Kinoya London: Indian chef's ramen restaurant to open in October with only 20 seats

Neha Mishra has confirmed that the London outpost of her Japanese restaurant Kinoya is due to open in October.

When the ramen chef first announced the brand's international foray on Instagram last year, she told The National: “Opening Kinoya in Harrods, the most iconic department store in the world, feels serendipitously meaningful. The launch and partnership marks our London debut, and I am honoured and excited to bring our philosophy and unique take on Japanese cuisine to this buzzing city.”

Kinoya London was originally meant to open in the second quarter of this year, but has been postponed to October as Mishra prepares to welcome her third child.

While Kinoya Dubai is popular among ramen connoisseurs, Mishra's claim to fame lies in the supper club she founded in 2017. Securing a spot at A Story of Food's table was notoriously difficult, with spots selling out within seconds of being posted, and Mishra seems set to keep things just as exclusive in London. The Harrods restaurant will serve only 20 covers at a time.

On the menu will be Mishra's shio ramen, plus the restaurant's robata signatures such as Wagyu tsukune, miso butter aubergine and burnt butter scallops.

The chef says she's looking forward to “using more local produce and taking advantage of everything London has to offer in terms of ingredients. I am most excited about using local scallops.”

Last year, Kinoya Dubai won the One to Watch Award as part of the debut Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list, as well as being named one of 14 Bib Gourmand restaurants by the Michelin Guide Dubai. It remains to be seen whether the restaurant will secure a spot on Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list 2023, which will be announced on Monday in Abu Dhabi.

Scroll through the gallery to see the spots on Mena's 50 Best Restaurants list 2022