There can be no denying - this "wai" shaped building is impressive.
I'm way up in the picturesque and empyrean heights of The Okura Prestige Bangkok's 24th floor, rubbing shoulders with the crème de la crème of polite society, gleefully looking down at the bustling city below.
Most hotels nowadays, seem hell bent on convincing you of their class, their elegance, their opulence. However The Okura Prestige Bangkok, located in the sleek and polished Park Ventures Ecoplex building, effortlessly humbles you.
For the life of me, I cannot place my finger on what exactly it is. Perhaps, it is the exquisite ikebana, or the sumptuous contemporary interior, I'll even go as far as saying that it is solely down to the combined eclectic beauty of its three restaurants. Whatever it is, the assiduity to detail is inspiring.
The staff, some draped in crisp Kimonos and others donning sharp suits, saunter around in hushed tones; adept in the art of that quintessentially familiar Japanese mix of formality, and meticulous attentiveness.
The somewhat concealed yet lofty sliding doors, that are so gracefully whisked open for service, three times a day, make approaching Yamazato feel like you're entering a holy place. As you take your seat in either one of the many Japanese-style booths, or at one of the two tepanyaki tables, the calming zen music, gently chime away in the background. Whichever location you end up choosing, you will be sure to have noticed that this restaurant might just have one of the most breathtaking views of the Bangkok cityscape.
To those in the know, Kaiseki, otherwise known as Japanese haute cuisine, enjoys near cult status. It is a centuries old, multi-course, epicurean tradition, steeped in Zen Buddhism, art and culture. This refined cooking style, places emphasis on colour, texture and most importantly the spiritual connection to both the food and nature. Bearing that in mind, it's certainly not surprising then, that more than 90% of the ingredients are imported from Japan - almost daily.
The a la carte menu is welcoming familiar, and reasonably priced, but in a place such as this, you can bet your bottom that there's more to it than meets the eye. With only the best of the best flown in from Japan's Tsukiji market and a master chef like Shigeru Hagiwara, every meal is definitely far from your regular rotating table sushi house. With everything from sashimi to udon, you can either choose to be adventurous or simply pamper yourself with some trusty but upscale versions of your favourite dishes. Their gozen (Japanese for set) menus, are definitely not to be missed; if you're as curious as I was, to see what the fuss was all about.
I got to sampling the ultra-exclusive seven-course Christmas dinner set menu, which rolls out on the 24th and the 25th of December. Unlike the usual fare of turkey and guilt-inducing esculent products, this cornucopia of carefully crafted gastronomical treats, is the ultimate sensual exploration.
The starter, an unusual but beautifully fresh gelée of okra, scallops, crab, asparagus, octopus, shrimp and tomato is simply outré. I didn't know whether to eat it or display it as an hommage to culinary excellence. Something about the freshness of the seafood, combined with the deep earthiness of the kelp and bonito gelée was otherworldly. It's definitely that kind of shockingly good dish that always seems to start an uncontrollable build up of saliva in your mouth, just by thinking about it.
It was all quite a grand affair. As I greedily devoured the contents of each dish, my Kimono clad attendant would skilfully replace the entire set of dishes in front of me, with that of the next.
The grated radish soup with soft cod roe was pleasant and hearty, but merely served to heighten my anticipation for the main. The serving of sashimi, though modest, can certainly be described as an impressive volley of perfectly marbled tuna belly, succulent sweet shrimp, aromatic surf clam, and (my all-time favourite) a rich and unctuous yellow tail. The show stopper was the grilled dish, which included grilled Spanish mackerel, asparagus, Elingi mushrooms, feathery sliced leek and Anglerfish liver. The taste of the liver, as creamy as it was decadent, lingers on the lips long after all trace of it has been remorselessly devoured - no wonder, it's often referred to as the foie gras of the sea.
The miniature desserts were as delectable as they were shockingly adorable. The surprise came from the incomparable flavour in the tomato sorbet; an ending too good to give away.
Sated, light-headed and frankly too food drunk to brave the mean streets below, I contemplated heading over to the spa, one level up, for their famous body scrubs.
The New Year at Yamazato
In keeping with Japanese tradition, Yamazato will be serving a special "Toshikoshi Soba Set Menu" on 31st December from 22:00 - 23:30. This New Year's Eve set menu, will include the symbolic soba noodles with a tempura ball of shrimp and scallop, as well as a side of delicious pop-in-your-mouth deep fried tofu. Symbolising good luck and longevity, this age old tradition is definitely something we all should try at least once in our lives. The meal runs at 800++ baht per person.
For reservations at YAMAZATO, call: 02 6879000 or simply head over to http://www.okurabangkok.com, for further information.
