Cover Chef Ikuma Sato helms Yamazato, the newly-launched sushi counter at Hotel Okura (Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila)
Chef Ikuma Sato helms Yamazato, the newly-launched sushi counter at Hotel Okura (Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila)
1 / 1
Speciality sushi chef Ikuma Sato breathes life into the newly-launched space at Hotel Okura’s Japanese fine dining restaurant
The team behind Yamazato Japanese Fine Dining is no stranger to thinking on their feet. Having just opened its doors at the onset of 2019, the restaurant had the rug pulled from under them when the global pandemic hit and the hospitality industry was faced with its biggest challenge in modern times.
“We were in survival mode,” recalls Addie Capinding, who was part of the hotel’s opening team and is steadfast in her role as director of sales and marketing. “Yamazato opened before the hotel, so we had to find a way for the restaurant to somehow generate revenue since we want to retain our employees. We started doing food delivery, but of course, we did it in a way that was still in accordance with the Hotel Okura brand, so everything was nicely packaged and presented.” During the early days of COVID-19, safety protocols called for cooked or ready-to-heat food. Raw preparations were just not in demand (remember sushi bakes?). And so the restaurant’s sushi counter was put on the back burner, and stayed there until Yamazato and the hotel gained their footing and operations began humming steadily along.
Chef Ikuma Sato (Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila)
1 / 2
The semi-private space became an unofficial holding area for guests, until a little over a month ago when speciality sushi chef Ikuma Sato came to breathe life into the sushi counter and fulfil its true purpose. Endearing with his easy smile and easygoing manner, chef Sato is a natural at engaging with guests. However, do not let the impish smile fool you—his skills in traditional Japanese cuisine are sharp and refined, honed from his time as a sushi apprentice starting back in 2001. His dedication has brought him all over the world, from working at the most lucrative sushi counters in Japan to upscale restaurants in Hong Kong and Switzerland.
Read more: We asked 7 top chefs: What’s the point of pop-ups and collaborations?
Above Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
Above Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
1 / 2
His traditional style matches perfectly with Yamazato’s dedication to offering an unparalleled Japanese dining experience that rivals the authenticity that is usually only attained back in the motherland. Chef Sato explains that he sources his seafood directly from suppliers in Toyosu Market (the larger and more modern replacement of Tsukiji Market) in Tokyo. One of his suppliers (and also an old friend) provides chef Sato with fresh Japanese produce including herbs and ornamental plants from the supplier’s octogenarian mother’s garden which the chef uses to adorn his sashimi platter. “I like it because it makes me…” he trails off while he grasps for the word. “Nostalgic?” I asked. He smiles and replies, “Yes. Nostalgic.” This is served at the beginning of his omakase which is offered lunch and dinner from Thursday to Sunday, prepared with the deliveries that are flown in every Wednesday.
Related: The best seafood markets in Asia
Above Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
1 / 1
Above Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
Above Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
1 / 2
As omakase experiences go, the menu depends on what arrives from Toyosu, and the seafood is presented by the chef in ways that bring out their flavours and textures in the best possible way. The sashimi platter showcased sumagatuo which is described as a small tuna from coastal Shizuoka prefecture and is a lesser-known yet highly prized fish. Then the parade of sushi came in well-paced succession interspersed with fun banter. There are different kinds of mackerel on offer, served fresh over sushi rice and not marinated as they often are outside Japan. There were sweet and plump Hokkaido scallops sliced in half and seasoned simply with a dot of wasabi and a light brush of chef Sato’s special soy sauce blend. I am starting to believe that consuming fresh prawns raw is the best way to go about it, and this omakase cements that theory.
Read more: The ultimate sushi cheatsheet: Nigiri vs hosomaki vs gunkan and more
Above Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
Above Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
1 / 2
The pampering ensues with striped jack, skin still on and quickly torched. The anago (simmered conger eel) gets the same treatment, but brushed with a sauce prepared in-house from eel bones and other ingredients, cooked down until it reaches an almost syrupy consistency. Turn on the charm and perhaps you will be rewarded with an extra thick slice of otoro—the fattiest and most luxurious part of bluefin tuna which is in the belly. The “meat course” came in the form of A5 Saga wagyu tenderloin that was quickly torched then topped with soy radish, followed by a decadent raw wagyu sirloin sushi that chef Sato fittingly crowned with red sea urchin. For dessert, no need to overcomplicate things—a platter of fresh fruits and a scoop of Gelato Manila ice cream delivers the perfect closing statement.
See also: Sake, soju, and shochu: What’s the difference, and how do you drink them?
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
1 / 2
Photo: Courtesy of Hotel Okura Manila
1 / 2
Good things come to those who wait, and it was a judicious move for Yamazato to allow variables to fall into place before launching what looks to be their most promising endeavour. Like sushi with its few components requiring only the finest ingredients, the sparse counter allows its true stars to shine. It truly was a well-orchestrated symphony performed expertly by the competent chef, brandishing the only instruments he needs—his incomparable training, accessibility to the best the Japanese markets can offer, and that irrepressible charisma. “You will never leave us, right?” I asked with a sly smile. “No, I promise,” chef Sato confirms laughingly. “Besides, I still want to visit Cebu!”
NOW READ
The best Japanese restaurants from the Tatler Dining Guide 2024
How to pair wines with French, Japanese and Chinese food, according to Singapore's best sommeliers
New Mexican-Filipino restaurant in Poblacion: Compañeros Taqueria x Carinderia
Jaclyn Clemente Koppe is a food and lifestyle writer, as well as a consultant to some of the country’s beloved food and beverage brands. Her passion for food and drink is only surpassed by her devotion to her family, most especially to her soulmate, Pepa the poodle.
