For a chance to savour the sophistication of kaiseki dining in the comfort of Hanagatami at The Ritz-Carlton Osaka, every dish is flourishing and delicately presented by capturing the essence of each season. mylifestylenews writes.
Dine in or out? This is always a conundrum when travelling overseas especially staying in a well established luxury hotel, as you always think local food in local restaurants is the best, but sometimes hotels can offer a more heightened dining experience not only with superb ambience and surroundings, but also with a switched on service team that offers genuine hospitality which is an absolute added bonus.
When a hotel has been in existence for some time and the in-house restaurant has withstood all the challenges thrown at it, including covid, The Ritz-Carlton Osaka is no exception. This eponymous luxury hotel houses the graceful Japanese restaurant named Hanagatami - literary translated as “flower basket” serving not only the delicate kaiseki meal but also fresh sushi, hot and crispy tempura, teppanyaki as well as sumibiyaki - a charcoal-grilled delight to please your palate.
It was a Tuesday evening during our visit and thereby scoring a good table overlooking the illuminated garden courtyard which was rather special with a serene atmosphere due to the most beautiful and graceful zen garden landscaping. Not to mention our booking was scheduled to the last session of the evening at 8pm, so the restaurant was rather quiet (everyone eats early in Osaka) except some early diners already filled up some of the rooms and tables at the other end of where we were seated. This also tied in with the PR statement of “Step into a realm where time takes a pause......”.
The ambience was calm and the interior was simple, almost to the bare minimalist pairing with lots of light toned wooden furniture on a wooden floor and the upholstered dining seats were rather comfortable. The walls are very natural in a rammed earth style and everything felt so peaceful and working towards ‘zen’.
Hanagatami invites you on a gastronomic voyage that echoes the rich culture of Osaka. Needless to say that they meticulously select premium seasonal ingredients abundant with seafood, vegetables, regional sourced quality meat that capturing the essence of each season and, after all, Japan is known for its excellent and fresh produce and there is no other way to sample the best from those who are in the know.
We opted for the beef sojourn of Nikukaiseki experience and kaiseki means a multi-course meal that is considered the pinnacle of Japanese cuisine and less is more is the way to enjoy a quality kaiseki culinary experience. In this case it meant the best the chef had to offer to showcase his carefully and thoughtfully crafted Japanese culinary skill in the form of a beautiful expression as well as the umai flavour to please and we certainly looked forward to what was coming out of the kitchen.
<Chilled Beef and Marinade Leek with Chestnut Vinegar, Shiso Flower, Grilled Shitake Mushroom & Pine Nut>
The beef was thinly sliced, cooked to medium rare for its pinkish colour that was juicy and tender with a subtle flavour and the chestnut vinegar was delicious. The leek as a vegetable is highly under-rated and helped to provide a counterpoint to the beef, well accompanied by the aromatic shitake mushroom. The rich pine nut flavour in the creamy sauce as well as the shiso flower that gave a hint of minty and basil flavour which added to our enjoyment of the entire dish, all subtly presented on a specially made large bamboo tray for an attractive presentation.
<Beef & Inaniwa Udon Noodle, Matsutake Mushroom & Chinese Yellow Chive>
A warm dish to warm our heart next was the thin, smooth, firm yet soft Inaniwa Udon from Akita Prefecture that was simply delightful, accompanied by a thin slice of lean “shabu shabu” beef which was as equally tasty, being so juicy and tender. The soup was light yet tasty and the fragrance from the aromatic Matsutake mushroom added extra points to complete this tasty dish.
<Beef Bresaola Sushi, Caviar & Green Onion>
This Italian-inspired mouthful bite replaces raw fish with thinly sliced air-dried cured beef (bresaola) and typically features fillings like rice and topped with caviar, green onion on a medium size seaweed leaf which you then gently roll up to eat with your hands and it was simply divine!
<Grilled Beef Tenderloin, Ginko, Maitake Mushroom & Carrot>
It was important to note that the beef was from the Yamakata Prefecture and was sensibly sensational, being unquestionably tender, juicy and flavoursome with a hint a dryness and crust from being gently seared. A total of four ingredients were used and each of them played a crucial role to pair with the sensational meat to please your palate. It was evident that the chef had let the meat do the talking on the palate, as it had only been carefully handled and well cooked that really hit the spot!
<Steamed Egg Custard Pudding with Beef Soup, Beef Cheek & Chives>
This was the highlight for the night. When we first took the lid off the soup bowl, the aroma of the finely chopped chives and beef soup rushed out and filled the air immensely. A total pleasure for the nose on a zen-ish visual.
The egg pudding was silky smooth and the beef cheek was to die for and every morsel was to be savoured. A total winning dish!
<Beef Tenderloin Cutlet Sandwich, Foie Gras Sauce & Japanese Mustard>
The presentation was already a winner in our view with a gorgeous ceramic triangular stoneware and additionally, the beef lived up to our expectations in true quality and flavour which was mouth-watering. The meat texture was almost ‘spongy’, but so tender and the palate was subtlety personified with the most exquisite genuine flavour.
<Steamed Rice, Simmered Beef, Matsutake Mushroom, Barley Miso Soup & Japanese Pickles>
The beef was delicate with unctuous flavours and the rice from Kyoto Prefecture was outstanding with each grain “moist” and absolutely perfect in every way yet separated as they should be with almost a hint of sweetness – it looked almost crystallized and was so delicious and finished with a homemade barley miso soup. This was another highlight of the evening.
Goshun Ikeda Sake, produced in Ikeda City, located in the northern part of Osaka Prefecture, Japan was chosen to pair for the entire Nikukaiseki dinner.
Seasonal fruits were used for this simple palate pleaser with delicious flavours to go with the citrusy sherbet.
The service was superb on all counts from Yuko San - our server for the evening - who was extremely attentive and prompt. Every morsel was perfectly described and explained and it was clear that this was her passion that she exuded so much warmth and pleasure in what she was doing. We enjoyed the quiet and peaceful ambience of the restaurant and we were glad that we had chosen a late sitting. All manner of beef was the highlight for us, but so many other ingredients played an important part from different nominal Prefectures in creating detail and wonderment which made this sophisticated Nikukaiseki treat for our culinary journey so enjoyable and to be remembered.
Tried & Tested:
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 4.5/5
Food & Beverage: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Value For Money: 4.5/5
Experience: 5/5
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 4.5/5
Food & Beverage: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Value For Money: 4.5/5
Experience: 5/5
Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.
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