This is really unpacking: the Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage Dinner at Yamazato
Never knew you could become so zen from champagne. Last night I had the pleasure of dining at the restaurant where I previously had one of my most extraordinary culinary experiences ever (and there have been quite a few): Yamazato. This time, however, not for the regular menu, but for the 6-course Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage dinner at the Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant in Hotel Okura Amsterdam. An evening with a price tag, but one that leaves a lasting impression in your memories.
About the Kaiseki cuisine
Let me start with what makes Yamazato so special: it is not just any Japanese restaurant. It is one of the few places in Europe where the traditional Kaiseki cuisine is served at such a high level. Kaiseki is about balancing flavors, textures, and seasonal ingredients. Each dish is a work of art, and the attention to detail goes far beyond just taste. For instance, the daily ritual of the ladies in the service putting on their kimonos is already a meticulous task that takes a long time. Everything is perfect: from the serene decor to the way you are greeted upon entering – a moment that requires a bit of adjustment for the loud Dutch person in me.
Moët & Chandon Grand Vintage dinner
The menu, created by Tsukasa Hagimori, the young right-hand man of Executive Chef Masanori Tomikawa, is based on the champagnes of Moët & Chandon. After a six-month journey where he trained at Yamazato Tokyo, he brought new inspiration to Amsterdam and combined old traditions with his own modern techniques.
The menu builds in flavor, with the champagnes complementing it; the first dish of snow crab, scallop, and a fresh cucumber-like jelly pairs beautifully with the softest Réserve Impérial, while the highlight of the menu features the signature dish of almost caramel-like black cod and miso standing tall next to the yeasty notes of the Grand Vintage 2009. My favorite? The bizarrely buttery tuna sashimi and hamachi with a light smoky flavor in ponzu with spring onion. The Vintage of 2016 in the glass.
The dinner differs from the regular Yamazato menu, which is somewhat subtler in my memory, but this extra intensity in flavors is the perfect match for the older, more complex champagnes. Moët & Chandon is for many the bottle you open on New Year's Eve, but this dinner shows how much more the bubbles have to offer.
Out with a bang
So if you want to end the holidays this year with a bang, this is your chance. For €590 per person, you get a six-course menu with accompanying top champagnes, giving you a memory to cherish forever. But be a bit quick, as the exclusive evenings are only available on a few dates: December 20, 21, 27, 28, and January 3, 4, 5. Reserve your spot via the Okura website.
