20 AUGUST 2019 / TRAVELANDLEISUREASIA.COM
REASONS TO TRAVEL NOW
would be new. Okay, with one
exception: the ever-popular aka uni,
which fits into the new menu on its
own merits. “Where salt is needed,
it’s distilled from natural umami
through ingredients like seaweed or
techniques like fermentation,” he
says. “I want to strip away artifice
and present dishes that are boldly,
unapologetically sublime.”
For diners, that means being able
to discern each flavor in any given
dish. Also, to appreciate textures and
taste and, if your palate is up to it, to
reinterpret ingredients—think of
those plant-based oils replicating the
function and composition of dairy.
Ekkebus instructs me to spoon out
one dish top-to-bottom. The flavors
of tofu, Fukuoka heirloom tomatoes,
salted sakura and cold-pressed
almond oil stand out individually, as
do the textures of each, if not
ingredient, then layer. On a menu
that prioritizes all the senses, I’m
also struck by what is color-
coordinated art on each plate. The
avocado, lime, Sicilian pistachio,
Granny Smith apple and Thai basil
dessert course is a visual wonder.
Ekkebus set out to be timeless
rather than trendy, so I can’t help but
ask him how well he thinks he’s
succeeded on that front. He admits
he is still learning. During the
five-month revamp, he traveled. A
stop in Amsterdam meant locavore
and vegetable-driven cuisine.
Marrakesh was a lesson in perfumed
spices. In Japan, it was how to whip
soy milk into a creamy alternative to
dairy. “People’s changing tastes and
health concerns, and sustainability
are the lenses through which we
explore what is possible.”
The healthier menu seems to have
put a new spring into the chef ’s
step—and that’s a goal he has for his
guests, too. The very idea of a food
coma has irked Ekkebus for years: “I
wanted to make sure that people left
a business lunch feeling energized
and that couples, after a dinner,
would be able to go out and dance.”
— CHRISTOPHER KUCWAYCLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Ekkebus at
home in his new digs; a dessert of
avocado, lime, Sicilian pistachio
and Granny Smiths; sake lees
sorbet with puffed Camargue rice. CHRISTOPHER^KUCWAY(^3).^
OPPOSITE:^ COURTESY^OFR
YOKAN^COLLECTION