On Wednesday 21st June, restaurant group D&D London will open a brand new rooftop restaurant in the
high-end shopping destination of Victoria Gate in Leeds.
Issho (meaning ‘together’ in Japanese) will offer authentic Japanese cuisine in a sophisticated and refined
setting, which comprises of a rooftop bar, restaurant space and outdoor terrace. The restaurant will serve a
menu dedicated to sharing dishes and incorporating the very best of Yorkshire produce. Having previously
worked at Zuma and launching London’s Sexy Fish in 2015, Executive Chef Ben Orpwood uses his extensive
travel experience throughout Japan to inspire the dishes on his menu, such as Wagyu pastrami; Smoked
Dorset char with wasabi leaf dressing; Steamed prawn and salmon gyoza, white soy and mustard; Seared
diver scallop, jalapeno and apple and Duck breast with pickled nashi pear and a spring onion sauce.
The open kitchen and sushi bar are the main focal areas of the restaurant, creating a theatrical experience
for diners. An impressive variety of sushi will feature prominently on the menu including seaweed-wrapped
maki of crab, tiger prawn tempura and salmon, as well as ‘Dynamite Ebi Tempura’ and a dedicated Robata
grill will sit within the main dining room serving traditional ‘robatayaki’, slow-grilled over charcoal in full view
of surrounding diners. Sample dishes include Maple glazed pork belly, fresh apple and wasabi; Barley miso
lamb cutlets with smoked aubergine and cucumber; and Grilled iberico pluma, yuzu and daikon pickles
alongside a selection of Yakitori
Ben said of the launch: “I’ve been lucky enough to travel to Japan several times and have worked in Asian
restaurants across the globe, from Turkey and Dubai to London and Australia. My experience has certainly
helped shape the menu at Issho and create eye-catching dishes that are full of flavor.”
The dining space utilises a range of Japanese materials including charred timber which is known as ‘Shou
Sugi Ban’. As well as oak, marble style tiles, natural-edged porphyry stone and suspended timber rafts to
give the design an authentic and contemporary feel. A large slatted feature gantry with a bespoke illustrated
ceiling graphic gives the bar a prominent presence in the space.
The restaurant’s very own bar, Kori, will serve a range of sake and Japanese-inspired cocktails. These will
include the Matcha Sour (Matcha tea, Beefeater 24 gin, elderflower cocktail, lemon juice and egg white);
Suntory Fashioned (Yamazaki Distiller’s Reserve, homemade cherry liqueur, aged barrel bitters, stirred and
served in a goblet glass, topped with homemade orange and cinnamon foam); and Monburan Martini
(Chestnut liqueur, vanilla vodka, chocolate liqueur stirred and topped with a chestnut flavoured whipped
cream). Kori is set to become a destination bar in its own right, with an intimate 40-cover rooftop terrace
with comfortable lounge sofas injecting the space with a calm, relaxing ambience and offering stunning views
over the city
