Juku’s footprint on a quiet street in Chinatown may be infamously recognisable at first glance (it was previously occupied by Le Baron), but that’s where all preconceptions end.
Inside, the multi-level Japanese restaurant, which offers izakaya, omakase and a forthcoming whisky and karaage lounge in the basement, has been transformed by architect Sebastian Quinn into an experimental, abstract space that compliments the array of contemporary artworks inside that make nod to owner and gallerist Max Levai.
Guests are first led into a long, stainless steel entryway, simply punctuated with an angular maître’d stand and overhead fluorescent lights. One step further in leads to the recessed dining room and bar, which quirkily combines grey plaster walls, rich wood paneling, crimson coloured banquettes and shiny, black lacquer-like surfaces. One wooden wall functions as a louver, concealing the kitchen as well as the building’s support structures.
Upstairs, an intimate sushi bar in mint tones allows chef Kazuo Yoshida and his team to truly show off their culinary prowess. Both levels are adorned with specially commissioned art from contemporary stars such as Jonah Friedman, Justin Lowe and Roe Etheridge. It’s this marriage of art and design, which is similarly echoed on the culinary front, that solidifies Juku’s renewed identity.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
32 Mulberry Street
-
An Indian mud house - and more, on Sketch Design Studio's natural material wondersSketch Design Studio in Rajasthan, India does wonders with the simplest ingredients
-
Experience this Singapore apartment’s Zen-like qualities and cocooning urban havenWelcome to Singapore apartment The Rasidence, a spacious, Zen-like interior by Right Angle Studio
-
The Park: step inside Jeremy King's mid-century dinerOne of several 2024 openings from restauranteur, Jeremy King, food critic Ben McCormack books in at The Park
-
Six brilliant bars for your 2025 celebrations, hot off the Wallpaper* travel deskWallpaper’s most-read bar reviews of the year can't be wrong: here’s inspiration for your festive and new year plans, from a swanky Las Vegas lounge to a minimalist London drinking den
-
Wallpaper* checks in at the refreshed W Hollywood: ‘more polish and less party’The W Hollywood introduces a top-to-bottom reimagining by the Rockwell Group, capturing the genuine warmth and spirit of Southern California
-
Arlo NoMad hotel makes the American diner officially cool againThe NoMad Diner NYC’s interiors and menu offer an elevated take on an American classic
-
Los Angeles’ best fine-dining restaurantsLA boasts a creative food scene driven by some of the world’s most innovative chefs. Browse the Wallpaper* guide to the city’s best fine-dining restaurants
-
Bold maximalism engulfs The Lafayette Hotel and Club in San DiegoThe Lafayette Hotel and Club, designed by Post Company, brings together a rich tapestry of patterns, themes and colours
-
Miami Navigator: where to stay, eat, drink and shop in Florida's design-savvy maximalist metropolisWhat to do in Miami, where ivory beaches and umbrella-clad caipirinhas share the stage with discerning galleries and global art and design fairs
-
Discover South Carolina’s Hilton Head Island: food, fun and beachside blissWith natural splendour and a balmy, subtropical climate, Hilton Head Island beckons beach-goers, gourmets and golf fans alike
-
The world’s most enticing new hotel openingsExplore the best new hotels in the world, from beachfront living at Cheval Blanc Seychelles to otherworldly Zaha Hadid architecture at Me Malta
