KOKIN
Kokin (古今) is a Japanese word meaning "past and present." The character 古 (ko) represents the old-history, depth, and tradition. 今 (kin) means now - freshness, movement, and the beauty of the present moment.
The name Kokin reflects a spirit of timelessness, as the chef Daisuke Shimoyama honours traditional Japanese techniques and philosophies while embracing modern methods and a contemporary sensibility-celebrating a cuisine rooted in heritage yet always evolving.
Kokin is where time converges-informing every choice, every flavour, every moment.
OUR CONCEPT
Kokin is the latest project from Chef Daisuke Shimoyama, acclaimed for his refined and expressive cooking at HANNAH in London's Southbank.
With Kokin, he presents a bold and elemental vision of Japanese cuisine - shaped by fire, guided by seasonality, and grounded in deep respect for every ingredient.
At the centre of Kokin is woodfire - primal, intimate, and rich with memory. Shimoyama's inspiration stems from his childhood in the mountains of Gunma, Japan, where the warmth, scent, and rhythm of burning pine shaped his earliest food memories.
The kitchen at Kokin uses cherry and apple wood to infuse dishes with delicate, fragrant smoke, while Binchotan charcoal is employed for its clean, high heat and ability to bring out clarity and texture. Fire here is not just a technique - it is a core ingredient, a source of character and soul.
Equally central is Kokin's signature focus on sustainable bluefin tuna. Whole fish are sourced and broken down in-house with precision and reverence, ensuring that as much of the fish as possible is used with care and intention. The tuna comes from two remarkable sources: rich, fatty fish from the waters of Spain, and wild-caught, naturally sustainable bluefin from the Portuguese coast, sourced by a renowned tuna fisherman Hajime Tanaka.
In May, Kokin marks the arrival of the season's fresh wild bluefin tuna - available only during this short window of the year. A whole tuna breakdown is performed in front of guests, offering a theatrical yet deeply respectful celebration of this extraordinary creature in its entirety.
Every part of the fish - from melt-in-your-mouth otoro to perfectly balanced chutoro, intensely flavoured akami, and rare, lesser-known cuts - is transformed into expressive dishes.
The collar (kama) is grilled slowly over woodfire to enhance its deep richness.Firm, resilient cuts are made into crisp, juicy katsu. Delicately marbled se-toro (back fat) and sukimi (meat from near the bone) appear in nigiri and seasonal plates - a sustainable, creative expression of whole-fish cooking led by respect, not waste.
Beyond fire and tuna, Kokin showcases ingredients of extraordinary quality - from wild Japanese mountain vegetables and A5 Miyazaki Wagyu to seasonal British produce and pristine seafood. Every element on the plate is selected with intention, allowing the flavours to speak clearly and harmoniously.
Kokin is where fire meets craft, and where time - ancient and this moment - comes together in every dish.
It is a new expression of Japanese cuisine: rooted in reverence, guided by the present, and alive with flavour.
