Joining the Manchester restaurant scene back in late 2022, the high-end, Japanese spot MUSU underwent a brief summer hiatus but has now risen from the ashes to become KAJI. The first restaurant in the series of the 3 AA Rosette award winning MUSU collection, KAJI offers an array of flame-inspired dishes that combine Japanese and advanced grilling techniques with bold flavours.
KAJI is derived from the Japanese word for fire and the new restaurant aims to showcase “the power of fire”, featuring a menu structured around themes such as Ignite, Flame, Ember, and Ash. Each section of the menu highlights the different ways fire transforms ingredients – from delicate flame-seared seafood to bold, smoky grilled meats, all with a refined Japanese touch.
With various menus inspired by the culinary traditions of Japan, MUSU’s renowned sushi and seafood will remain a staple of the KAJI menu at the helm of Head Sushi Chef Andre Aguiar, with both traditional and KAJI-style modern sushi, as well as a host of new KAJI signature creations, including Temaki hand rolls and signature sushi.
We tried the torched otoro nigiri and the smokiness was subtle and not overpowering like some may expect, yet added a depth of flavour to the fresh fish dish. Also a stand-out seafood dish on KAJI’s menu is their XL Orkney scallop where the scallop is baked in its shell with a sea urchin butter that was absolutely unreal and had me spooning up every last drop.
As for the grilled meats, KAJI serves up an aged Herdwick lamb rack with grilled leaves, potatoes cooked in the embers and tomato ponzu, which had a subtle, smoky flavour that added to the succulent meat dish. Guests can also find flame-inspired mains such as maitake mushrooms grilled over coals with dark soy and mirin, panko-crumbed egg, and shiitake ketchup, plus black garlic studded chicken with charred corn and hibiki whisky.
However, a staple at KAJI is their impressive nine-course tasting menu curated by Chef Patron Steven Smith and priced at £120 per person. Spanning all pillars of the menu, diners can expect snacks, from the sea, from the land, from the ground, and something sweet, as well as incredible wine pairing options.
We got to sample the likes of fried Carlingford oysters served alongside an oyster mayo, smoky house hot sauce and fresh finger lime as well as crispy chilli buns with a pickled jalapeno butter. Both dishes feature on the tasting menu and they were sublime, packing a flavoursome punch and a great balance of textures.
For those looking to enjoy something different, KAJI also provides a lunch or early evening menu, priced at only £30 per person, with dishes including boneless corn-fed chicken wings and wild seabass.
But it’s not just the food that’s all fired up, the curated cocktail menu at KAJI is too. Guests can expect to see drinks that embrace flaming, toasting, and smoking techniques, adding a tangible element to the experience.
Offering the perfect accompaniment to the dining experience, the cocktails are inventive, elegant and give the perfect nod to the fire-inspired concept. For instance, the Spicy Citrus cocktail is KAJI’s take on a spicy margarita and features smoky, tangy and spicy flavours due to the mix of mezcal, yuzu sake and agave syrup plus togarashi spice around the rim.
Like its predecessor, MUSU, KAJI still provides top notch food and service within a luxurious setting, and if these dining experiences are anything to come by, we expect the two further concepts in the MUSU Collection to be lit! Consisting of MUSU Miyabi, which will focus on an ‘elevated version’ of MUSU, and a MUSU Theatre of Omakase, led by sushi chef Andre Aguiar, it will see the owners expand to the downstairs space to deliver these concepts.
Book a table at KAJI here.
Find KAJI at 64 Bridge Street, Manchester, M3 3BN.