‘Where the sea meets the sky’ (AKA the top of the old television centre in White City), you’ll find Endo Kazutoshi, a third-generation Edomae sushi master. There, he takes guests on a journey, across Japan and through history.
This, along with the stern black and white headshot that greets you on the website, might make Endo seem stuffy. Instead, the lift doors open to reveal a convivial atmosphere. Relaxed, chatty staff guide you to the bar. The chefs nod to you knowingly, equally eager for what is to come. And then, the man himself appears. He whips round, shaking hands, cracking jokes, thanking us for coming.
Once sat at the 200-year-old Hinoki wood bar, we sip on martinis. But these are no ordinary martinis. The bitters used are somehow made from the wood of the bar itself, and the grapes that come with are carbonated, again reminding us that nothing here is ordinary.
Borderline giddy with excitement, we are served our first dish. Cold udon in cold broth. But these are no ordinary udon, and this is no ordinary broth. The udon, which have a ten-year waitlist, are made by only one man, who lives on a tiny Japanese island. In order to prove he was worthy of these noodles, Endo had to go to the island himself and cook for the man. The udon are made using seawater and aren’t like anything else we’ve ever tasted. The impossibly delicate, crystal clear broth is decorated with tiny flowers, like dipping your spoon into a delicious meditation pond.
What follows is difficult to summarise. Everything is perfect. The wasabi, which comes from a specific farm on the side of Mount Fuji, is the best in the world. So is the seaweed. The rice, which comes from Endo’s own family farm, lays the groundwork for many of the dishes, just as his father and grandfather did for him.
This is truly a dining experience like no other, well worth the £220 price tag and year-long wait.