If the old adage, “three’s a trend, five’s a story” is true, we’re not quite there, but the pathway for London hand roll sushi culture is looking promising in 2026.
Next up is Kumori, a 30-seater Soho restaurant led by John Dandy De Guzman, the former head chef at Tobi Masa, the six month-old omakase experience by the world-renowned Masa Takayama at the Chancery Rosewood in Mayfair.
De Guzman had been with Masa at his sushi counter at Harrods before, having spent ten years at Nobu before that. He’s now leading his first kitchen, working with restaurateur Marc Flekei and sous chef Alvin Contawe (Dinings SW3, Roka) to open Kumori in April.
Kumori will specialise in Japanese hand rolls, a more casual style of sushi. Unlike more structured forms, hand rolls are made by wrapping a sheet of nori (seaweed) around fillings such as fish and rice, often in a cone shape.
The style was propelled into the London mainstream — to a degree — by the launch of Temaki (the Japanese word for hand roll) in Brixton in 2021. Temaki has since relaunched in Mayfair with higher prices.
Hand rolls are also found at Ukiyo, which opened in 2024 with a menu similar to the one at the original Temaki site; Endo Kazutoshi also serves a hand roll as part of his omakase experience, though his sushi is not really comparable given it’s among the best in Europe.
At Kumori, hand rolls will include spicy tuna with jalapeno miso, unagi and foie gras, torched scallop, baked crab, and fatty tuna with bone marrow. Traditionally, they’re made to order, in front of guests, which means the rice is warm, the fish is cool, and the nori is crispy.
The Standard was told hand rolls will “start at £6”, presumably for vegetarian options, and run to about £14.
Drinks will include sakes, wines and cocktails, while the space has been designed by Cake Architecture, the brand behind the likes of Kricket, Soma, and Watchhouse Coffee at the Millennium Bridge.
The permanent concept follows pop-ups at the Monaco F1 and a residency at How Matcha Marylebone.
Flekei said: “Kumori is obsessive about fundamentals — especially the seconds between preparation and the first bite.
“Hand roll bars have always been my favourite way to eat sushi, and I felt London was missing that. Kumori is our answer to that, a place where precision, pace and atmosphere all come together around the counter.
“Soho was chosen for energy rather than prestige. It is one of the few places in London where food, fashion, music, and nightlife intersect naturally, allowing Kumori to exist as both a daily ritual and a destination.”
26 Denman Street, Soho, W1D7HX, @kumorihandroll
