EMBA KYOTO GRILL Four Seasons Kyoto - Nouvelle Japanese-Inspired Grill

Kyoto has such a vibe to it and just about every luxury hotel brand has a footing in this incredibly popular city, so it was not a surprise that the Four Seasons Kyoto has been welcoming guests since 2016 and its signature restaurant EMBA Kyoto Grill piqued our interest to see what angle they could spin. mylifestylenews writes.

The Four Seasons Kyoto is tucked away in the serene and well-preserved Hagashiyama district that is reknown for its historical streets, traditional wooden architecture, temples and shrines offering a quintessential glimpse into old Japan that can be easily accessed by metro with a short walk and just minutes away by car to the famous Kiyomizu-dera temple. The hotel prides itself as a contemporary oasis nestled around Shakusui-en, an 800-year old heritage pond garden with an unrivalled setting for cultural ritual and culinary exploration and we had the opportunity to explore their signature restaurant EMBA Kyoto Grill for dinner.

Upon arriving at the hotel's long driveway entrance, there was very little lighting and seemed too dark alongside with the soaring bamboo wall fencing. Once we entered the main lobby we could not easily locate signage of its very dimmed lighting and we approached the front desk for assistance. We were then told to head one floor down via the large staircase with illuminated glass handles to witness the grandeur of the lower lobby with furniture and lounge chairs as well as low table settings sitting on a green carpet. The bright wooden wall with built in lighting illuminates the entire area and the ceiling high windows allow you to look at the serene pond garden during the day.

In terms of first impressions, EMBA Kyoto Grill looked very sleek visually, with the identical colour tone wooden floor at the entrance which segued into the main dining area. The design is a very open plan, with the main entrance thoroughfare a wide space that leads you up to a hostess desk and into the main dining room proper, but to the left of the entrance is a long marble restaurant bar that seems to be a poignant interior hallmark for this restaurant that runs along one wall as the main bar with the outdoor terrace and garden behind it. Once again, due to the minimal lighting it was difficult to get a sense of what was directly outside in which guests are supposedly to marvel at the heritage garden pond, but perhaps only when daylight appears.

While there was no staff member at the entrance of EMBA Kyoto Grill, we waited a good 5 minutes and then decided to proceed by walking ourselves into the restaurant proper to catch someone’s attention (it turned out the hostess desk was in the restaurant proper), which then resulted in us being ushered to our reserved table after checking the required prior reservation.

Further leading towards the end of the restaurant on even a darker lighting mood was another stairway leading back to the ground level. Dark wooden dining furniture may not enhance the overall atmospheric ambience especially at night and at the end of the restaurant is the gigantic cellar wall that looked rather attractive that at least added a sense of brightness to the darkness in the main dining room.

The elevated white marble flooring with a couple of semi-private banquette booths was along the right side looking across the main dining area to the wall of windows on the other side, affording views of the spot lit trees outside amidst the alfresco dining. The restaurant also seemed to lack that “WOW” element in the interior design, save for a few marble set pieces and as a Four Seasons hotel brand, we expected a bit more of an elevated space with luxury touches as well as accents of architectural detail and object d’art.

While EMBA Kyoto Grill touts itself as a modern steakhouse that serves premium grilled meats alongside fresh seafood, we did not get a sense that it was, as the interior design elements did not create the prestigious steakhouse grill atmosphere, which might have something to do with the fact that the restaurant also doubles up as the breakfast room. It looks instead more like an all-day dining than a signature restaurant. A set menu was prepared for us so we had a chance to sample a few contrasting dishes that began with a home-made sourdough with a delicious creamy charcoal butter.

 

<Bluefin Tuna Tartare with Hand-cut Chutoro, Citrus, Avacado & Yuzu Pepper>
A delicious start to our menu and a beautiful presentation as well. The medium-fatty cut of the tuna belly was delectable in texture and flavour, balancing the richness of the fattiest otoro and the leanness of akami, offering a hint of sweetness and buttery flavour with the Yuzu pepper providing a nice kick along with the avacado and citrus. It was playfully garnished with a black charcoal cracker in the shape of a whole fish bone.
 

<Charcoal Grilled Cauliflower Sesame Crusted with Mint Yoghurt & Sesame Sauce>
The cauliflower as a vegetable can be a little bit boring, but this rendition created a flavourful dish and the char-grilled flavour, sesame crust and yoghurt added a nice counterpoint. The presentation was very considered and overall extremely enjoyable.
 

<Lobster Soup, Kujo Scallion, Kinuhikari Rice & Caviar>
A lovely presentation with a little “frou frou” as the lobster bouillon is to be poured in front of you when served on the soup plate which only consisted of a small block of Kinuhikari rice for its delicate, slightly sweet and a soft but firm sticky texture, topped with caviar, sweet and tender Kyoto’s Kujo scallion as well as small edible flowers. The redolent lobster flavour was so unctuous, yet the addition of the caviar, scallion and rice had not much of an impact on the palate, so may be purely for show. 
 

<Japanese Wagyu Beef Tenderloin>
While the provenance of the beef from Hokkaido Prefecture was not specified when served (as we did expect such specificity since they had done on previous menu items), the wagyu was reasonably cooked to order in medium rare as requested and expected that was so tender and flavoursome on the palate no less. It didn’t take long to finish as it was pretty good and the piquant béarnaise sauce was an ideal accompaniment together with the shoe string variety of Truffle French Fries, Garlic-Fried Brussels Sprouts and Broccoli, that  made a perfect sidekick for the steak.

 

<“Homare” Green Tea & Mizuyokan>
The Homare Green Tea and Mizuyokan (a form of chilled red bean water jelly) is a beloved traditional sweet in Japan that was nicely presented with some light and delicate flavours. An apricot sorbet was also served and you could enjoy each separate ingredient on its own and combined.

The evening was quite enjoyable and the food was quite consistent with some courses excellent but the robotic service was a little bit of the let down - some staff came to our table quite switched on but others seem disoriented as there was not one designated team member that took charge of table service and everyone seemed to be offering their extra hands to other staff members at the same time. Moreover, quite often when we questioned what some of the ingredients were they had to go back and ask, so not entirely seamless by having the product knowledge well informed. This Japanese-inspired Grill ticked a few boxes from the food front with quality produce well executed. It would have been more memorable with a bit more thought on the supposed steakhouse manner with a more luxurious dining experience in a sophisticated ambiance and exceptional, personalized service.

Tried & Tested:

Location: 4/5
Design & Decor: 3.5/5
Food & Beverage: 4/5
Service: 3/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Experience: 4/5
 

EMBA KYOTO GRILL Four Seasons Kyoto  

445-3 Myohoin Maekawacho

Higashiyama Ward,

Kyoto, Japan

Tel: +81 7 5541 8288

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.

HOLIDAY INN KYOTO GOJO - Chic & Bright Urban Staycation

Kyoto is a huge tourist drawcard at the moment and as there are so many sights to see and hotel accommodation is in high demand, there is not just one location that is the best, so planning where to stay can be a key to ease of connectivity and the Holiday Inn Kyoto Gojo has what it takes to offer you a comfortable urban lodging in terms of location and style. mylifestylenews writes.

While hotel availability is quite demanding and facing a big challenge in Kyoto, higher room rates are to be expected especially when the perfect location is to be considered. Situated within the city centre vicinity on Gojo - the fifth major avenue in Kyoto which is the hotels home and everything in between, it is kind of a peaceful yet busy enough neighbouring community environment with easy access to major attractions among interesting shops, local dining, entertainment, temples and historic areas along the way.

We arrived in Kyoto by Shinkansen and connected with the local metro for just one quick stop from Kyoto main station and then a quick two minute walk to the Holiday Inn Kyoto Gojo and you can’t get much better than that!

A striking jinrikisha - a traditional human-powered two-wheeled rickshaw on display (which is rather ubiquitous in many tourist areas in Kyoto) upon entering the hotel lobby. First historical object encounter that is affiliated with this urban chic hotel. Before walking in further, there is BONDO Cafe & Bar serving homemade light meals with a grab and go concept or to enjoy with a glass of wine or light beverage.

After which you pass a large communal dining table and other lounge seating on the right to gather and meet friends, or sit and relax. With the lobby design so friendly for gathering, socializing or just enjoying your “me time”, at the far end is the check-in desk, so the team behind the desk have a birds-eye view of everyone that enters the hotel and while one person is checking in, the others may sit on a large ottoman placed strategically in this part of the lobby and have a breather.

The whole lobby is rather compact, but extremely well designed with lots of floor to ceiling windows to flood the lobby with natural light.

The design quickly references Kyoto with multiple made-to-order floor rugs showing images of old and new Kyoto and similarly two ceiling mural panels with Japanese heritage features if you look up.

Second historical design element discovered.

Ceiling Mural panels.

Ceiling Mural panels.

Kyoto Map.

Striking art work.

Other touches include a series of art works and objet d’art – one in particular consists of five colourful panels, individually referencing the Geisha, Kabuki and Daruma – all elements of Japanese cultural life - as well as illustrated graphic Kyoto city maps that are totally inspirational.

There is so much delightful detail to take in before you complete the formalities and we found this arrival experience to be very inspiring and considered, not expecting much more than that for a Holiday Inn’s brand standard of image.

They have surely outdone themselves to tell you a good story. To top it all off the Front Desk team were quite charming, informative and efficient, well conversed in English communication and our room was ready earlier than expected.

A quick elevator ride up to the 8th floor found us opening the door to our 20sqm King Room. We instantly found this welcoming and efficient in design with a proper king bed, small but effective bedside tables, a large window colourful sofa, a small coffee table and chair, not forgetting the mounted flat screen satellite plasma TV.

The room accommodated all our needs and was spacious enough by Japanese standards. Tea and coffee making facilities are also available, a safe, an empty minibar fridge to store your favourite local food or drinks and the cozy yet compact bathroom with a combination shower in the bath with quality bathroom amenities that we enjoyed, which was an efficient use of space indeed but some may find it a little claustrophobic when two people want to use it at the same time but for a city hotel perfectly serviceable and Housekeeping kept our room very neat.

Apart from the lobby BONDO Cafe & Bar, there is BONDO on level 2 which is where they serve an international buffet breakfast. The name of this outlet has been carefully thought about in three parts: ONDO – temperature, BOND – together and DON – food bowl. 

The breakfast is well done with a sensibly laid out floor plan to cater for big crowds to avoid long queues for food, although there was a bit of a bottleneck for the tea and coffee due to a tour group presence during our stay.

Food is replenished sensibly and quickly to maintain the right temperature and quality. They have all your favourites – eggs, bacon, grilled fish, baked beans, chicken and mushroom, smoked duck breast, okra, garden salad, congee, rice, miso soup, pastries, juices, cereals and nuts, yoghurts and then some, which was more than enough and covered a variety of international favourites and selective local specialties.

We tried so many different items over the course of our stay and found the quality and flavour to be on par with some luxury brand hotels and the ambience was bustling with a spacious long room, great lighting and thoughtful art design wall paper together with some ornamental object placements to create warmth and a welcoming atmosphere to start your day. Well done!

The only other amenities to be found within the hotel are a compact but perfectly serviceable gym , laundry facilities and the public onsen on the top floor of the hotel, which was the perfect antidote after spending a long day walking everywhere.

The windows of the hot bath afford some panoramic views of the cityscape and you can completely chill in this luxurious space while soaking in the warm waters for a blissful moment of relaxation. A tatami floor changing area was spotlessly clean and always neatly presented and we absolutely loved this experience.

The Holiday Inn brand has come a long way and the standards are not to be under-estimated and we really enjoyed our stay. Takashi san on the Front Desk was a gem – polite, informative and excellent at his job – and our daily interactions were so consistent. The service and kitchen team at breakfast were on point and you could see that they went that extra mile to ensure menu items were replenished timely and any guest that looked like they didn’t know where to find something were quickly approached for assistance, so a very switched-on team and excellent communication, given the variety of nationalities they assist.

The chic, bright look and feel of the Holiday Inn Kyoto Gojo was warm and friendly along with open spaces for relaxation and the design was very thoughtful. We never felt like there was something that could have been done better for a Holiday Inn brand that make it a preferred accommodation of choice in an admirable location in Kyoto. Holiday Inn Kyoto Gojo is an ideal base and a well-positioned choice for leisure tourists and business travellers while seeking a modern comfort accommodation, with a sense of style and inspiration.

Tried & Tested:
Location: 4.5/5
Design & Decor: 4.5/5

Housekeeping: 4/5
Food & Beverage: 4/5

Service: 4/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Experience: 4/5

 

Holiday Inn Kyoto Gojo  

179 Higashikazariyacho,

Shimogyo Ward,

Kyoto, Japan

Tel: +81 7 5365 5111

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.

THE RITZ-CARLTON TOKYO - The Grandeur of Metropolitan Luxury

The 53 story Midtown Tower forming the “Art Triangle” with the National Art center blends modern entertainment with cultural attractions and stands as a landmark with The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo occupying the top nine floors of this eponymous tower and if you were lucky, having daily uninterrupted views of Mount Fuji on a clear day is not a dream. mylifestylenews writes.

Roppongi Hills in Tokyo has long been known as the Tokyo’s vibrant district famous for its energetic nightlife entertainment, art scene, cultural landmarks, luxury shopping and diverse international world-class dining, centred around major complexes as well as a design-related business hub. With convenient access by the efficient transport links, it makes this unique neighbourhood in Tokyo an unrivalled haven for discerning leisure and business travellers.

The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo has garnered a reputation for truly embodying the term luxury and has been doing so for almost 20 years, opening its doors in March 2007, offering unparalleled views and meticulous service from this truly prestigious location.

With 245 elegantly appointed guest rooms, a top floor Club Lounge, fine dining restaurants with spectacular views of the entire city skyline and beyond looking out the Shinjuku and Shibuya area, the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower and the magnificent Fuji-San and etc. Besides, the facilities and amenities include a floor dedicated to health and wellness with a serene 46^th-floor indoor lap pool, a soothing spa among many other features, along with adjacent unique boutiques, shops and cafes for you to explore at your own pace is what we define as a sensible urban luxury staycation must-have.

The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo is perfectly positioned as a business hotel, but also caters for the many leisure guests that prefer not to be in the throes of Tokyo’s bustling and congested districts as Midtown Tower is a bit more discreet with sophistication for those in the know that has become many local and international business travellers alike most sought-after hang-out.

Roppongi Hills is very easy to access via Tokyo’s rail and metro system, instead of arriving the luxurious way, intrepid travellers always like to test out such boundaries and this was a particularly easy route to get to the hotel after following the instructions on the informative website. Once you are inside the main tower, signage is very visible and you will quickly find yourself in the hotel main lobby on the 45^th floor which is quite spectacular with double height ceilings that will immediately pause you to take this in with its stunning city skyline.

Tasteful flower arrangements are well placed in the centre of the lobby lounges alongside with multiple sectionized plants creating a mini “indoor garden” adorned with exquisite furnishings and gigantic modern art works hanging on the wooden wall.

Do not expect a giant classic chandelier as the light is more refined and contemporary in the main lobby. Through recent renovations it leans towards modern Japanese elegance with wood/washi paper lamps rather than gigantic crystal chandeliers and modern fixtures that create a grandeur atmospheric ambience.

The grand scale modern touch also comes with a water feature wall on one side of the lobby before making your way to the signature Hinokizaka Japanese restaurant and The Lobby Lounge & Bar.

If you are booked in the Club Room category, you will then be escorted to the 53^rd floor and once the lift doors open, you walk toward the natural sunlight flooding in through a see-through screen panel and The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo exclusive Club Lounge unveils itself. We were completely bowled over by what unfolded, as not only was the intimate Club Lounge impressive in layout, but the stunning city views over Tokyo are second to none, including Mount Fuji on a clear day welcoming our arrival.

We were promptly welcomed by the Club Lounge team and asked to make ourselves comfortable at a window seat and immediately a drink preference was offered for our arrival. A beautiful glass of Mansard French champagne was presented to us in a jiffy, so already we felt like we were in the lap of luxury.

All formalities were promptly attended to, as we couldn’t help but to enjoy another glass of bubbly and the view of Mount Fuji in a completely chill mood and weren’t fussed about anything at this point in time before we eventually decided to settle into our room.

Our Club Lounge Access Room was allocated on the 52^nd floor and as soon as we opened the door, the large classy 52sqm room layout unfolded. A huge marble bathroom firstly to our right and then the main room proper with a huge king bed, working desk and chairs, a sofa chair by the window and needless to say large windows that instantly have you gravitating to the views of Tokyo, again.

The room is a welcome respite to the vibrant city below with timeless design merging on East-meets-West that has not been changed much since the day the hotel opened, but it has been well maintained. The bed linens are the finest Egyptian cottons and always looked immaculate with huge pillows. 

The generous size of the room was uncluttered, allowing us to relax and have so much space to spread out our belongings and suitcases. There is an open plan integrated unit that houses a minibar with quality selections of tea and coffee and a welcome amenity, a generous size safe, a reasonable size bench for suitcases and bags plus metal tubes for hanging long dresses or trench coats which is a thoughtful way to design and offer such amenities in this private sanctuary.

Room with a view.

The spacious bathroom still has the original wood colour and marble flooring, a bit dated in a way but kept well and came with double vanities that were separated in different locations, so you are not ‘cheek by jowl’ when two people are getting ready together. There is also a large walk-in shower, large bathtub and more than enough shelves, drawers and bench space to cater for a large family together with the premium Diptyque bathroom amenities that always add that touch of luxury.

Having access to the Club Lounge is an elevated journey and would be an absolute must in any Ritz-Carlton hotel, as they do luxury in a way that few other brands match and this Club Lounge probably exceeded our expectations beyond compare. As the saying goes, “it is a hotel within a hotel” offering exclusivity and attention to detail and this was evident from the moment we arrived.

The Club Lounge occupies one side of the top floor of the hotel and is one long room broken up into different ambient spaces with different accents, so the initial seating area is all in dark woods and elegant fabrics, followed by the open kitchen section with accompanying lounge seating, which then segues into the library sections, so guests are able to choose different sections with different views every time they come to the lounge and life in the lounge never gets boring in this way.

The interior design is beautifully thought through in a residentially inspired layout, with accents of sculptures, wall hangings, standing lamps, flower arrangements and many more details exuding that luxurious exclusivity feeling that creates an air of serene sophistication.

The focal point for every guest is the view of Mount Fuji, weather permitting, but even so, the view of Tokyo from this luxury aerie is breathtaking and the lounge is spacious in all ways and no one misses out on a view no matter where you sit.

The exclusivity of this classy Club Lounge is all about the Food & Beverage. With complimentary daily five curated food and beverage presentations featuring delectable breakfast, lunch, leisure afternoon tea, dinner and more with personalized attention that awaits at every turn in this tranquil sanctuary.

French champagne is available from breakfast through to late evening that adds the luxury touch and not just one brand mind you – we were able to enjoy three different maisons and looked forward to this treat every day, no matter what the time. Sake are also available and sourced from renown Prefectures and if you have ever experienced sparkling sake, you may begin your sake journey by expanding your sake knowledge here. You cannot even browse the offerings without being approached by a team member ready to assist, so they are very switched on and wanting to ensure that you don’t need to juggle glasses and plates, as they will be brought to your table.

The daily culinary presentations never failed to impress through all periods of the day and makes you want to stay in and not to miss any opportunity to check out each session of service as it was too good to miss and they are not shy in ensuring you do indulge. All you have to do is to choose a time that suits you to sit back and relax and enjoy the views or some quiet time.

Breakfast is a fine repast (with or without the view of Fuji-san) and everything is thought through and luxurious, not only the presentation but the quality of curated food menu – think beautifully fluffy croissants that bring a smile to your face, delectable yoghurts, the tastiest of cold roast beef slices amongst so many choices that will have your waistline expanding before you know it! The cooked to order omelettes were the softest and fluffiest you can have, the high nutritious and fermented Japanese natto were a daily must, in-house tea brand and coffee was on point for taste with a great selection of freshly made juices and so much choice everywhere you looked. All up one of the best breakfast hands down, forgetting it was a Club Lounge.

With our expanding waistlines, we felt it necessary to burn off some calories with a daily swim in the large indoor heated pool that was perfect for laps and also offered panoramic views of Tokyo.

The entire 46^th floor is dedicated to wellness, encompassing some 21,528 square feet, encouraging wellness with a blend of Eastern and Western traditions that includes a heated Japanese-style plunge pool, a cedar wood dry sauna, a weathered coral stone tile sauna and rain showers as well as a state-of-the-art techno gym with personal coach upon request to tone your muscles.

Our stay was too brief and it was hard to farewell the Club Lounge team and move on to our next destination, but it all comes down to excellence in service and making guests feel relaxed while wowing them with truly memorable experiences. Subsequently, returning to the lounge every day for whatever reason was an absolute joy.

The Club Lounge Manager Shunpei Oya san has assembled a dedicated team that impressed us and every guest at every turn and you could tell he took pride in every detail and his passion was self-evident and ensured each team member imbued the guest experience with the same attention to detail and passion in a courteous approach.

Given that the hotel is going strong after nearly two decades of operation, it looks well taken care of and generally does not show its age and all elements of luxury are front and centre in a subtle way that will have you craving more, even well after you have departed. The grandeur of The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo truly offers a grand metropolitan luxurious experience overall and we loved the locale, the connectivity and the jaw dropping views of Tokyo that welcomed us with open arms and cosseted us through every minute of our stay with luxurious moments await.

Tried & Tested:
Location: 5/5
Design & Decor: 5/5

Housekeeping: 5/5
Food & Beverage: 5/5

Service: 5/5
Value For Money: 5/5
Experience: 5/5

 

The Ritz-Carlton Tokyo  

Tokyo Midtown, 9-7-1, 

Akasaka, Minato City,

Tokyo, Japan

Tel: +81 3 3423 8000

 

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.