Momiji bets on Royalmount with sushi, skewers, and style

When you walk into Momiji, the first thing you're going to notice is the light: Soft and clean through floor-to-ceiling windows, it reflects off pale wood, zigzagging gold accents, and paper lanterns hovering like moons over the dining room.

It doesn’t look or feel like a typical mall venue, and that's the point for the newest restaurant from the Otto Group. Momiji ups the ante for its already ambitious host project Royalmount.

“It’s all about building trust with the guests to prove to them that it’s worth the trip,” says Gabrielle Dubé, who leads front of house. “Once you show up here, you'll just how different it is.”

She’s not wrong: This is a hybrid project that brings together the best elements from the team’s earlier successes, Otto Yakitori and Bar Otto, and folds them into something new. On one side: skewers grilled and glazed with layered sauces. On the other: precisely assembled nigiri. The middle ground is a bar-forward dining experience that can swing between quick drop-ins and multi-course nights out.

A menu built for Montreal

“I thought it would be good to bring both concepts in, sushi and yakitori,” explains executive chef Jinpyo Chun, "so I decided to make both part of the menu.”

It’s a greatest hits compilation in some ways, but it's also more than that: The team—Hanhak Kim (Otto Group founder), Vienman-Cao, Choonpyo Chun, and Jinpyo Chun (Momiji's executive chef) spent six months refining the concept, testing 50 dishes before landing on a final menu of around 20 core plates, built to highlight both craftsmanship and accessibility. “We tried a lot,” Jinpyo says. “We tested the pairings, the menu, the design—everything.”

That testing shows. On the sushi side, Momiji sources fish from four suppliers—two in Japan, one local, and another offering seafood from Mexico and Europe. There’s BC uni and Hokkaido scallops, sure, but also foie gras, pancetta, and miso egg yolk. Purists might raise an eyebrow, but the vision is clear: this is sushi built for Montreal, with enough care and variety to reward curiosity.

“I maintain the natural flavour of the fish, of course, but I use herbs and toppings to make it easy to eat,” Jinpyo adds.

The same goes for the yakitori. Royalmount’s fire code doesn’t allow for charcoal grills, which meant the team had to rethink the whole approach. By layering herbs, sauces, toppings in dishes like the lamb with chimichurri or the miso-marinated cod cheek, the kitchen sought out something just as rich.

The plating is elegant, but not theatrical. The dishes are composed, but rarely precious. There’s foie gras and wagyu if you want them—but there’s also a chicken wing stuffed with gyoza or a casual bowl of mazesoba with duck confit and garlic scapes.

Drinks and design

If the food is the hook, the space keeps diners engaged. Designed by Zébulon Perron, the interior walks a tightrope between industrial minimalism and warm intimacy. The front bar is high and angular, offering a direct view into the open kitchen. It’s built for spontaneity—a solo diner, a quick bite, a drink with a view.

Behind it, the mood softens. The back room stretches out with padded banquettes, soft textures, and quiet pops of turquoise that give the room some swing.

“Energy is very contagious,” Gabrielle says. “When it’s done right with the lighting, the playlist, the team dynamic… all these things create the ultimate vibe.”

From a service perspective, the dining experience is fluid. “It’s all about adapting to what the guest is looking for,” she adds. “We even start with that in the reservation—should they be at the bar or in the dining room? What kind of night are they having?”

That responsiveness feeds into the drinks program, which—for now—is still in early stages. A selection of natural and biodynamic wines is available, curated by sommelier Daphne Blondin, and the team is gradually working toward more structured pairings.

In the meantime, the project's assembled a modest but thoughtful cocktail list, with drinks like the Umami Breeze (mezcal, dashi syrup, lime) and the Momiji Old Fashioned (miso syrup, yuzu, bitters) to help highlight the food. “Nothing too strong,” Gabrielle notes. “Something that lets you appreciate the nigiri or the fresh proteins.”

For Gabrielle, that balance is part of what makes the project feel personal. “Japanese food? You find it everywhere,” she says. “But here, every dish has a unique touch. The décor too—it’s different. And it’s nice to start outside of downtown. Most of the time, it’s always been downtown. This is a blank slate.”