The chef-patron of the Japanese restaurant said the shock of the fire had left him speechless and that only three weeks after the incident did he finally feel able to address it publicly.
Taking to Instagram under the heading ‘From the Wilderness — The Oath of Rebirth’, Kazutoshi apologised for his silence and wrote about the pain of closing the restaurant and his determination to reopen it.
“I am truly sorry for the delay in reaching out. This sudden incident struck me with a shock unlike anything I have ever experienced in my life, leaving me speechless,” he said.
“As someone who has always been supported by you, both as a human being and as a sushi chef, my heart felt as if it would break. That is why I needed time to steady myself before speaking to you directly with these words. But there is one thing I know for certain: right now, I cannot serve you sushi.”
“Not being able to see you. Not being able to make sushi. It tears me and my team apart.”
Endo at the Rotunda was hit by the fire on the morning of 6 September and the restaurant has remained closed since. Currently ranked 24th on Restaurant’s list of the top 100 places to eat in the UK, the restaurant reopened last year following a major refurbishment with its chef saying at the time that he wanted to create a more ‘personal and immersive’ omakase experience.
Kazutoshi went on to say that the restaurant would reopen and enter its “third chapter”. “This is not a conclusion, but the beginning of rebirth,” he wrote.
“I will rise again. I will make a great comeback. My tears have already run dry. All I can do now is look forward and walk straight ahead.
“Please, wait for me. I will return reborn as an Endo that is hundreds of times stronger.”
