Japanese restaurant Taka to finally open in Marylebone in September

Run by brother and sister duo Andrew and Anastasia Datsenko the restaurant, which will be located on the former Providores and Tapa Room site, was due to open in May or June this year​​ but will now open its doors on Thursday 24 September.

Taka’s menu has been created by group executive chef Taiji Maruyama alongside head chef Jonathan Dowling, with the two having previously worked together at Beaverbrook Hotel in Surrey. The pair have designed a menu of small plates focusing on hot and grilled dishes as well as sushi with a strong focus on British ingredients, including vegetables sourced from Nama Yasai, a small family-owned organic farm in East Sussex that specialises in Japanese produce.

Dishes will include a yakitori omakase, comprising a whole Botterills chicken broken down into its different components and then grilled over hot coals; as well as the Spanish tapas-inspired kani crab croquettes; fried chicken wings stuffed with truffle and potato; a salad of preserved seasonal ingredients served with mizuma and roasted sesame seeds; and mochi flat breads and dips.

The sushi offer, meanwhile, will feature Kagoshima A5 Wagyu sukiyaki with onsen eggs; popcorn shrimp with daikon salad; and a wagyu, caviar and truffle maki with gold leaf.

The restaurant will also serve a weekend brunch menu of waffles with chicken kare-age and wildflower honey; gluten-free Japanese pancakes served with seasonal fruit and Dorset clotted cream; and a miso glazed wagyu sando, made with milk bread from London-based Happy Sky Bakery.

The new Marylebone restaurant is the second Taka venue in London, and joins the original restaurant in Mayfair, which opened in September 2017.