ANTD.VN - For chef Yamaguchi Hiroshi, two years of working with Sun Group - the investor of Capella Hanoi Hotel and helping Hibana by Koki restaurant to be awarded 1 Michelin star is a source of pride for him as well as for the restaurant, as this place has become a destination in Hanoi for international tourists, contributing to promoting the position of high-class Vietnamese cuisine in Asia and around the world.
- Reporter: Sir , this meeting was scheduled quite a long time ago, it seems you are very busy with work at Koki restaurant ?
Chef Yamaguchi : Oh yes! Since Hibana by Koki was awarded 1 Michelin star, Izakaya by Koki has been listed as Michelin Selected, and we have had a huge number of reservations. It's also the end-of-year holiday season, so we're always operating at full capacity. In addition, I'm putting the finishing touches on the new menu for spring 2024, so I'm quite busy.
 |
- That's great, sir ! Could you tell us about the changes at Koki in the past 6 months since being honored by Michelin?
The restaurant is still quite new in Vietnam, so since being honored by Michelin, Koki has gradually become more known to domestic and international diners. If in the past Vietnamese guests made up a larger proportion, now international guests coming to the restaurant account for a larger proportion, especially European guests and some Asian countries. Many tourists even book tables several months before their trip, some even book tables for the following year. This shows a positive sign of having the prestigious Michelin star.
- Teppanyaki at Hibana by Koki is meticulously prepared and served in a private room, with a traditional sake bar and the chef's teppanyaki table. That's why diners always need to make a reservation, sir ?
At Hibana by Koki, with the meticulousness in preparation and freshness of ingredients, the meal sets are not cooked in advance but only when the customer confirms. Initially, this process also met with mixed opinions, but after a while, customers gradually got used to it and also understood the characteristics of the meal sets, so there were positive changes and many customers chose to book in advance, even quite a long time in advance to have the best experience, as I just shared.
- Recently, the American news agency CNN praised Hibana by Koki in the top 20 best Michelin-starred restaurants in the world located in hotels. In your opinion , how does Michelin contribute to promoting the image of restaurants in particular and Hanoi cuisine in general?
Having the prestigious Michelin star is a source of pride for Koki as it can become a destination in Hanoi for international tourists. Especially for very new restaurants, achieving 1 Michelin star not only helps the restaurant affirm its position and quality on the culinary map of Vietnam, but also contributes to promoting the position of high-class cuisine in Vietnam in Asia and around the world.
Before Michelin appeared in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnamese cuisine over the past two decades was still being created and honored, famous for its diversity, flavor and uniqueness, but like an unpolished gem. Only since Michelin appeared has Vietnamese cuisine been properly positioned on the global culinary and tourism map. Along with that, the Vietnamese F&B market has also become much more vibrant than before.
 |
- Achieving a title is difficult, maintaining the brand is even more difficult. What have you and your colleagues done to maintain this title?
At Koki restaurant, diners come not only to dine but also to have a complete culinary experience from table reservations, menu consultation to after the meal to ensure they have a memorable culinary experience.
The ingredients of the dishes on the menu are carefully and purposefully selected, through specialized Teppan grilling techniques. Therefore, ensuring the quality to create a complete experience for diners requires us to be very comprehensive.
 |
Currently, Hibana by Koki has 4 Japanese chefs directly serving diners on the teppan table. We always try our best to have consistency in the dishes made, both in quality and image or all the criteria required for that dish. The skills of the chefs must be similar and training must be maintained regularly so that each individual can grow stronger.
In addition, for Teppanyaki, the most important thing is that the dish is served with the right portion, the right temperature, and the right pace for each guest. Therefore, the chef also needs to be able to observe his customers, so that the dish is cooked appropriately in terms of both flavor and the customer's eating pace.
- With the success you have achieved, do you have a goal of bringing the restaurant to reach 2 or 3 Michelin stars?
 |
For me or any chef, getting a Michelin star is a great honor. However, my goal is not necessarily to bring Koki restaurant to 2 or 3 Michelin stars. What I always worry about is how to maintain and continuously improve the quality of food and customer experience so that Koki will be known and loved more and more.
I would also like to share that, in the world, it is very rare for a hotel restaurant to receive a Michelin star. And Hibana by Koki of Capella Hanoi has done this, after less than 2 years of operation, which is truly a miracle. Being the head chef of Koki, located at Capella Hanoi, the only hotel in Vietnam that owns 3 Michelin-recognized restaurants, is my honor. I always cherish and am grateful for that. This is also a testament to the stature of Sun Group in creating works in Vietnam that are constantly praised by the world. I believe that Vietnam will continue to develop strongly with such strategic corporations.
Thank you!
Source link
Comment (0)