Hit Japanese restaurant turned online cookery channel Umezushi is rebranding and changing its name, as well as announcing a ‘pay what you like’ sushi day next month. From now on, the place, run by chef Terry Huang, will be called Dabbling Deba.
Huang explains that the word ‘deba’ is the word used for the first knife that a young chef would use when arriving at cookery school. He added that changing the name from Umezushi will be a clean break from the old business.
The chef started the small restaurant under the arches beneath Victoria Station in 2013, with tables at the spot quickly becoming some of the city’s most sought after. Rave reviews in the national newspapers followed, however it then closed unexpectedly in 2019. After that, it briefly transformed into an upscale chip shop called Chish and Fips.
Since then, Taiwan-born Huang has concentrated more on making online content through his YouTube channel, posting must-see cook-alongs - making everything from homemade bao buns to expert sushi making tutorials - to sake tasting. He also ran members-only private dining evenings too.
“We’re no longer a restaurant, and we’re no longer serving the general public, and I’m making a lot more digital content,” he said. “I enjoy exploring different aspects of the internet, and it is really to make a clean break from the past legacy expectation of Umezushi.”
Now, to celebrate the rebranding, he’s announced plans for the ‘sushi marathon’ and open day at his Mirabel Street unit on July 24, from 12pm until 8pm - or they sell out. The event will also be live streamed on his YouTube channel
In a video posted yesterday, he said: “It’s going to be very casual. The idea is that you’ve seen me making sushi, got the opportunity to try and make some sushi and now you can taste some sushi.
“Come in, everyone will get served the same thing, and you pay what you want. Or nothing. It’s just purely up to you.” You can subscribe to his YouTube channel here, or support him on Patreon here.
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