Kitchen
The Head Chef
Trained in Tokyo and London, with twelve years on the robata grill. The 72-hour miso cure on the black cod is his recipe. On the pass most nights of the week.
物語
The story behind the table.
Tsunami isn’t a concept. It isn’t a chain. It’s a corner Japanese restaurant in Clapham that’s been doing one thing very well, every night, since 2001.
Founders
A Tokyo kitchen, a London room.
The founding team came from the kitchens of Nobu, classical training, modern instincts, and a shared belief that London's Japanese food scene was overdue for somewhere both serious about its craft and welcoming to its neighbourhood.
Twenty-five years on, the brief hasn't changed. Source the fish daily. Cure the cod for three. Roll sushi to order. Pour the sake at the right temperature. Treat every Tuesday like a Saturday.
A timeline
Twenty-five years, condensed.
2001
A corner of Clapham
Three ex-Nobu chefs open Tsunami on Voltaire Road. The brief: bring Tokyo discipline to a London neighbourhood, without the Mayfair price tag.
2007
A second site
Yama Momo opens in East Dulwich, a sister restaurant built on the same principles, with a smaller, more intimate room.
2015
The redesign
The Clapham room is fully redrawn. Walnut counter, midnight banquettes, a new cocktail bar. The kitchen stays exactly the same.
2019
Black cod & beyond
The 72-hour miso-cured black cod becomes a permanent fixture, the dish that lands us on every London Japanese list worth reading.
Today
Twenty-five years in
Still booked out by Thursday. Still rolling sushi to order. Still the table you bring your in-laws to, because it never lets you down.
the team
The people behind the pass.
Counter
The Sushi Master
Joined in 2008. Cuts every nigiri to order from the day's catch. The reason the counter seats book a week in advance.
Bar
The Bar Director
Built the Japanese-spirits programme from one shelf to a back wall. Designed the smoked Old Fashioned, the Voltaire Road, and the Tsunami Bloom.
Service
The General Manager
Leads the floor team. Knows every regular's table, occasion and birthday by memory. The voice on the phone when you call to book.
Philosophy
“You don't need to reinvent Japanese cooking. You just need to show up for it, every night.”
The Tsunami kitchen
