Otaku Chef Max Posener Launches Kickstarter to Open First Permanent Restaurant

Max Posener, the chef behind acclaimed supper club Otaku, is launching a Kickstarter campaign to fund his first permanent restaurant. The campaign opens on Saturday 12 September with a target of £75,000.

For the past two years, diners have been making their way to a quiet corner of North London for Otaku, chef Max Posener’s 18-course tasting menu served from his parents’ kitchen. What began as a personal project has grown into one of London’s most talked-about underground dining experiences, earning a loyal following for its bold flavours, meticulous attention to detail and ever-evolving menu. With the final Otaku service taking place this August, Posener is now turning his attention to his first permanent restaurant.

To help bring the restaurant to life, Posener is launching a Kickstarter campaign, giving supporters the opportunity to secure exclusive rewards and experiences while backing the next chapter of Otaku.

“I’ve cooked every Otaku service from my parents’ kitchen. They’ve been incredibly patient, but I think they’d quite like it back.

“Otaku started because I wanted to prove I could cook the kind of food I believed in. Over the last two years it’s grown into something much bigger than I expected, but I’ve always known it was a stepping stone to my first restaurant.

“A permanent restaurant is the natural progression. It’s where I want to be chasing Michelin stars, while having the time and space to keep developing the food and the experience. Kickstarter felt like the right way to make that happen because the people who’ve eaten at Otaku already understand what we’re trying to build.”

Posener’s journey into professional cooking began after a meal at Gareth Ward’s two-Michelin-starred Ynyshir in Wales, an experience that changed the way he thought about food. He went on to train at the restaurant before continuing his career in London, including at one-Michelin-starred Cycene, before launching Otaku as his first independent venture.

The name Otaku comes from the Japanese word describing someone with an obsessive devotion to their craft. That detail-driven approach continues to shape every aspect of the dining experience and will form the foundation of the permanent restaurant.

Kickstarter reward tiers include:

• £25 – Founder’s Plaque – Name on the founder’s plaque in the restaurant.
• £50 – Otaku Silver Card – Limited to 500, with priority bookings, a buy-one-get-one-free first drink each month and entry into an annual draw for a complimentary meal.
• £250 – Pre-Opening Launch Party – Limited to 20, including an early look around the restaurant, drinks and canapés, plus an Otaku Silver Card.
• £500 – Dinner for Two Pre-Booking – Limited to 100, including a fully paid dinner for two to be booked within the restaurant’s first six months, plus two Silver Cards.
• £750 – Ceramics Masterclass with Muzuri Ware – limited to 2, including an afternoon workshop with artisan ceramicist Kyri Mouzouris, with canapés provided by Max.
• £1,000 – Opening Fortnight Dinner for Two + Otaku Black Card – Limited to 12, including a complimentary dinner for two during the first two weeks and an Otaku Black Card. Only 100 Black Cards will ever be issued, with benefits including complimentary signature drinks on arrival throughout the year, priority bookings and waiting list access, advance information on artist appearances in the Jazz Bar, enhanced odds in the annual complimentary-meal draw and Otaku Rewards.
• £1,500 – Cooking Lesson with Chef Max – Limited to two, including a three-hour pre-opening cooking lesson for four people and Otaku Black Cards for all.
• £2,000 – Opening Night Dinner for Two + Otaku Black Card – Limited to eight, including a fully paid dinner for two on opening night with a full drinks pairing.
• £5,000 – Private Home-Cooked Dinner – Limited to three, with Posener cooking a five-course tasting menu at the backer’s home for 10 guests, plus Black Cards for all.
• £7,500 – Restaurant Private Hire – Limited to three, offering private hire of the restaurant for 16 guests within its first 12 months, plus Black Cards for all.