Wynn Macau’s signature Japanese restaurant Mizumi has always had a reputation for serving some of the finest Japanese cuisine in town, and this year it is raising the bar even higher with some exciting new changes.
To begin with, it was recently awarded its first Michelin Star in the 2016 Michelin Guide. Shortly after the announcement, the restaurant unveiled its all-new refurbished look, featuring a bold red, white and gold colour scheme, modern custom artwork by renowned painter Sush Machida, a striking yellow steel dogami sculpture by artist Gerardo Hacer, and elegant carpet inspired by the antique kimono belt accessory, Obi.
And now Mizumi has launched its latest offering, inviting three Michelin-starred chefs from Japan, each a specialist in their own culinary tradition: Sushi, Tempura and Teppanyaki.
In collaboration with the Mizumi team, the three master chefs have prepared an exquisite new menu using only the freshest and highest quality ingredients, all imported directly from Japan, including sea urchin from Hokkaido, tuna from Aomori, and marbled beef from Ishigaki Island.
Guests can sit in the main dining area and choose from the a-la-carte menu, or for a more intimate and interactive experience with the chef, at one of the three dedicated counters.
“It is best to eat Tempura within about 20 seconds after it has been served, so the counter setting is ideal,” says Michelin Star Master Tempura Chef, Kazuhito Motoyoshi, when we meet with him at a recent media tasting session. “But it is actually quite rare to have this type of setting. Even many high-end restaurants in Japan do not have this.”
Chatting with the media, Chef Motoyoshi prepares one of his specialities, Shiso leaf tempura served with cold sea urchin on top. Carefully battered on just one side, the Shiso leaf becomes a delicate crunchy base for the cold sea urchin, which literally seems to dissolve in your mouth.
Two-Star Michelin Master Sushi Chef, Tsutomu Shimamiya also recommends sitting at the counter.
“Each piece of sushi should be eaten whole in one mouthful within three seconds of me placing it in front of the guest. This is really the best way to appreciate the freshness of the ingredients,” he explains. “I really enjoy communicating with the guests, and when they know what they want and ask me for the very best, I always try to rise to the occasion.”
As we speak with him, Chef Shimamiya expertly slices a beautiful piece of tuna from the seas around Shizuoka prefecture. He informs us that Wynn has a team of people on the ground in Japan selecting the fish daily and then arranging for it to be flown in fresh to Macau. He also demonstrates his signature technique of preparing sushi with only three moves.
“This limits the amount of contact my hands have with the food, so that my body temperature doesn’t adversely affect it,” he notes with a warm, wise smile.
Chef Shimamiya is one of Japan’s most revered practitioners of traditional Edomae style sushi. Throughout his career, he has prepared sushi for many VIPs and dignitaries, including US presidents Clinton and Obama.
Over at the Teppanyaki counter, Michelin Star Master Teppanyaki Chef, Junichi Yoshida delicately handles a succulent piece of Yaeyama Wagyu beef, which he has been slow cooking at 50 degrees Celcius for an hour and a half – melt in the mouth succulent on the inside with a delicate crispness on the outside. Simply amazing!
“This is some of the very highest quality beef in the world,” he assures us. “It has the perfect amount of fat evenly distributed throughout. It is perhaps unusual to see Teppanyaki beef sliced so thick, but we can do it like this because the meat is such high quality.”
Chef Yoshida sources his beef from Ishigaki Island in the far south of Okinawa prefecture, famed for its Kuroge Wagyu. In addition to serving exquisite sirloin and tenderloin steaks, he has created several signature dishes such as his renowned scrambled eggs with sea urchin and truffles.
Such a gathering of Japanese culinary mastery all in one restaurant is a rare treat to say the least – talent and flavours not to be missed!
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