Japanese 'hidden chef's counter' restaurant opening at UTC

A new intimate Japanese dining experience is opening this week at University Town Center. Yugen will welcome diners on Wednesday to its location at 190 N. Cattlemen Road, adjacent to sister restaurant Zoto Sushi.

Encompassing 1,000 square feet, Yugen will feature a “kaiseki” menu showcasing a range of classical Japanese cooking methods, including raw, grilled, steamed, simmered and fried dishes. 

Kaiseki is the “highest expression of traditional Japanese dining” and is rooted in the Japanese tea ceremony, according to a statement. It unfolds in a “deliberate progression” to present diners with a range of culinary techniques beyond sushi, the statement says.

Ten chairs will be available at the chef’s counter in the restaurant, which will offer two seatings each night.

“With kaiseki, I can cook in many ways and follow the season,” Yugen Executive Chef Atsushi Okawara says in the statement. “My hope is that guests feel comfortable, enjoy each part of the meal, and feel the thought we put into every dish.”

Okwara, who was born in Iwate, Japan, is among several members of a Michelin-awarded team behind the new restaurant. Previously, he worked at Kenzo in Napa Valley, helping the eatery secure its first Michelin star in 2017, and was executive chef of Miami Beach’s one-Michelin-star Den.

Michelin’s 2023 Florida Sommelier of the Year Benjamin Coutts will oversee Yugen’s beverage program, which will include optional wine and sake pairings.

General Manager Janet Kim, formerly of New York City’s three Michelin-star Masa, will oversee operations at Yugen.

Restaurateurs Jim and Johnny Tung, who also own Kosen in Tampa, are the proprietors of Yugen as well as its neighbor, Zoto. The Tungs say they are opening Yugen in direct response to demand from Sarasota diners who have traveled to Tampa for the chef’s counter experience at Kosen.

“Our guests told us they wanted this level of dining closer to home,” Johnny Tung says in the statement. “Yugen is our answer — a personal, chef-driven experience that transports you to a different time and place.”

The word "yugen" in Japanese means a profound, mysterious beauty that is an experience beyond words.

Yugen will be open Wednesday through Sunday for dinner.