Review

Japan’s famously refined culinary heritage reaches an apex with kaiseki dining, and Japanese hotel hospitality hits a peak in Bangkok at the Okura Prestige. Understandably, the exalted traditions of omotenashi, translated as “wholehearted hospitality,” are upheld at Yamazato, one of the property’s renowned dining venues. Often compared to French haute cuisine, the art of kaiseki dining is Japan’s most sophisticated cooking style. Unsurprisingly, given the predominantly Japanese clientele, chefs at Yamazato are at the peak of their professional game. An opening salvo of dishes begins with an amuse of sesame tofu, steamed uni, and okra with soy sauce, a starter of simmered octopus with shrimp, tomato, fig, and potato with sesame vinegar sauce, a complex clam soup with cherry blossom and yuzu, and a selection of sashimi. In most cuisines, this plethora of textures, ingredients, and flavours would impart mixed signals, both visually and gustatorily. At Yamazato, the various dishes engagingly complement each other. Further dishes are delivered one by one, each bringing subtle punches to the palate. Highlights include black cod and scallop with shrimp sauce and a hot cha soba noodle with spring herring, shimeji mushroom, mitsuba, and yuzu. There is a comprehensive selection of old and new world wines; however, diners may choose from a more extensive list of premium sakes for a perfect culinary marriage.