Oshi Izakaya. Emperor

Oshi Izakaya. Emperor – a premium Japanese gastrobar on Petrovka Street.

The new chapter of the samurai-style izakaya moves to a new location: 20/1 Petrovka Street. Here, the brand's descriptor, "Emperor," adds another layer of meaning to the story. The design was created by the ESENINS studio, led by Mikhail Esenin and his sister, Kristina. The small space is filled with details that evoke the palace of the Emperor of Japan. The abundance of natural stone, including a six-meter-long chef's counter that dominates the open kitchen, sets a high standard for the restaurant's dishes. Hand-painted ceilings and walls with hidden "meanings," visible only to those who look closely, and an antique cabinet from the 1930s, completely immerse you in the magic of the space, encouraging you to explore every inch of the place. In addition to focusing on pure flavors, the menu emphasizes the exceptional freshness of the ingredients. The use of freezers is prohibited in the kitchen; only chilled products are used. Every Thursday, premium fish and shellfish, purchased at auction, are flown in from Japan, and on Fridays, guests can watch them being prepared right in the dining room and immediately enjoy the delicacies in the form of sushi, sashimi, or hand rolls. The musical atmosphere, constantly updated throughout the day, is still curated by the project's music director, Dmitry Fomichev (L'atelier De Musique). The Edo period and the reign of the last shogun of Japan ended in 1868, when all real power passed to the Emperor. The Meiji period began, when the Land of the Rising Sun opened itself to the world and embraced all that was new – that's why the descriptor "Emperor" appeared in the brand's logo, and the restaurant's menu features not only traditional izakaya snacks and raw fish with rice. OSHI Izakaya opened at this location for a reason: through the door of this "snack bar," you can enter the Mendeleev bar. One era flows into another, just as the first floor of the building on Petrovka Street is connected by a staircase to the legendary basement. It was during the final years of the Tokugawa dynasty in Japan that the great Russian scientist Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev was born, and exactly one year after the fall of the shogunate, in 1869, he made one of the most important discoveries for humanity. The head chef is Mikhail Chagai, and the omakase chef is Vladimir Li. As of February 2025, Alexey Kogay is the brand chef and partner of the OSHI project.