during our visit, making for a very intimate experience indeed), the front door was locked and the curtain unfurled – the show was about to commence.

Everything on Taku's menu was absolutely divine.

We were here for the Tasting Omakase (£160 per person for over 17 courses), and as you can imagine, I can’t describe every dish we tried - but I’ll let you in on a few of my favourites. A notable plate was certainly the elevated twist on Japanese savoury custard (simply named 'egg' on our mysterious menu). The soft, creamy custard base was delicately sweet, topped with finely sliced cuts of lobster claw, all drizzled in a seaweed sauce that added an umami, smoky edge. It was a petite dish, but it blew me away.

Another highlight was the unique take on risotto. The chef let us know that it was created to make use of leftover waste (I loved the focus on sustainability here), adding residual sushi rice, which had been purposefully burnt, to a glutinous sauce flavoured with pickled shallots, samphire and two types of ginger. On top sat a tidy slab of juicy, flakey turbot, which had been marinated in residual sake; the dish was subtle but delightful, and unlike anything I've ever had before - a testament to the chefs' creativity.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the raw turbot (which the chef let us know was fresh from Cornwall), which was stunning in many senses of the word; a cute porcelain pot arrived in front of us, and as we lifted the lids, tendrils of smoke wafted out, making way for three pieces of white, almost translucent fish relaxing in a pool of bright green oil. Topped with pink pickled ginger and purple edible flowers, it was a gorgeous contrast of colours.

All these dishes weren't just delicious, but beautifully presented too.

Before the sushi course began, we were instructed to eat each piece within 10 seconds of receiving it, to ensure it was the optimum temperature. I'm so happy we trusted the process, as every morsel was completely divine. All of the sushi was made right in front of us before being hand-delivered (literally), with plenty of nigiri included, all cradled on top of still-warm, sticky rice: the scallop melted like butter in my mouth and the oyster was rich and salty, plus there was the gorgeous, delicate native lobster and luxuriously fatty otoro - the trout from Hampshire was a personal favourite. 

We finished off the evening with a gourmet lineup of desserts; the praline topped with shaved almonds offered a rich, velvety texture, encased in a crunchy, crisp casing, which we washed down with a unique and nutty cold brew brown rice tea. I also devoured the mont blanc - a classic French dessert, made with buckwheat sponge cake and vermicelli-style mousse.

DesignMyNight Overall: Taku

For the entire journey home, all we could talk about was how amazing our experience at Taku was. The food was absolutely exquisite, and totally unique - there were no overpowering or lingering flavours, it was all about championing the purity of good-quality ingredients and balance. We also loved the interactive element, being able to watch the chefs prepare your dishes before they handed them over, as well as the opportunity to discuss each dish, including the origin and reasoning behind its creation. Yes, there's a bit of a price tag on this one, but honestly, I think it's so worth it.

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