The Azuki Room Restaurant of the Month

"Tse was not raised cooking Japanese food and, in preparation for opening The Azuki Room, travelled to Tokyo to train at the Japan Culinary Institute. He told me a bit about this process, but where his resilience has really been tested is in London. The Azuki Room was due to open in 2025 but suffered a series of unfortunate events: the site was occupied by squatters, the premises were damaged, stock and equipment were stolen, and the specialist sake Tse bought in Japan was consumed."

"On the night I visited, I assumed that The Azuki Room had already opened. I arrived to find that many menu items were unavailable, and it was surprisingly quiet. Tse hobbled over and explained that he had extended the soft launch period as he had, the week prior, suffered a foot injury and was unable to stand at the stoves."

"Each month, the team at London Unattached chooses a newly opened restaurant to feature as our Restaurant of the Month. We love the thrill of those first weeks when everything is shiny and promising. Oftentimes, the eatery becomes a stellar hit, and we have the pleasure of bringing it to our readers' attention. Yet, behind the scenes, the work involved in planning and opening a new restaurant is extensive, expensive, and high-risk, with scores of restaurants closing every year."

Each month a newly opened restaurant is chosen as Restaurant of the Month, celebrating early promise and successful launches. Planning and opening a restaurant is extensive, expensive, and high-risk, with many closures annually. Chef Alan Tse, known for Dotori, trained in Tokyo at the Japan Culinary Institute to prepare for The Azuki Room. The Azuki Room faced squatters, damage, theft of stock and equipment, and the consumption of specialist sake purchased in Japan. Planning permission for a ground-floor open kitchen remains pending, leaving the venue unfinished. A soft launch was extended after Tse suffered a foot injury and could not stand at the stoves, resulting in unavailable menu items and a quiet service during a recent visit.

Read at www.london-unattached.com