London’s award-winning Japanese robatayaki restaurant, ROKA, opens on June 13 in Jeddah, marking a new culinary era in the Kingdom as Rainer Becker and Azumi Limited continue their Middle East expansion with the highly anticipated ROKA Jeddah.

Azumi Limited, the award-winning global restaurant group behind the acclaimed Zuma and ROKA brands, in partnership with MJS Holding, is delighted to announce the grand opening of ROKA Jeddah on June 13, 2023. The restaurant will be located at the stunning Cascade retail and entertainment complex at Al Khalidiyyah within Jeddah Walk.

After successfully etching ROKA Riyadh onto the culinary map, Rainer Becker, Co-founder and Creator of both brands, is now ready to bring the innovative robatayaki cuisine to Jeddah. Becker celebrated for igniting the robatayaki trend internationally, envisions ROKA Jeddah as a gastronomic milestone in the Middle East.

“We are thrilled to launch ROKA in the dynamic city of Jeddah, an essential step in our continued expansion in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East,” says Rainer Becker. “Jeddah’s food and beverage scene is a melting pot of cultural influences, a perfect fit for our unique blend of traditional Japanese cooking techniques and innovative menu. We are confident that ROKA Jeddah will become a cherished destination for discerning food lovers.”

Noriyoshi Muramatsu, the esteemed founder of Studio Glitt and an accomplished interior designer, has skillfully infused the new restaurant’s décor with a fusion of modern Japanese design and a textured combination of wood, stone, and metal, offering a vast and alluring space with an industrial feel.

The robata – a feature synonymous with ROKA – is adorned with live-edge wooden counters and a mill-scale iron extraction hood. The bar features an iron bar counter with suspended shelving, creating a compelling visual play.

The restaurant houses a Japanese paper wall feature, cast concrete tiles with a wood texture finish, a polished concrete floor, and a mill-scale entrance tunnel, blending texture and color for a stunning and signature ROKA result. The ambiance is enhanced by a wooden louver grid ceiling and a covered terrace with air-conditioning. In winter, the terrace transforms into a more al fresco dining experience, offering versatility throughout the year and guests the opportunity to savor ROKA’s legendary menu under the stars.

ROKA Jeddah is primed to entice food enthusiasts with its acclaimed signature dishes from the flaming grill, such as kankoku fu kohitsuji, lamb cutlets with Korean spices and sesame cucumber, the bekupoteto, baked potato with yuzu cream and chives and the sake no taru taru, salmon tartare with den miso and yuzu.

A selection of culinary creations that have been exclusively created for the Jeddah hotspot includes the Chicken sando with gochujang sauce offers a burst of umami flavor, an ingenious twist on a popular classic; the fried Soft-shell crab with chili shiso sauce (white sauce) that promises a sensory overload, with the vibrant tang of yuzu and a playful hint of shichimi spice, the Truffle yakisoba noodles and the Spicy tuna tempura roll with chili sesame mayonnaise brings a touch of heat to the table. The Milk chocolate lotus with banana ice cream and kokuto will complete the meal at ROKA Jeddah on a sweet note, with an orchestra of textures and flavors.

ROKA Jeddah opens its doors on June 13, and reservations can now be made via +966 9200 17652.

The restaurant will operate from 6:00 to 12:00  from Monday to Wednesday, 6:00 to 12:30 on Thursday, and 1:00 to 12:30 on Friday and Saturday.