It seems like hardly a week goes by without another ultra-exclusive omakase restaurant setting up shop. Now, the iconic Dolder Grand hotel in Zurich has followed suit, welcoming diners to an intimate eight-seat Japanese eatery, Mikuriya, helmed by talented head chef, Yusuke Sasaki.
The new restaurant is situated within the hotel’s Suite 100 – a sprawling apartment inspired by the rock and roll of the sixties, complete with a guitar signed by the Rolling Stones. Elegant curved leather sofas and chairs sit atop soft patterned rugs, with floor-to-ceiling windows revealing sweeping vistas of Lake Zurich and the Swiss Alps beyond.
Guests sit at the counter looking out at the stunning views and watching Sasaki prepare and serve each dish, crafting kappo-style sushi before their eyes. “Dinner at Mikuriya is an evening-long event,” said the chef. “The 18-course meal I prepare is all about one word – omakase.”
“‘Omakase’ comes from the verb ‘makaseru’, which literally means ‘trust’, and is figuratively translated as ‘I’ll leave it up to you’. This term is used when the guest lets the chef decide what food to serve. It’s a style of cuisine that is revered in Japanese culture and arouses curiosity.”
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Throughout the meal, Sasaki takes the time to talk diners through each dish and the inspiration behind his cooking. The menu changes with the seasons but expect plenty of seafood served alongside the very best wagyu beef and truffle.
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Standout dishes include King crab and Ikura salmon roe topped with delicate persimmon fruit, yuzu and tofu; addictive shrimp tempura dusted with matcha salt; and succulent fillets of hake drizzled with a pumpkin and sweet potato sancho sauce.
As you would expect, the 18-course dining experience doesn’t come cheap with guests paying CHF 300 (approx. $326) before drinks. There’s also an array of sake to choose from, expertly matched to each dish at Mikuriya by the Dolder Grand’s head sommelier, Lisa Bader.
“Rice wine is far less acidic than its grape-based counterpart but has lots of umami, which enhances and accentuates the flavor of the food,” she explained. “Sake is the perfect accompaniment to this traditionally light cuisine, which focuses on the delicate original flavors of the ingredients – particularly in the case of sushi – and contains the subtlest of seasonings.”
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Mikuriya isn’t the only gourmet eatery at the Dolder Grand. The luxurious hotel also boasts a two-Michelin-star restaurant helmed by Heiko Nieder and a more casual all-day dining spot, The Saltz.
Mikuriya at the Dolder Grand is open Tuesday to Saturday from 7pm.
[See also: Hot Stone Review: Authentic Japanese Omakase in London]
