Leeds’ Newest Japanese Restaurant is unveiled with a Glittering Grand Opening
Restaurant group D&D London is celebrating the launch of its new Japanese rooftop restaurant Issho with a glamourous grand opening party, complete with traditional Japanese drummers and a sake barrel breaking ceremony.
The stunning restaurant, located in the £165m Victoria Gate development, was unveiled tonight as Leeds celebrates the launch of D&D London’s third, and newest, venue in the city.
Special VIP guests including the Lord Mayor of Leeds, Councillor Jane Dowson, members of the Emmerdale cast and local football and rugby players, sampled authentic Japanese food cooked on the robata grill, as well as maki, sushi, bao buns and more.
Guests also got to enjoy champagne and cocktails at Issho’s rooftop Kori bar and its outdoor terrace, and were treated to traditional entertainment including the Kagami-biraki, or the breaking open of the sake barrel, which is believed to bring good luck to the restaurant.
Des Gunewardena, D&D London’s Chairman and CEO said: “Leeds has a thriving culinary scene and Issho’s sister venues Angelica and Crafthouse have seen incredible success here so we’re thrilled to be adding another fantastic restaurant to the city.”
Issho’s menu, created by Executive Chef Ben Orpwood, who previously held the same position at Zuma and Sexy Fish in London, includes authentic Japanese sushi, sashimi, and maki, as well as dishes such as wagyu pastrami, smoked Dorset char with wasabi leaf dressing, barley miso lamb cutlets with smoked aubergine and cucumber, and duck breast with pickled nashi pear and a spring onion sauce.
Ben said: “Issho means ‘together’ in Japanese so we’ve created a menu based around sharing. After months of preparation, I’m excited for people to come down and try the dishes on offer here. We’re expecting the ramen and bento boxes to be particularly popular at lunchtime!”
For more information or to book visit www.issho-restaurant.com or call 0113 426 5000.
Issho in Numbers:
- 7,807 – the size of the restaurant in square feet
- 700 – the size of the terrace in sq ft
- 230 – the amount of covers for the bar and restaurant
- 80 – the number of jobs being created, ranging from Commis Waiter to Head Chef.
- 62 – items on the food menu
- 34 – the number of seats available on the terrace
- 25 – types of sake
- 21 – members of the kitchen team
- 10 – the number of seasonal Japanese-influenced cocktails, which will be updated regularly
- £165m – the cost of the Victoria Gate Development, where Issho is located
ENDS
Images
Pictures to follow
For further information
Contact Adrian Johnson (Adrian@umpf.co.uk 07921 504 134) Juliette Bains (juliette@umpf.co.uk 07376424245) or Charlotte Thompson (Charlotte@umpf.co.uk 07876 833 218) in the Issho Press Office.