Yamazato

Food	Service	Atmosphere	Value
9	10	9	8

On the ground floor of the luxurious Hotel Okura is a little piece of pure Japan, the Yamazato a remarkable Michelin starred restaurant, the only traditional Japanese restaurant with a star in Europe.

The hotel itself in the De Pijp district is impressive to walk through, but its grand scale disappears as you go into the restaurant which has been styled to represent a classic Japanese Sukiya-style interior with wooden screens all inspired by the 15th and 16th century tea houses. Outside can be seen a Japanese garden, although when we went the lunchtime rain made it impossible to go out and enjoy the atmosphere. As well as a number of private rooms the restaurant also has a Tatami-room where the traditional low table has been augmented by a drop down area for diners’ legs, should they not feel up to the strain of sitting in the correct posture.

Traditional Japanese food is as much about the presentation and ambience as it is quality of ingredients and taste. From the moment you arrive you are treated as an honoured guest but never overwhelmed. Japanese food is also ritual and here there are over fifty specialities on offer, which makes for a difficult choice. The only easy decision we made, faced with such fabulous dishes, was to go for simple jasmine tea to accompany our meal. Yamazato has, of course, a substantial wine list for those confident about matching wines with Japanese food and of course they have an excellent selection of sakis, too.

We had the Shokado, or Japanese lunch box set option and began with a small appetizer followed by selected Sushi, and a Miso soup. The soup was supremely delicate; the Dashi stock clearly made in the correct way from Kombu seaweed and dried fish flakes (katsuo bushi). So many restaurants use the instant Dashi and it shows in the unpleasant strength of the stock. The Miso paste had just the right saltiness, a marvellous starter and appetite sharpener. The Nigiri Sushi were beautifully presented, the sticky rice under the very high quality fish just the correct temperature and easy to pick up.

The box itself was a classic multi-compartment affair containing many things including some Tempura prawns and vegetables, a fillet of beef with Teriyaki sauce and various Shii-zakana Japanese delicacies and rice. All quite superb with the accompanying pickles and sauces, all cheerfully explained by the charming waitress

Unfortunately we were too full for dessert but they certainly looked interesting.

Yamazato also offers a large variety of lunch options, including an a la carte selection of mouth-watering allure. If you’re a Japanese food expert or just someone who want a good introduction to the delights of this cuisine, then Yamazato is the place to go.

November 2005

One of the top restaurants in Amsterdam. Quality is uncompromised in all areas - cuisine, ambiance and service are all impeccable. Although pricey it is therefore one of the safest choices for a special night out even if you are not specifically looking for a Japanese meal.

Saturday, March 03, 2007