Absolutely Authentic Japanese at the JW Marriott Jakarta
Asuka is a Japanese restaurant that marries modern and traditional aesthetics to create a look that feels contemporary yet authentic at the same time. The focal point of the restaurant is the long sushi bar, with a beautiful awning of curved and polished wooden slats soaring up from the back wall to the ceiling overhead. Gazing at the gentle curve of the wood and thinking about the craftsmanship it took to make it certainly inspires a certain sense of awe, and indeed the whole restaurant’s elegant ambiance feels zen-like.
The restaurant’s Executive Chef, Nishiura Osamu, has over 30 years of experience in the kitchen and presides over a team including several other Japanese chefs at Asuka. While Chef Nishiura is friendly and eager to cater to his customers’ wishes, he also has an uncompromising attitude towards the quality of food. Fortunately, working at Asuka allows him to maintain his rigidly high standards. You see, while most high-end Japanese restaurants in Jakarta import some of their ingredients, Asuka makes it a point of utilising almost all imported ingredients from Japan, flown in daily, to ensure the flavours are absolutely authentic and fresh.
That includes more than just the amazing seafood on offer here, much of it flown in from the famed Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo. The wasabi is the real stuff from Japan (not the dry green paste mixed with horseradish that you usually find at restaurants) and even the fruit, such as the startlingly sweet winter melon we tried on our last visit, comes from the Land of the Rising Sun.
One of the most impressive specialities we got to sample at Asuka was the fugu [see box], an especially rare delicacy in Jakarta. The firm texture and clean taste of the fish were elevated by a light grilling from the blowtorch and a tangy ponzu vinaigrette. We also enjoyed large in-season oysters from the Sea of Japan, their briny sweetness enhanced with a citrusy ponzu sauce, and luscious slices of wagyu from the teppanyaki. But our favourite plate was the assorted nigiri sushi rolls that highlighted both the excellent quality of the fish and impressive technique, such as a salmon aburi roll featuring a tangy mentaiko sauce, burnished like a crème brûlée and topped with bits of crispy salmon skin to add some playful texture.
Asuka’s menus change often to take advantage of the best of what’s in season in Japan. You’ll want to watch the JW Marriott Jakarta’s social media sites on what’s new – keep an eye out for notices about the special monthly sake pairing dinners they recently started to offer.
(www.mariott.com)
Fugu
The Japanese name for pufferfish, fugu is most famous for being poisonous if prepared incorrectly. Nonetheless, fugu is an extremely prized delicacy in Japan, where it is typically served as sashimi or lightly grilled. The chefs who are allowed to serve fugu are very tightly regulated. They must earn a license, which involves a two or three year apprenticeship as well as a rigorous examination in which only 35% of applicants pass. Asuka’s Executive Chef Nishiura Osamu is one of the only chefs in Indonesia licensed to serve fugu.
