TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The Okura Prestige Taipei’s Yamazato has teamed up with Nousaku to offer the Autumn Moon special course, featuring a feast of seasonal seafood paired with exquisite tin dinnerware, available until Oct. 31.
Nousaku, a maker of tea and Buddhist-related wares, brings 400 years of expertise to its dinnerware, combining visual flair with practicality. Yamazato Sous Chef Nagase Tsuyoshi, a 30-year veteran of Japanese cuisine and head chef for the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for nine years, crafted the menu and selected the tableware.
Nagase noted that the unique properties of tin make it especially well-suited for sushi dining. Its malleability creates visually striking pieces, while its thermal conductivity preserves the texture of sushi rice longer when paired with cool seafood.
The seafood selection includes Hokkaido oysters, scallops, and sea urchins; Fukuoka white trevally and striped jack; Nagasaki whitespotted conger; and Taiwanese tuna. Nagase also incorporated trout sushi, a Toyama specialty made in hako-zushi style, reflecting his hometown of Osaka.
The highlight of this culinary experience is the abalone, steeped in sake and steamed with abalone liver sauce. While the tinware for this dish may not be as intricately designed as that for the opening dish of Akkeshi Hokkaido oysters, it compensates with delicate engravings at the bottom of the rice bowl, revealed once the meal concludes.
The abalone, enjoyed without sauce or rice, offers a welcoming richness that is not overwhelming. When combined with the rice and broth, it creates a buttery smoothness and intensified flavor.
In contrast, the Toyama specialty trout sushi may appear modest but serves as a fitting finale to this collaboration, highlighting the simplicity and connections between both Yamazato and Nousaku.
Located on the fifth floor of The Okura Prestige, Yamazato aims to evoke the ambiance of ryotai, a call back to feasts enjoyed by feudal Japanese nobles. This dining experience blends top-notch cuisine with artistic works that nourish the mind.
In keeping with this spirit, Yamazato has infused the aesthetics of Japanese gardens into its indoor setting, showcasing art pieces such as a full suit of samurai armor.
