This month, Chef Angelo Sato will open Omoide (O-Moy-Day) on Bermondsey Street, specialising in “Shokuji”, a popular meal consisting of rice, pickles and soup found in both the home and as an important course on kaiseki menus, a multi-course dining experience found across Japan. After cutting his teeth in Michelin-starred kitchens alongside Adam Byatt at Trinity in London, RyuGin in Tokyo, and Eleven Madison Park in New York and most recently Head Chef at Restaurant Story in London, Sato goes backs to his roots, bringing traditional Japanese flavours to Bermondsey.
At Omoide, diners can choose from signature chirashi rice bowls or customise their own rice bowl to go. Signature dishes will include Yuzu Salmon, made using yuzu-spiked salmon, sushi rice, topped with avocado, cured cucumber, sushi ginger, goma wakame, pickles and crispy shallots, or The Humble Chicken, made with Den dashi chicken on 5 grain sushi rice, with umami mushrooms, shichimi mayo, spicy beansprouts, pickles and crispy shallots. Omoide’s chirashi rice bowls will sit alongside a selection of dashi, a Japanese broth rich in umami, here filled with udon noodle and with a choice to add on a ramen egg.
Angelo’s passion for chirashi rice bowls started in his teens, back in Tokyo’s fish markets where his first job was prepping fish fresh off the boats fit for takeaway bento boxes across the city. Omoide’s food is best described as Japanese with a European accent, bringing together traditional flavours and Michelin-starred techniques. Sato will also bring tried and tested recipes from the family homes in Japan to Omoide’s menu, whilst using fish caught and delivered fresh off the boats of Lyme Bay.
“Born and raised in Japan, Shokuji is what I grew up on, and can be found everywhere in Tokyo from breakfast tables to 3 Michelin starred restaurants. It’s a humble trio, and for me represents my heritage and memories of my childhood. I wanted to make this style of food accessible to everyone, and hope that my memories of growing up in Japan will translate to the flavours and textures on Omoide’s menu,” says Chef Founder Angelo Sato.
Omoide’s design will be contemporary and simple, inspired by a small alleyway Sato used to visit on his days off in the heart of Tokyo. This décor resembles the Yatai-style restaurants, traditional small wooden carts and stalls renowned for selling fast food to locals.
