Japanese restaurant JuNi is now open for omakase dining at The Juniper in Midtown. Located on the corner of 12th and Juniper streets, the restaurant will also begin serving donburi (Japanese steamed rice bowls served with meat or seafood and vegetables) at the end of October.
Sandwiched between 11th and 12th streets, the block-wide site was once home to popular Midtown restaurants Joe’s on Juniper and Einstein’s. Both restaurants closed in 2021 to make way for the dual-tower residential development.
Founder Yukihiko “Yuki” Tanaka has been a quiet presence on Atlanta’s sushi scene since 1998, when he opened Circle Sushi in Sandy Springs. Nearly a decade later, he opened udon restaurant Circle Noodle in Roswell.
Many of Tanaka’s customers have been regulars since the early days of Circle Sushi and continued following him to Circle Noodle. One customer, he said, has been dining at both restaurants since they were a child. Now an adult, Tanaka said this customer travels with high expectations for sushi and udon.
It’s customers like this Tanaka hopes to attract to JuNi and its omakase experience in Midtown.
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What to expect
The restaurant is divided into two distinct dining spaces: a refined omakase experience upstairs, with casual dining downstairs serving donburi for lunch and dinner.
JuNi currently offers just one omakase seating at 7 p.m. Expect between eight and 16 courses, with dishes like a bluefin tuna sashimi sampler or chawanmushi (savory egg custard) topped with uni.
Much of the menu depends on what’s available and in season at fish markets in Japan. And while most dishes rely on Japanese techniques and ingredients, some fold in techniques and ingredients from other cultures. The chawanmushi, for instance, also comes garnished with truffle dashi, adding a French influence to the traditional egg custard.
People can order a selection of sake and umeshu (plum wine) during their omakase. Rather than pairing sake with each course, Tanaka recommends ordering a flight of five. Omakase experiences range from $185 to $225 per person, depending on the number or courses available on a given night.
Look for a smaller lunchtime omakase to launch at JuNi in the coming months.
More to come in Midtown
Over the weekend, signage went up at The Juniper for another location of Mister 01 Extraordinary Pizza. The pizzeria, which garnered a recommendation from Michelin for its Miami Beach location in 2022, includes locations in Buckhead, Inman Park, and Sandy Springs.
Midtown couple Freddy Adkins and Mikkel Jensen were eyeing the JuNi space for their Copenhagen-style cafe and bakery, The Danish. The deal never materialized. Adkins said he and Jensen are now actively searching for another Midtown space to open The Danish.
JuNi, 1081 Juniper St., Midtown. Open Tuesday-Sunday for 7 p.m. omakase. Dress code. Refrain from wearing perfume. Reservations highly recommended. Donburi dining, along with takeout and delivery, begins end of October. Open for lunch and dinner.
