JIANG NAN CHUN Four Seasons Osaka - Dine with A Sense of Occasion

The Four Seasons hotel brand has a certain cache about it, and you know that whenever you are staying or dining at a Four Seasons hotel, there will always be a sense of occasion. mylifestylenews writes.

Hotel openings are always an exciting moment but once opened, they need a little more time to garner the feeling that they have always been in operation and the glitches have been ironed out. On 1^st August 2024, the Four Seasons Osaka opened its doors and our visit to its signature fine dining Chinese restaurant Jiang Nan Chun just over one year later meant that they have become an established force on the local dining scene and we were intrigued to see what delights lay within that they have to offer. Before we ascend to Jiang Nan Chun, by entering the hotel main lobby, the superb architectural design with the minimalist and zen felt elements that placed you in Japan, we already had that sense of anticipation on what was to come next.

Tucked away on the 37^th floor, it is high enough to marvel the spectacular Osaka skyline view that shines bright during the day and glistens by night. The moment when you step out of the elevator before entering the restaurant, a stunning lotus flower water feature foyer centrepiece catches your attention without fail, from which fans out three of the hotels key food and beverage outlets – a Japanese restaurant, a sassy bar as well as Jiang Nan Chun.

By making an immediate right to Jiang Nan Chun, there is a long black arched marble corridor with minimalist design and very dimmed lighting illuminates through the perforated screen panel designed wall that also allows you to have a glimpse of the well-organized kitchen, at least not those typical stand-alone Chinese restaurants with that chaotic scenario of smoky atmosphere and wet flooring. You may want to take a little time to admire the sophisticated kitchen interior while making your grand entrance through that marble runway.

When you arrive at the entrance proper you are immediately amazed and surprised by its stunning and classy interior design which resonates and creates that feeling that you are in the Four Seasons hotel’s definition of luxury.

The main colour scheme is black lacquer and then accents of grey and beige juxtaposed with the beautiful black steel and glass light bulbs in the shape of plum flowers referencing the new beginnings in spring. As the name of the restaurant references spring, there is one wall with light earth tone green coloured panels highlighting one part of the main dinning area. Beautiful designer lighting varies in design that is perfectly chosen to illuminate the entire chic dining area.

There are banquettes, free standing tables and two private and semi-private dining rooms at the other end of the spacious restaurant. The dynamic and interactive setting not only offers a marvellous view of Osaka as you gaze out the floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides of this restaurant.

We were seated in a corner banquette with a view over looking the entire restaurant with this precious position. Everywhere we gazed there was detail upon detail, from gorgeous display cabinets for glassware, to beautiful decorative ceramics and antiqued mirror panels and not one thing felt out of place.

From the moment we arrived to the moment the food was brought to the table, every detail was well looked into in particular order. The service was impeccable and with warmth and you knew the rest of the evening was going to be special.

As a glass of Billecart-Salmon Rose Champagne was being poured before we even noticed, we felt things could not be more perfect. We also ordered a dark Pu’er tea to enjoy with our food, despite the teapot and teacups seemed to be rather ordinary, moving towards those banquet style standard when everything else set on table was of an elevated nature. A set menu of six courses had been organized for us to see a wider scope of what the culinary brigade could do to pique our taste buds and the reknown Cantonese cuisine has to earn its merits.

<Amuse-Bouche>
What an extremely fluffy and crispy bite this was. The deep-fried Cod fish with sesame seeds went well with the supreme home-made XO sauce and chilli sauce. On the bite on this snacker, it was a little too oily, but still enjoyable.

 

<Pan-fried Scallop with Scallion Oil, Chilled Cherry Tomato Infused with Preserved Plum 

& Glazed Crispy Eel with Sesame>
The presentation may look a little lazy in fine dining per se, so akin to a self-serve buffet standard. The crispy eel was delicious, although the sauce was a little dominating and the same flavour as the amuse-bouche (the amuse-bouche changes every day so just a coincidence). The scallop was quite big and tasty, but as the menu mentioned pan-fried we were expecting a warm scallop, but they were served cold, plus the taste did not indicate they had been pan-seared enough, so a bit confusing about the intent. The cherry tomato was exquisite and utterly divine on the palate with the preserved plum flavour.
 

<Braised Pumpkin Soup with Black Truffle & Elm Fungus>
Such sweet pumpkin and a wonderful aroma. As much as the freshly grated truffle looked exotic, it didn't really add to the flavour. The pumpkin was the star and the elm fungus had a distinctive taste which rounded out the full flavour profile. Every spoonful was to be slowly savoured. Something so simple tasted so good!

<Deep-Fried Crab Shell Stuffed with Fresh Crab Meat>
This was an inventive presentation that put a smile on our faces or everyone’s face. A large deep-fried crab was sat on a bed of curly endive and two whimsical jelly ginger crabs were accompanying – the ginger essence is meant to warm you up after the cooling down effect of eating crab. The crab meat inside was cooked with coconut milk and created a very delicious combination. Every spoonful was a delight by dipping inside the deep-fried crab shell. Vinegar was on the side and was a delicious counterpart to the richness of the coconut crab meat as well as to lighten up the palate. The portion of crab meat was also extremely generous, so a very filling dish which we enjoyed to the full while it lasted.
 

<Wok-Fried A5 Wagyu Beef & Shishito Pepper with Barbecue Sauce>
The A5 wagyu was from Nagasaki. The plating looked so beautiful with the rich wagyu meat on a gold rimmed plate. The cube of meat was perfectly cooked and rich in smoky flavour and very tender, although a little bit salty for our taste.  As expected, you could taste the marbling of the fat and the accompanying mushrooms and beans were equally enjoyable. It may not be the most memorable wagyu meat we have had but it was more than good enough to enjoy this savoury morsel.

<Fried Rice with Salted Fish & Chicken>
This is a classic Cantonese dish which did not fail to please and yet takes time to master. The long grain rice was fluffy in texture and each grain of rice held its own, so skillfully cooked for an authentic Cantonese flavour. Delicious little morsels of salted fish and diced chicken elevated this dish to be considered as delightful comfort food.
 

<Handcrafted Beancurd Flower in Rock Sugar Syrup>
We do admire the painstaking skill for this finely chopped beancurd flower topped with a goji berry and lemon peel by coming out with such a wow factor effect of expectation. The rock sugar syrup wasn’t too sweet to our delight and refreshing after some rich food.

<Petit Fours>
We weren’t expecting to enjoy anymore food but the delicate peach jelly with goldfish on the bottom made from almond milk, pumpkin and actual edible lotus flowers and gold leaves that was set in the jelly was a pleasant surprise. This is the most satisfying presentation from a fine dining perspective with such an eye-catching finish to the culinary journey and super delicious!

Miyu san was our attentive host and communicated well in excellent English, a bubbly personality and a passion for hospitality which was self-evident. Erik san  - the Restaurant Manager – was also overseeing the dining room and took on board our observations as we chatted at the end of the meal.

Head Chef Raymond Wong strives to bring home-grown flavour to Japan with an authentic Cantonese taste and the presentation to please the local and international guests. Yes, not everything was perfect, but there were mostly highlights throughout the culinary journey and with simple food from the freshest produce and ingredients used to be enjoyed at its very best. Food is such a personal thing and we would definitely return for more authentic Cantonese tastes on our next visit to dine with a more sensitive sense of occasion.
 

Tried & Tested:

Location: 4.5/5
Design & Decor: 5/5
Food & Beverage: 4/5
Service: 4.5/5
Value For Money: 4/5
Experience: 4/5
 

JIANG NAN CHUN Four Seasons Osaka  

2-4-32 Dojima. Kita-Ku,

Osaka, Japan

Tel: +81 6 6678 8591

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.