A new Japanese restaurant is set to replace a bar in Hornchurch town centre.

Fumiko will be offering fusion Japanese dishes and premium cocktails in High Street, taking over the site of Pandora’s Wine Bar after it shut down months ago.

Owner Mahmud Mamun, from Rainham, told the Recorder that the restaurant will have a “talented team of chefs” and a “stylish ambience”.

The menu, he said, will combine traditional Japanese Izakaya dishes with “innovative modern twists”.

Mixologists from Night Jar, a company specialising in cocktails, have reportedly created some “unique blends” that combine “Japanese flavours with contemporary twists”.

The produce and ingredients will be sourced from “some of the best sources”, Mahmud claimed.

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He said: “We don’t buy anything cheap, we only get premium and fresh products. We are not going to rely on frozen items for example."

Beyond the food and drinks, Mahmud believes his years of experience in the industry has ensured that they “know what they are doing” and “will be here for long”.

Before setting up this restaurant, he owned and operated another Japanese eatery in East Dulwich for more than eight years. 

Recalling his journey, he said he had never tasted sushi until his early 20s when he started working as a waiter at a Japanese restaurant in Chelsea.

He added: “I started loving it and, in a few years, I became a manager there. So, I got to know the culture, the product, chefs, managers, suppliers, Japanese whisky… you name it.”

Mahmud next got a chance to run another Japanese restaurant in Clapham for eight years before he started his own place in East Dulwich.

He said: “Since my entire working age, I have been involved in Japanese food and restaurants. Which is why I am very confident. I think people will really love what we have to offer."

The restaurant hopes to open in the first week of September and Mahmud revealed that on the first day they will partner with a local charity to donate 20 per cent of the day’s receipts.

He added: “We are here to serve the local community and hope to make a difference towards a good cause."