Zuma Celebrates 10-Year Anniversary

The Japanese restaurant looks to expand to the U.S. and U.A.E

Zuma marks a decade in London this year.

Credit: Flickr / Herry Lawford

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May 21, 2012 @ 4:37 PM

Zuma, the global Japanese restaurant chain created by chef Rainer Becker, marks a decade in London this month with plans for more global expansion.

Zuma, which pays homage to izakaya, the informal Japanese dining style, has nine restaurants around the world, in Bangkok, Dubai, Hong Kong, Istanbul, London, and Miami. More locations in the U.S. and U.A.E. are in the works.

The flagship London restaurant in Knightsbridge features an open lounge area that surrounds the dining area, a sake bar with more than 40 types of sake, and two private dining rooms with sunken kotatsu tables. Zuma’s original signature dishes like thinly sliced sea bass with yuzu, truffle oil, and salmon roe; and spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chile, and sweet soy are major draws for customers.

Zuma’s dishes, which are meant to be shared, are prepared from its open-plan kitchen, sushi counter, and robata grill. The demand for robatayaki dishes from the robata grill inspired the formation of a second restaurant called Roka, which has two locations in London and one in Hong Kong.