When restaurateurMarkus Thesleff describes Los Mochis, he does not begin with tacos, sushi or the usual language of restaurant openings.
He begins with time.
“We’re not in hospitality. We’re in entertainment,” Thesleff says. “We compete for time, and time is the luxury.”
The Finnish-born entrepreneur is bringing that philosophy to downtown West Palm Beach
, where Los Mochis will open at Phillips Point.The new waterfront restaurantwill combine Japanese technique with the heat and exuberance of Mexican cooking in an expansive high-energy setting with outdoor dining, private dining, music and views for miles.
Thesleff says the restaurant is targeting an opening around this time next year and construction is expected to begin soon.
An most unusual concept
Los Mochis calls its
culinary approach “where Tokyo meets Tulum.”
The concept is a pioneer in combining Mexican and Japanese cuisines, with dishes ranging from sashimi and maki rolls to ceviches, tiraditos and tacos.
Its menus are entirely free of gluten and nuts.
The West Palm Beach restaurant will be the brand’s first American location. Los Mochis currently operates in Notting Hill and London, where its ninth-floor location includes a dining room, sushi bar, rooftop terrace, private dining room and an “agaveria” specializing in tequila and mezcal.
Why West Palm Beach?
Los Mochis arrives as West Palm Beach draws a growing list of restaurant groups from New York, London and other major dining capitals.
Thesleff says he was attracted by something more lasting than the city’s current momentum.
“You can definitely sense this community here, which matters to us,” he says. “It feels grounded.”
West Palm Beach offers the combination he searches for when selecting a market, he said: the energy of a growing American city, established families and history, everyday life alongside luxury, and, importantly, water.
“You don’t normally get that in a city of this size,” he says.
He compares the area to Beverly Hills, another future destination for his restaurant group, but sees Palm Beach County as broader and more complex than the small cluster of luxury addresses outsiders may picture.
Rather than looking only at Palm Beach or downtown West Palm Beach, Thesleff says his team considered the population across the county and the communities within a short drive of Phillips Point.
“You can feel the energy,” he says. “While everybody was running to Miami, we came here.”
Where Tokyo meets Tulum
Thesleff acknowledges that Mexican and Japanese cooking were not an obvious pairing when he began developing Los Mochis.
When the first location opened in Notting Hill, some people told him the idea would never work.
“People would walk by and say, ‘Mexican-Japanese? That’s the worst idea I’ve ever heard,’” he recalls. “But if you tell me I can’t, for me, I must. It’s just who I am.”
The connective tissue lies in ingredients and balance: raw seafood, citrus, chile, rice, corn and careful contrasts between richness, acidity, texture and heat.
The official London menu reflects that meeting of culinary traditions through sushi, sashimi, ceviches, tiraditos and signature tacos, along with tasting menus, cocktails, wine, sake and seasonal dishes.
Thesleff points to the restaurant’s tostadas as an example of the concept’s playful side. One version starts with a small, crisp sweet-potato shell filled with the components of a California roll.
A more lavish interpretation served during its omakase experience adds caviar and agave worm salt, a traditional Oaxacan ingredient.
The Florida menu is in development and it will be interesting to see which London dishes and experiences will make the trip across the Atlantic.
Could the tuna ceremony come to Florida?
One of Los Mochis London City’s most theatrical experiences is TENrei, a whole bluefin tuna ceremony built around a 10-course tasting menu.
The presentation begins with the unveiling of an uncut tuna. Sushi chefs then use traditional Japanese knives to break down the fish while explaining cuts such as otoro, chutoro and akami.
Guests taste preparations made from different sections of the tuna as the ceremony progresses. The London experience accommodates 12 guests and was created by executive chef Leonard Tanyag, who we met at CityPlace on Oct. 15.
While other restaurants now host events around tuna cutting, Thesleff says he originated the idea as a practical solution. His London team previously sent a group of chefs to a facility outside the city to break down tuna before transporting it back to the restaurant.
He questioned why the work was taking place out of sight.
“Why are we not doing this? This is amazing,” he recalls thinking. “Everybody wants to learn about this majestic animal. Previously, people would just sit there and eat and not understand what they were eating.”
The team began presenting the fish inside the restaurant on a large trolley, turning its preparation into a lesson as well as a meal.
“For me, I care about the provenance of our products,” he says. “We need to do something to showcase this.”
Thesleff suggests the ceremony is among the experiences his team is considering for West Palm Beach.
Planting the flag in West Palm Beach
The planned West Palm Beach location is expected to seat about 260 people, according to Thesleff, with a DJ, private dining and a substantial wine collection.
But size alone is not the point.
Thesleff says every element must contribute to a sense of occasion. His restaurants are designed to capture a guest’s attention from arrival through the final drink, particularly when the clientele could spend their evening almost anywhere.
“If you’re giving us your hard-earned money and most importantly, your hard-earned time, we need to make sure that when you leave, your energy level is lifted,” he said.
The mission, he says, can be reduced to a single test.
“We have one job. Make people come back. That’s it.”
Diana Biederman is the Palm Beach Post's food & restaurant writer. Care to share news tips about the local dining scene? Please send them to dbiederman@pbpost.com. Help support our journalism. Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Why a London restaurant is making U.S. debut in West Palm | Exclusive
