HOTEL SPECIAL
CORNUCOPIA OF FINE DINING FOR AUTUMN
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Now that the hot and sweltering summer is over, it’s time to enjoy the cool autumn weather along with one’s choice of seasonal cuisine — be it near the sea in Tokyo or Yokohama or amid the hustle and bustle of Osaka.
In Japan, the phrase “shokuyoku no aki” is used to describe “the appetite of fall,” when a plethora of fruits, vegetables and fish can be enjoyed during this season. Let’s indulge in the autumn harvest with an array of fruit and vegetables from all over Japan in one’s meal, together with a choice of fresh meat or fish.
There are many options to enjoy autumn cuisine to the fullest, especially at hotels, where popular foods such as sushi, yakiniku (Korean-style barbecue), tempura and more are available to look forward to by visitors and residents alike.
For example, during a visit to Tokyo’s Odaiba waterfront district, one can choose from hotel dinners featuring seasonal delicacies cultivated in the rich soil of Aomori Prefecture or the traditional multicourse meal known as kaiseki. On the other hand, one can opt for high-quality sushi with finely selected ingredients in Yokohama or innovative skewers in Osaka.
But it’s not just the cuisine that will satisfy the visitors to these fine inns. Paired with a hotel’s pick of wine from all over the world or sake from around Japan, there’s bound to be a match that can satisfy any gourmand.
Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba
Teppanyaki Icho restaurant and bar on the top floor of the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba is offering the Aomori Course, a dinner that features seasonal delicacies cultivated in the rich soil of Aomori Prefecture, until Nov. 30.
The course (¥22,000) has dishes that use only carefully selected ingredients sourced by the chef during visits to Aomori and serious discussions with local producers. Against the backdrop of the sparkling night view of Tokyo Bay, indulge in the exquisite culinary moment woven from Aomori’s bounty and the chef’s delectable creations.
The course starts with an appetizer that offers a refined taste that satisfies all five senses. The main dish features wagyu and seafood, as well as vegetables and sauces that highlight the charm of Aomori ingredients. Of special note is the selection of Aomori Kuraishi sirloin from the town of Gonohe, which boasts an exquisite balance of lean and marbled meat, and the Hakkoda sirloin from the foot of the Hakkoda mountains with a mixture of rich sweetness and deep umami flavor.
Pairing the dishes with local sake such as Rokka Shuzo’s Torai and Hachinohe Shuzo’s Mutsu Hassen, which placed first in the 2021 World Sake Brewery Ranking, is sure to bring excitement to the delectable meal.
URL: https://www.tokyo.grandnikko.com/eng/restaurant/icho/
Address: 2-6-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5500-4550
Hilton Tokyo Odaiba
Hilton Tokyo Odaiba’s Japanese restaurant Sakura will offer the Kotohira 10-course kaiseki dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m. until Oct. 31. The course is beautifully presented, using an abundance of autumn ingredients carefully selected by the chefs.
From the sukiya-style interior, a traditional Japanese architectural style that evolved from the aesthetics of the tea ceremony, visitors can enjoy views of the open landscape of Odaiba, including the Rainbow Bridge and the lush Japanese garden.
The course (¥20,000) starts with walnut tofu, followed by an appetizer of raw salmon roe with grated daikon, sweetfish simmered with roe and Japanese pepper, boiled chestnuts, crab and grilled eggplant with jelly, and yam dumplings with a hint of sea urchin flavor. Then comes a sashimi dish and Oyama chicken grilled on a magnolia leaf, matsutake and a sweet sea bream hot pot. The main is grilled wagyu, and the course finishes with mackerel rolled in turnip and Pacific saury rice cooked in a clay pot, with pickles and red miso soup and dessert.
A weekday-only lunch starting from ¥3,500 is also available. In September, choose from seafood bowls made with fresh ingredients from Toyosu Market, a hot pot set with black beef cooked on a teppan grill, or a set meal of eel prepared in a variety of ways.
URL: https://www.hiltonodaiba.jp/restaurants/sakura
Address: 1-9-1 Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03-5500-5580
InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8
The Sushi Katabami restaurant at The InterContinental Yokohama Pier 8 offers high-quality sushi with finely selected ingredients.
Katabami is a hideaway-like space on the third floor with only nine counter seats, where guests can enjoy delectable Edo-style sushi crafted by skilled chefs using carefully selected fresh ingredients paired with sake from Kanagawa Prefecture. Behind the counter, made from a rare single piece of cypress wood, is a quiet courtyard view.
For lunch, limited servings of the Hanachirashi (¥5,000) and Ayame (¥8,000) sets are newcomers to the menu, a delightful additions to the Tsubaki (¥12,000) and Sagami (¥18,500) sets, also offered at dinner.
The Hana Chirashi features tuna, white fish, small fish, squid, snow crab, sea urchin, flying fish roe and salmon roe to name just a few, as well as miso soup. The Ayame offers chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), eight pieces of omakase sushi, miso soup and dessert.
Additionally, several upgraded course menus are featured on the dinner menu. Lunch is from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. (last order), with dinner from 5:30 to 9 p.m. (last order).
URL: https://www.icyokohama-pier8.com/en
Address: 2-14-1 Shinko Naka-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa
Tel: 045-307-2228
Swissotel Nankai Osaka
Located on the sixth floor of Swissotel Nankai Osaka in the city’s bustling Namba district, the kushikatsu (breaded skewers) restaurant Sh’un Wine & Dine offers innovative dishes inspired by traditional Osaka street food.
Under the “World Travel Series” theme, the hotel sommelier each season makes selections from Wine Spectator magazine’s award-winning wine lists to pair with the skewers, taking customers on a culinary journey around the world.
The country of choice this fall is France. From Sept. 3 to Oct. 31 (closed on Mondays and Tuesdays), guests can enjoy creative skewered dishes made from seasonal autumn ingredients inspired by traditional French cuisine, such as an arrangement of pate de campagne (country pate) that uses pistachios instead of breadcrumbs for the skewer coating. Other dishes include seared and sliced bonito made by frying frozen bonito, as well as ginkgo leaf ham rolls and persimmon ham rolls that use autumn ingredients.
Lunch courses are ¥5,500, ¥7,500 and ¥9,500, while the dinner courses are ¥8,500, ¥10,500 and ¥12,500, offering guests an unforgettable skewer dish and wine pairing experience this fall.
URL: https://swissotelnankaiosaka.com/
Address: 5-1-60 Namba, Chuo-ku, Osaka
Tel: 06-6646-5122
