Restaurant IMA

A serious Japanese restaurant by Arkady Novikov, opened in an unexpected location — right in the middle of Zaryadye Park, where the crowd isn’t exactly known for being sophisticated. Which makes the result all the more interesting.

Inside, there are three open kitchens, chef’s table seating, dim lighting, stone and natural wood as far as the eye can see — and a panel featuring dragonflies. The interior was designed by Evgenia Uzhegova, the mind behind the look of a lion’s share of Moscow’s restaurants; her eye, as usual, is spot on.

The menu is concise, focused on single-dish items, overseen by Japanese chef Takumi Wada, who has just arrived in Russia. From his biography, we learn that he once regularly cooked for the Crown Prince of the UAE. The menu is divided into 10 sections, featuring all the hits — from gyoza and udon to truffle edamame and teppan-grilled dishes. For the latter, Igor Kim of Sumosan was brought in, with a small, intimate corner for five guests.

A particular highlight of the place is the selection of 37 types of sake — which, more likely than not, will help even Zaryadye’s accidental visitors quickly get into the right mood.