Bangkok--23 Nov--GHC Asia
Co-founders of ZUMA, Chef Rainer Becker and Arjun Waney, opened their sixth restaurant in Bangkok today. This sixth and latest opening, brings ZUMA’s award-winning contemporary interpretation of the Japanese izakaya style of informal eating and drinking to the capital of Thailand.
ZUMA Bangkok is centrally located on the ground level of The St. Regis Hotel and offers an oasis in which to enjoy its award winning cuisine.
Diners can look forward to ZUMA’s delicious signature dishes on the menu, such as Suzuki No Osashimi (Thinly sliced sea bass with yuzu, truffle oil and salmon roe), Gyuhire Sumibiyaki Karami Zuke (Spicy beef tenderloin with sesame, red chilli and sweet soy) Dynamite Spider Maki Roll (Soft shell crab, chilli mayonnaise, cucumber and wasabi tobiko sauce) and Tsubumiso Gake Hinadori No Obun Yaki (Baby chicken marinated in barley miso, oven roasted on cedar wood). In addition, the talented bar team and sommeliers have created an exciting cellar featuring a total of 1,500 bottles of some of the world’s best wines, Champagnes and sake.
The menu at ZUMA is designed for sharing. The dishes come from three different kitchens; the main kitchen, robata counter and sushi bar. The combination of the three different cooking styles results in a mixture of tastes, temperatures and textures that create an exciting and fun dining experience.
“We are delighted to be opening our sixth restaurant in Bangkok. The city’s lively cosmopolitan, yet traditional character very much complements ZUMA’s energy”, said Chef Rainer Becker. “Zuma is a modern Japanese restaurant, yet it respects tradition in not only the food but also in the design and approach.”
Noriyoshi Muramatsu of Studio Glitt has been involved with ZUMA’s interior space since the first restaurant in London in 2002 and has continued his harmonious use of the four elements — Earth, Fire, Water and Air for Bangkok.
Respected for his meticulous attention to detail and clean fluid lines in his design approach, Muramatsu-san references both local and Japanese culture throughout the restaurant.
Organic textured materials and traditional textiles all help create the perfect environment, an oasis of calm in which to enjoy ZUMA’s international award-winning cuisine. At the rear of the restaurant there is a large outdoor terrace that features both a pond and a small garden, ‘Tsubo Niwa’. “My aim was to take inspiration from the natural elements of this ‘Tsubo Niwa’, and make the design flow through the restaurant as one, single energy. To accentuate this further, we used glass as a partition, eliminating the divide between the exterior and the interior space”, explained Muramatsu-san.
The energy continues with the use of granite as a natural stone for the open kitchen, robata and sushi counters. By maintaining the original shape of the surface, the granite emulates the rocks found in the garden. In addition, wood from old railway sleepers and traditional Thai-styled houses, is used to compliment the stone and creates a sense of calm and relaxation. It took Muramatsu-san over six months to source these natural materials alone, selecting each piece of granite, rock and wood himself.
In contrast, the private dining room and lounge were deliberately designed as interior spaces. Locally hand-woven fabrics, inspired by traditional Thai textiles, have been used as wall coverings. The result is an immediate visual contrast to the impact of the open restaurant and creates a feeling of sanctuary within.
ZUMA Bangkok is open for both lunch and dinner. For reservations contact Tel: 0 2252 4707 or E-mail:
[email protected]
For all media enquiries and further information, please contact GHC Asia Ltd.:
Chutinun Guna-Tilaka E-mail:
[email protected]
Piyapatr Suriyasak E-mail:
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Tel: +66 2357 1183
ZUMA was first launched in London in 2002. Due to the popularity of the restaurant from London’s international clientele, increasing demand saw the launch of Hong Kong in 2007 followed by Istanbul in February 2008 and Dubai in August of the same year. The first US ZUMA opened in Miami in 2010.
In Bangkok, the Chairman of Minor International Plc, William Heinecke, is the restaurant’s local partner.