Chef Leonard Yu is bringing his sushi pedigree to a much smaller stage this fall, opening Nori Yu Handroll Bar in Decatur with just 12 seats, a wood bar and a stone countertop built for watching fresh hand rolls come together up close. The menu will center on those hand rolls, with beer also on offer, giving Yu a casual counterpoint to the elaborate tasting menus that built his name around Atlanta.
A Casual Spin From a Tasting-Menu Specialist
The opening is set for this fall in Decatur, according to WhatNow, which reports the space will feature 12 seats, a wood bar and a stone countertop, with a menu that will focus on fresh hand rolls. A separate report from roughdraftatlanta.com described the same project, noting that Nori Yu Handroll Bar, from the chef behind Omakase Table and Ryokou, would open in Decatur the following month. Beer will also be served, per an update video cited in the WhatNow report.
The station's report notes that Yu's team posted construction updates throughout October, showcasing the intimate space as it came together. The updates offered a look at the space ahead of the launch.
From Pop-Ups to a Michelin-Recognized Name
Yu is behind two existing Atlanta restaurants: Omakase Table and Ryokou. He opened Michelin-recognized Omakase Table in West Midtown in 2022 and has since expanded it to Buckhead, the same account notes. He then opened a second omakase restaurant, Ryokou, in 2024 in Adair Park in Downtown Atlanta.
Before either restaurant had a permanent address, Yu built a following through pop-ups, including stints at Silom Thai and Sushi on Lenox Road and at Brush Sushi Izakaya in Decatur, according to Eater Atlanta. That Brush Sushi Izakaya pop-up offered a six-seat omakase featuring 15 to 20 courses of tara shirako, sashimi, nigiri and hand rolls, the outlet reported at the time. When Omakase Table itself launched, Yu planned an extensive 20-course omakase, with 12 courses of nigiri, dessert and the choice to add cocktail, wine or sake pairings; the separate 15-to-17-course option was a more focused omakase for four people per service, with two seatings of 16 people planned per night.
An Approachable Menu Alongside the Tasting Menus
With Nori Yu, Yu is aiming to offer what WhatNow describes as an approachable menu alongside his other tasting menu-focused restaurants — a shift toward something quicker and more casual than the multi-course omakase format he's known for. Atlanta magazine has separately described Omakase Table as boasting one Michelin star, underscoring the pedigree Yu brings to a much smaller, beer-and-hand-rolls concept.
Atlanta magazine had earlier reported on a planned Decatur handroll bar called Nori Me, describing a spot across from Fellini's that would feature 16 seats, 16 hand rolls and cold beer. Whether that earlier concept and the newly reported Nori Yu Handroll Bar are one and the same has not been established in current reporting, and details like exact address, pricing and opening date have not been confirmed beyond the fall timeframe reported by WhatNow and the next-month timeline cited by roughdraftatlanta.com.
