The future of Japanese cuisine in London/ Europe.#FOTE2023
Endo was born in Yokohama, just south of Tokyo. He is a third-generation sushi master, following in the footsteps of both his grandfather and father. His grandfather opened his own sushi restaurant in the 1940s, and Endo spent much of his childhood there or at the local fish markets watching the mongers prepare and shift their daily produce. During his early years he mastered complex and traditional techniques of sushi preparation following Edomae style and worked with legendary sushi master Akitoshi Ohno who taught him some more modern and contemporary skills.
In 2007, he moved to London to become London’s Zuma head chef, and ran the kitchen there for almost a decade on top of overseeing some of the eight branches of Zuma around the world over the years. In April 2019, Endo at the Rotunda opened to offer an immersive Omakase experience in style of ‘Omotenashi’ – the Japanese art of hospitality rooted in empathy towards one’s guest. Within six months, the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star.
Photo Credit: Benjamin McMahon