Shingo Gokan Is IN as Creative Director at Himitsu

On track to open this May, Himitsu will bring in Shingo Gokan to serve as creative director. The upscale, semi-private lounge from the Umi Sushi team will see Gokan in charge of the cocktails program.

"Shingo specializes in the art of classic Japanese bartending. He adds a touch of ingenuity to each and every cocktail, giving the libations the distinct, modern vibe we're bringing to Atlanta," co-owner Farshid Arshid said in a prepared statement. "We can't wait for our guests to experience the flavors of the cocktail menu and bar program he's creating and overseeing. It's truly going to make Himitsu unlike anything else in the city."

Gokan is currently the beverage director at Angel's Share in New York City, and he opened Speak Low, a speakeasy in Shanghai, last year. He beat out more than 10,000 bartenders from 26 countries to take home first place in the Bacardi Legacy Global Cocktail Competition in 2012, and he was the first guest bartender to be invited to the Savoy Hotel in London.

Himitsu will open at 3050 Peachtree Road NE, few doors down from Umi. Arshid has said it will have the feel of a place "where Sammy Davis Jr. and James Bond would meet for a martini."