Luxury Image-6 countries, 55 chefs and mixologists — this luxury dining series offers ‘one and done’ culinary experiences across Asia .
From exclusive four-hands dinners to bar guest shifts, this limited-edition regional dining series by Marriott celebrates culinary craftsmanship.
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An exquisitely prepared Homard Bleu was placed in front of me, accented by an aromatic sauce that turned the umami level up to full volume. Paired with a Haut-Brion Pessac-Leognan Rouge 2017, it was just one of the sublime moments of a Chateau Haut-Brion wine pairing dinner crafted by executive chef Teruki Murashima of the newly minted one Michelin-starred Heritage by Kei Kobayashi at The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo.
Bright and early the next day, Murashima-san traded his chef's whites for a casual white tee and gold chains thrown in for good measure. He was taking us to his playground — Toyosu Fish Market — and as soon as we arrived, he walked with a swagger of someone who knows it inside and out. It’s rare for mere mortals to be able to access Tokyo’s premier seafood market, let alone have a top chef who visits twice a week guide you inside.
First things first, I made sure I wasn’t getting run over by the whizzing yellow trucks that seem to appear out of nowhere. Then I took in the dizzying array of ultra-fresh seafood laid out impeccably: hairy crab, kinmedai, octopus, seasonal ayu, trays of uni… everything you dream of finding on your plate is here. Murashima-san stops at a stall and chats with the owners, who allowed his colleague, Sachi, to buy a single fish for the first time. Why is this so extraordinary? Toyosu Fish Market isn’t the kind of place where you can stroll in and buy what you want. It is such a closed-shop that it takes years to convince vendors to sell you something.
Then our group followed Murashima-san to his tuna specialist, where large portions of tuna belly were on display behind glass akin to museum pieces. Here they sliced akami and chu-toro for us to try right there and then. This gleaming piece of tuna is the holy grail — it doesn’t get fresher (or better) than this. Thanks to the trust between fisherman and chef, I was able to savour this once-in-a-lifetime treat; it’s also this bond that ensures the best ingredients are reserved for the restaurants at The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo.
LOCAL LENS
The tuna and I met again, this time at Hinokizaka, the hotel’s Japanese restaurant offering teppanyaki, tempura and sushi under one roof. In an elegant tatami room decorated with hundred-year-old Omiya bonsai, chef de cuisine Hisao Ishida carefully sliced the fish — a task that you’re only allowed to do after 10 years of practice because of the reverence the Japanese pay to maguro. He crafted two delicate and satisfying nigiri, which in the vein of saving the best for last, was offered at the end of the impressive tasting course.
