After the long celebrations for Chinese New Year, filled with festive dishes characterized by rich flavors, big portions and seemingly endless desserts, light and delicate Japanese food is an ideal post-Spring Festival option to let your body recover, and help shift any extra weight put on over Spring Festival.

Besides, spring heralds probably the most diverse array of ingredients of the year — from the tender shoots of wild greens and succulent vegetables, through to snapper fish and clams.

Japanese cuisine is known for precisely reflecting the season, not only through the dishes but also the selection of tableware.

Although there are a few independent restaurants providing the finest quality Japanese food, prices are incredibly high and diners often have little choice.

At the other end of the scale, the quality of sashimi in many price-friendly Japanese restaurants may not be the best.

So for Japanese food fans valuing food quality, diversity and price performance, hotel restaurants are recommended.

Most of the seafood and vegetables in Japanese cuisine are served raw to highlight their original flavors. Top hotels, usually international chains, have the benefit of sourcing produce globally.

“Freshness is appreciated in the taste, which is not covered with seasoning,” says Yamada Naohisa at Inagiku, Marriott Hotel Shanghai Center.

For example, Sakitori at JW Marriott Shanghai Changfeng Park imports most its ingredients from Tokyo; 88 Sushi Bento Bar at Andaz Xintiandi Shanghai imports produce from Hokkaido and sources beef from Australia. Meanwhile, Dalian in northeast China and Norway are other two producing areas favored by local hotels.

Most hotels in town hire a Japanese chef to ensure authenticity. Masami Honda at Jing’an Shangri-La, West Shanghai is known for his classical kaiseki cuisine, featuring multi-courses and small portions.

Chef Yamada Naohisa at Inagiku makes his name through his tempura and bento lunchboxes.

Chef Hideki Kamata at Sakitori is known for hand-rolled sushi and yakitori chicken skewers, while chef Takayuki Takeda at Sushi Bento Bar says a focus there is on Japanese beverages — including sake, whisky beer.

The chefs separately emphasize the importance of the human touch in Japanese cooking, saying that same ingredients can taste different in the hands of different chefs, no matter whether sushi, sashimi or teppanyaki griddle cooked dishes.

Recently, Japanese cuisine has also been changing slightly, absorbing the cultures and techniques from other cuisines.

“Modern Japanese food often takes inspiration from Western cuisine,” says Naohisa from Inagiku.

For example, more French ingredients are now used, such as foie gras and truffles.

And some Japanese chefs, inspired by spicy flavor in Chinese and South American food, reinterprets their food in a stronger way.

Michelin starred restaurant Nobu at InterContinental Hong Kong is known for using spicy South American sauce to flavor sashimi.

Red Zen at Shanghai Marriott Hotel Luwan tries to integrate Chinese cooking into Japanese food to create new flavors and textures.

This week we explore exciting Japanese hotel restaurants in town. Some are newly opened, offering innovative dishes in modern ambience, while others are classic venues that have withstood the tests of time and fashion.

Contemporary twist

The restaurant at JW Marriott Shanghai Changfeng Park distinguishes itself through providing contemporary Japanese cuisine.

The name Sakitori is a play on yakitori skewered charcoal-grilled chicken and sake, and more than 20 different choices of the beverage and plenty grilled dishes are on offer.

A long 10-meter teppanyaki table runs down the center of the dining area, adding a modern twist. Restaurant is newly renovated, adding four private dining rooms.

Chef Kamata is known for his kaiseki cuisine, teppanyaki and yakitori. All the set menus can be tailor-made to meet customers’ personal preference. Guests can also choose chopsticks and sake glasses to suit their mood.

Signature dish includes grilled cod fish glazed with miso and teriyaki sauce with the miso sauce coming from chef’s secret recipe. Prawn tempera also deserves a try, fluffy yet crispy outside and soft and fresh inside.

And only loyal customers know that chef has his off-the-menu signature dish, lobster served in soy sauce and sake.

Sakitori

Opening hours: Mon-Sat, 11:30am-2:30pm; 5:30pm-10pm

Tel: 2215-6250

Address: 2/F, 158 Daduhe Rd

Traditional details

This newly opened restaurant at Andaz Xintiandi Shanghai pursues authenticity in Japanese flavor, following traditional recipes in details, down to the selection of salt and rice.

Sushi and bento boxes are two highlights. All of their sushi features a thin layer of wasabi to add flavor and a layer of sashimi. Sushi rice is sourced from Hokkaido, said by chef Takeda, who had 30 years’ experience as a chef in Japan. It’s “slightly sweeter than Chinese rice,” he explains. Signature sushi items include tuna belly and peony shrimp.

The restaurant distinctively serves three different flavors of salt, grapefruit, wasabi and matcha — finely powdered green tea.

The sakura snapper sushi — from Shikoku, and only available in spring — has a subtle lime aroma, and is strongly recommended.

If you go for lunch, chef’s bento box provides the perfect quick fix. The two-tier wooden box includes sushi, sashimi, homemade tofu, and pickles, complemented by a bowl of miso soup.

And order the signature dessert three-color dumplings with red bean paste to give the meal a sweet ending.

88 Sushi Bento Bar

Opening hours: Daily, 11:30am-2:30pm; 5:30pm-10:30pm

Tel: 2310-1769

Address: 1/F, 88 Songshan Rd

Serious about playfulness

Ubuka means “to celebrate” in Japanese and this restaurant, which opened this year at The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai, describes itself as offering food for celebrations.

While Ubuka is serious about its dishes, they’re served in a playful, comfortable setting with led lighting, bright decor and light music contributing to a contemporary ambience.

The dining area has sushi and teppanyaki counters, each accommodating eight diners, where guests can watch the chefs at work, whether rolling sushi or cutting sashimi.

When the weather turns warmer, their outdoor patio, with a garden and a street view, is strongly recommended.

The signature sushi Carlton roll is recommended. Topped with crab meat, avocado and cucumber, it is seasoned with homemade sauce. Rich textures mix crunchy and silky, together with a slightly spicy flavor.

Wagyu beef sukiyaki featuring a rich yet clean taste and melt in mouth meat texture also deserves a try.

And for teppanyaki lovers, their poultry and seafood are fresh.

Their dessert dorayaki, a two-layer pancake served with cream, is also popular among customers.

Highlights of the Ubuka beverage menu include various aromatic sweet Japanese rice wines, plus Japanese whisky — which is lighter than its American and Scottish varieties.

Ubuka

Opening hours: Daily, 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-11pm

Tel: 6289-8122

Address: Rm 122, 1/F, 1376 Nanjing Rd W.

China meets Japan

ThIS newly opened restaurant at Shanghai Marriott Hotel Luwan provides home-style Japanese food with a Chinese touch. Diners will be impressed by the affordable prices and range of options.

The ambience is highlighted by an open kitchen, showcasing preparation and cooking in front of diners.

Sushi is their highlight. More than 20 different sushi are available, covering sushi roll, hand roll and Nigiri sushi — the latter of which chef presses into its rectangular shape between palms of his hands with wasabi and topping.

The rice and noodle dishes deserve a try, combining Japanese ingredients with Chinese culinary technique. Recommended dishes include rice soaked in tea with prunes and wok-fried udon with seafood.

Grilled miso cod fillet is also popular among diners. The cod coming from Iceland is tender with delicate sweetness.

Loyal customers can try chef’s off-the-menu dish of beef tongue braised in carrot sauce.

Red Zen

Opening hours: Tue-Sun, 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-10pm

Tel: 2312-5561

Address: 2/F, 99 Jiangbin Rd

Tempura specialists

ThIS restaurant brand is renowned for its tempura in Japan. And its outlet in the Marriott Hotel Shanghai Center, featuring Japanese minimalist decor, serves what must be some of the most delicious tempura in Shanghai — crispy, fluffy and not a hint of greasiness. Chef Naohisa puts this down to a special oil made in Japan from Nagano white sesame used to deep fry ingredients.

Their teppanyaki and sushi also deserve a try, since chef Naohisa puts much focus on ingredients sourcing, highlighted by Wagyu beef from Australia and seafood from Ehime, Japan.

The dining experience is also entertaining as customers can sit at the bar and watch Japanese chefs make the dishes.

Going there for lunch is a particularly good value option.

Nineteen lunch sets are available, ranging from some featuring tempura to others highlighting Wagyu beef. Each includes a baby leaf salad, steamed egg custard, miso soup and ice cream (diners can choose one from black sesame, maccha tea and vanilla three flavors).

Chef is known for his attention to detail, from freshly grounded wasabi to selecting different ceramic dishes to highlight the changing seasons.

If diners have a special occasion to celebrate, chef will customize the kaiseki dinner menu for them to create exclusive dining experience. A sake and tea menu complement the dishes on offer.

Inagiku

Opening hours: Daily, 11:30am-2:30pm; 5:30pm-10pm

Tel: 2312-9717

Address: 2/F, 555 Xizang Rd M.

Dining Etiquette

Etiquette is traditionally an integral part of Japanese cuisine. Here’s a checklist of dos and don’ts when you go for a Japanese meal:

1. Start the meal with the Japanese expression “itadakimasu!” (the Japanese equivalent of bon appetite).

2. Chopsticks cannot be put on top of the plate, instead rest them on a chopstick rest.

3. When eating sushi, dip only the topping in soy sauce to avoid the rice absorbing flavor from the sauce.

4. It’s considered good manner to finish all your dishes.

5. After eating, try to move all your dishes back to the same position they were at the beginning of the meal.

Recipe Collector

Saikyo-yaki (grilled black cod)

For readers looking to extend their dining experience from restaurant to home, Adrain Gooljarry, brand ambassador of Ubuka at The Portman Ritz-Carlton Shanghai shares his signature home recipe.

Ingredients:

Black cod, 4 pieces, each 130g; saikyo miso (a mix of white and red miso, which is available in supermarkets selling imported goods) 100g; mirin (used in teriyaki sauce) 15cc; sake 15cc

Steps:

1. Put the saikyo miso, mirin and sake into a mixing bowl and stir.

2. Immerse the black cod into the mixed sauce.

3. Put the marinated cod into the fridge for 24 hours.

4. Rinse the marinated cod gently and put it in the oven for 10 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.