Jun Tanaka: "It's a relief to finally reopen The Ninth"
It’s been a much lengthier closure than originally envisaged, so it must feel like a relief to finally be opening your doors again
Yes, definitely! I originally thought that we would be up and running again in a matter of a few weeks. But the damage was more extensive than I first realised and dealing with the insurance company has been a painfully slow process.
How have you and the team been keeping busy in the interim?
It was important to keep the team engaged and learning throughout the closure so we organised two trainings every week for the whole team. Over the seven months, we pretty much covered everything that we could think of. Some of the best trainings were mushroom foraging with Forage London, growth mindset training with The Good Life coaching, charcuterie session with London Smoke & Cure, a day trip to Gusbourne vineyard, sourdough class with E5 bakery, champagne lesson with Sandia Chang and knife sharpening with Blenheim forge. I also did a couple of stages at my favourite restaurants - Lyle’s and Perilla. I found these stages very inspirational.
You mention bringing ‘a more contemporary feel’ to the dining room as part of the restaurant's refurbishment, how have you achieved this?
We’ve changed the cutlery, glassware and crockery. We also changed the guest bathrooms, which I have wanted to do for a long time but never had the chance to.
You’ve also added some new dishes to the menu. What can you tell us about those?
One of the positives to come out of the closure is having the time to develop recipes. For instance, we have been developing garums. We’ve used these garums in some of our new dishes like the tuna belly with shaved mojama and a vinaigrette made with anchovy garum, lemon oil and dashi. We also have a venison tartare seasoned with venison garum, served with Jerusalem artichokes and sour plums.
Restaurants have faced a tough time of it lately, with inflation still piling pressure on the sector. Have prices had to be increased at The Ninth?
Yes, we have had to. We’ve costed our new menu and the price increases just over the last seven months is shocking!
And you’ve also hired some new staff. Is recruitment still a struggle?
We are fortunate that all our team have stayed with us over the closure. We have been recruiting for a few extra people for the reopening and what we have found is that it’s slightly easier to find chefs than front of house. This was the opposite last year. So we have a full kitchen team but still missing a couple of people front of house. Finding these people has been a challenge.
Looking ahead to the next 12 months, what’s the biggest challenge facing the sector?
It’s definitely the inflation and trying to make a viable business with the increasing costs.
The new Michelin Guide will be published at the end of the month, do you worry that the extended closure could impact The Ninth retaining its star?
Yes, I do worry about this because retaining the star is incredibly important for the team, myself and the business. I contacted Michelin one week after the fire and have kept them updated on the refurbishment and reopening date.
How are things with Salisterra in Hong Kong?
Unfortunately, the contract was terminated last year. I worked with The Upper House for two years and launched Salisterra remotely in April 2021. I did all the training via Zoom which was very challenging! During these two years, I couldn’t visit the hotel due to the travel restrictions. At the start of last year Hong Kong experienced their worst Covid outbreak and the rules and restriction on restaurants were severe. The hotel made the decision that it was not longer viable to have a consultant chef.
Any plans or ambitions to open further restaurants either in the UK or abroad in the near future?
I am always looking for new opportunities however, right now my entire focus is on reopening The Ninth.
