Angelina team to relaunch Golden Gai as Japanese 'kushikatsu' restaurant Dai Chi

Set to open next month, the restaurant will take inspiration from Osaka’s 'kushikatsu' dining culture (also known as kushiage), with a menu centred around of skewers meat, fish and vegetables fried with panko breadcrumbs.

It will replace Golden Gai, a gastronomically ambitious bar​​ that Owens-Baigler and Takhar opened in December last year.

Dai Chi will serve it’s kushiage 'omakase style' as a nod to its Japanese-Italian sister restaurant Angelina, which Owens-Baigler and Takhar launched in Dalston in early 2019, with the option of a 'simple' or 'more complex' tasting menu priced at £35 and £58, respectively.

The omakase set menu will consist of two crudo courses to start, followed by a selection of skewers that include shiso, shitake and hazelnut; scallop, bergamot ponzu and Exmouth caviar; lobster tail and hokkaido brioche ‘skewered' lobster burger;and lamb neck with ginger, rosemary and soy, finished with harissa and mustard garnish.

It will also include a course of Japanese risotto, and a dessert.

Dishes available on the 'more complex' menu will include fried A5 wagyu tenderloin and white truffle; and deep fried oysters with blackberry and yuzu kosho granita.

The fried skewers will be complemented by palate-cleansing house tsukemono pickles dressed with fiery chilli oil; and sesame honey and chilled miso soup. 

Drinks are headed up by Haruka Hisata, JSA sake and wine sommelier, with the drinks flight mixing sake and wines from across the .

Dai Chi will hold 34 covers in total, including a six seat counter. The pared-back interiors will mirror Angelina’s design, mixing Japanese minimalism with Italian marble accents, softened by dried floral arrangements and with the addition of a vinyl record player as a focal point to the restaurant.