General
MA/NA Mayfair: Tableware for Modern Japanese Dining
Photography: MA/NA Mayfair.
A Restaurant Built on Restraint
MA/NA Mayfair is a modern Japanese restaurant on Upper Grosvenor Street in London, part of the Thesleff Group. Executive Chef Leonard Tanyag cooks time-honoured Japanese techniques through a modern London lens, and the restaurant describes its approach in three words: precision, heat, rhythm. The room runs from an à la carte menu and a tasting menu to private dining for up to 18 guests and standing events for up to 300.
That range matters for tableware. A tasting menu, a bar, a dessert course and a large event all need plates that feel part of the same table, without all looking the same.
Nine Glazes, All Four Selections
MA/NA ordered nine finishes, spread across every Annamis Selection. We grouped them by role so the kitchen could plate with a clear logic.
The dark base: Diamond stoneware
Earth Fire, Carbon Mist and Shadow Stone carry most of the table. Their matte, mineral surfaces give raw fish, grilled dishes and small plates a quiet ground, and they are fired for daily service.
The deep blues: Triangle and Circle porcelain
Blue is the thread that links the courses, from dark ocean tones to lighter, earthier ones.
The lighter accents: Square porcelain
One Order, Many Shapes
The order covers bowls, cups, ramekins, flat plates, soup plates, serving trays and platters, in different sizes. Japanese service uses many small vessels on one table, and that is where a wide range helps: sauce dishes, sake and tea cups, a shallow tray for sashimi, a deep bowl for broth.
Because the finishes are made by hand with reactive glazes, no two pieces are identical. On a Japanese table, where variation in a handmade vessel is valued, that is a feature. The kitchen gets a consistent look, and each plate still has its own character.
On the Table
These photos from the restaurant show the pieces in service: the long tray under the seared dishes, the speckled glaze under the aubergine, and the dark bowl for edamame.
Photography: MA/NA Mayfair.
From Order to Table
The pieces were made in Vietnam and shipped by air to London, so the restaurant could open on schedule. The order was confirmed with quantities and packing details, and the shipping fee was fixed at that point, so there were no surprises later.
If you are opening a restaurant and want to see how we match glazes to a menu, read How We Prepare a Tableware Proposal for a New Restaurant. You can also visit MA/NA Mayfair to see the tableware in service.
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