Meet the chef: Shinji Kanesaka of Sushi Kanesaka
The Michelin-starred sushi master on creating a dining experience like no other
Scoring a reservation at Sushi Kanesaka isn’t so much a dining experience, as a holistic, multi-sensory adventure. From the moment you’re met by a kimono-dressed waitress who escorts you to one of 13 seats fringing the sushi counter, to watching chefs hand-press bright pink tuna sashimi onto rice, it’s clear that what Sushi Kanesaka offers in London is something usually reserved for the fine dining corners of Tokyo.
The capital clearly has an appetite for this type of gastronomy – even at £420 for 18 courses. The brainchild of chef Shinji Kanesaka, his London restaurant opened in the 45 Park Lane hotel in 2023 following the Michelin-starred blueprint of his eponymous outpost in the Ginza district of the Japanese capital and, accordingly, earned its first Michelin star within seven months. And, watching chef Hirotaka Wada – Kanesaka’s protégé and London head chef – hand press and roll otoro, chutoro, botan ebi, and unagi, it’s clear to see why.
Wada may helm the service day-to-day but it’s Kanesaka who’s behind the concept. Famed in his home country for his time-honoured approach to Japanese cuisine and mastery of edomae sushi, which began life in Tokyo Bay in the 1820s, Kanesaka arrived in London to reimagine omakase dining (meaning ‘I’ll leave it up to you’ in Japanese). On a quest for perfection, Kanesaka hand-picked a small team of eight chefs, sommeliers and hosts, several of whom had mastered their craft in the chef’s portfolio of esteemed restaurants before moving to London.
Kanesaka and chef Hirotaka Wada
Kanesaka is a man of few words but huge skill. Having spent more than half his life honing his craft, he says the key to sushi, and in particular edomae, is the rice (otherwise known as shari). It’s a logical approach; after all, sushi is 80 per cent rice. As a result, he employs two sushi shokunin, whose job is solely washing and preparing the rice, while traditional hinoki ice chests, first used by sushi chefs in the Edo period, have been installed to keep the temperature of the fish perfectly maintained.
The 18 courses, served across two hours, vary according to the seasons. At least 11 are formed of sushi – the rich and decadent marinated akami, and luxe yariika (squid) with beluga caviar were personal highlights – while the remaining dishes are informed by Japanese delicacies, such as chawanmushi (savoury egg custard) with steamed abalone and crab, binchō-tan (charcoal) grilled Kobe beef with wasabi and shio, and miso soup with clams and chives. Watching it all be prepared, with every chef one step ahead to ensure all diners can pick up their chopsticks and eat at the same time, only adds to the ceremonial nature of this fine dining experience.
Yariika with beluga caviar
Chawanmushi
On a self-proclaimed mission to introduce authentic Japanese food culture to the rest of the world (his latest opening in South Korea is a case in point), we sit down to discuss Kanesaka’s passion for rice, the pressure of Michelin stars and where to find the best Japanese food in London.
I wanted to be a professional baseball player – a career as a sushi chef came into picture when I was boarding at a sushi restaurant as a student.
Sushi originates from Edo (modern day Tokyo), and Ginza in particular is considered to be the core of it, so much so that sushi and Ginza are almost synonyms nowadays.
Fish does not shine through as an ingredient while it is still alive (still being in its raw form), hence there is an approach to end its life once and revive it as an ingredient by combining it with shari (vinegared rice for sushi), thus the rice bears an important factor. The three-fold [meaning] of the Japanese word ‘Iki’ is significant here: Iki in the sense of alive (生), Iki in the sense of making good use of (活), and Iki in the sense of being gallant (粋).
The delicate nuance of rice is greatly influenced by the balance of vinegar and salt flavourings. It’s all about balance.
A reflection of a traditional tea culture within a ceremonial tea room to dignifiedly [highlight] authentic Japanese style.
The importance of propagating Japanese food culture and traditions to the world.
Tuna akami (the leanest part of the fish) is the staple sushi ingredient. I will always continue to work on bettering it.
There is a certain pressure in maintaining the star. It is important to be grateful, not to shame those who valued us, and not to disappoint the guests who visit us.
Not to give up in the battle against one’s self.
Binchō-tan grilled Kobe beef with wasabi and shio
Hélène Darroze at The Connaught – flavour, service and ambience are all great.
Chef Daisuke Hayashi from Roketsu. Despite the challenges Japanese cuisine might incur, especially compared to sushi, he never ceases to try, which is admirable.
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