Christian Onia

The Climb

Christian Onia began his professional life as a sushi chef at Hakuba in Tottenham Court Road, London (from 2008), bringing the kind of discipline and patience that Japanese kitchen work demands. The move from graphic design into cooking was a change of field, but also of method: screen and sketchbook gave way to knife work, steam, heat and the timing of service. From there, he moved through senior positions at OXO Tower Restaurant at Harvey Nichols and Sosharu in Clerkenwell, London, building experience in kitchens where pace and precision have to hold together. The next stages added responsibility and sharpened his command of the pass. He went on to become head chef at INKO NITO, then later head chef at ROKA Charlotte Street in Charlotte Street, London, where robata, sushi and sashimi sat naturally within his skill set. Each move marked a step toward leadership as much as technique. Today, Christian is head chef of SUMI.

Today

In Lyon, his current title is chef at the restaurant introduced above. What he says he values most is the room itself: the movement, the pressure, the shared rhythm of service. “Kitchen culture, I love the thrill and excitement of being in the kitchen.” That line runs back through the whole of his career, from Hakuba in Tottenham Court Road to the more senior posts that followed across London. The pattern is straightforward: a chef drawn not only to the food, but to the coordination, timing and concentration that make a service work.

Signature

Christian's signature dishes include seafood gohan and Kombu aged ribeye. Together they show the range of his cooking: one built around rice and seafood, the other carrying the weight of aging and fire. They point to a chef working with texture, seasoning and restraint rather than excess.

In Their Words “Kitchen culture, I love the thrill and excitement of being in the kitchen.” “In 2008, I left my career in graphic design to train as a sushi chef, taking up my first position in Japanese restaurant Hakuba in Tottenham Court Road.”

Recognition

Onia is a specialist in robata, sushi and sashimi, with extensive knowledge of Japanese cuisine. That knowledge sits behind the progression of his career, from the early discipline of his training to the leadership roles he has held at OXO Tower Restaurant at Harvey Nichols, Sosharu in Clerkenwell, London, INKO NITO, ROKA Charlotte Street in Charlotte Street, London, . The thread is consistent: Japanese technique, London kitchens and the demands of service.