Hidemasa Yamamoto, known for his achievements in the culinary world and his spectacular stage performances, is truly a chef worthy of being called a legend. I wonder how the city of Ginza appears to him, who is active internationally.
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A unique cocktail that makes you feel
Hidemasa Yamamoto was at THE GRAY ROOM, a bar overlooking the stunning night view of Ginza. He has extensive overseas experience and currently travels between Singapore and Japan, and this restaurant is his favorite in Ginza at night. I heard that the owners are a couple from India. SPICE LAB TOKYO, a modern Indian cuisine restaurant on the 10th floor of the same building, is also run by the same owner, with Yamamoto serving as a consulting chef.
``Sometimes I come by myself, and sometimes I come in groups of four or five people.But I think it's more enjoyable to drink alone,'' says Yamamoto. Up until then, when he was working in the United States, he had visited bars, but after returning to Japan in 2005, he started going to bars for work and fell in love with Japanese bars, which are unlike any other in the world. That's it. After a while, he stopped going to bars for a while, but after ``THE GRAY ROOM'' opened, he realized how much fun it was once again. "We have cocktails that use spices. There are many bars that use fruit, but none of them stock spices."
"Kurofune" is a cocktail whose recipe was created by an Indian bartender. It is a mixture of rum infused with Darjeeling, guava syrup, and flavorful bitters with the aroma of dashi stock. 2400 yen (excluding tax)
Left: The bartender at "THE GRAY ROOM" used to work together at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo. We have many common acquaintances and have lively conversations.
Right: Original gin made by soaking cloves and anise in gin, and Mumbai Tonic made by mixing original orange bitters with tonic water. 1800 yen (excluding tax).
``THE GRAY ROOM'' not only has a unique menu and sophisticated facilities, but also its convenient location, 30 meters above the ground (on the 11th floor of the building), is a major attraction.
Ginza food
The star is sushi
We asked him about Ginza's food after traveling all over the world.
``I often talk to sushi restaurants.When it comes to food, I think sushi restaurants are the ones most looking forward to opening a store in Ginza.As expected, they have the financial resources to make sushi. I'm sure it will be a pleasure to be enjoyed by the husbands I know so well.''
Mr. Yamamoto left Japan in his late 20s, and when he returned to Japan in 2005, he worked in Nihonbashi, Tokyo. As a result, he has had more opportunities to visit neighboring Ginza, and has noticed the unique hospitality that Ginza has fostered. My current favorites include New Cantonese Kazen (Chinese) and Ginza Kuroju (sushi). According to him, what makes a restaurant interesting is the food and the personality of the chef. What's appealing about restaurants is that the chefs are not obsessed with their own world, but have honest ways of interacting with the chef and a sense of style toward food.
In the ever-changing restaurant business, he talked about the importance of always keeping one's antenna up, grasping new trends, and updating.
Having honed his skills at some of the world's best hotels and restaurants, Mr. Yamamoto is currently consulting for about 10 restaurants. Still, he is still passionate and says, ``If you don't create dishes that suit the modern times, you will be left behind by the times. Things change quickly these days.In the future, I want to open my own restaurant that will be memorable for me.'' .
Hidemasa Yamamoto
Chef
Born in Tokyo in 1956. After studying under Roger Verger, he became a chef at Borsalino, where he gained fame at a young age. He moved to the United States in 1983 and led Chaya Brasserie and Chez Nouz Hama to numerous accolades. In 1984, at the young age of 28, he became the executive chef of the Ritz-Carlton Washington DC, and served as the executive chef for the inaugural dinners of three successive presidents. In 2005, he returned to Japan to become the first executive chef of Mandarin Oriental Hotel Tokyo. Acquired the world's first officially recognized "Six Stars" by the American Academy of Hospitality Science, and the hotel's restaurants "Signature", "Sense" and "Tapas Molecular Bar" received one star in the Michelin Guide. Earn. Currently, he is working as a restaurant producer on numerous hotels and restaurants both in Japan and overseas. His hobbies are golf and fishing.
Hidemasa Yamamoto official website http://157.205.35.22/chef/
THE GRAY ROOM
A bar located 30 meters above ground, featuring a chicly designed interior and a terrace with a great view of Ginza. During the daytime, you can enjoy authentic Indian tea, coffee, and champagne that can be paired with original style afternoon tea, and at bar time, you can enjoy original cocktails with spices and black tea. On the 10th floor of the same building is SPICE LAB TOKYO, where Hidemasa Yamamoto serves as a consulting chef, and many people use THE GRAY ROOM before or after their meal there.
GICROS GINZA GEMS 11F, XNUMX-XNUMX-XNUMX Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
Afternoon tea/14:00-18:00, Bar (tapas)/18:00-00:00, Bar (snacks)/00:XNUMX-XNUMX:XNUMX
Open XNUMX days a week
03-6274-6023
Photography by Tatsuya Ozawa (Studio Mug)
Lounge
Premium Salon
Tokyo, 7pm
Premium Salon
