Ryôdô

1620

Ryôdô may not be a journey into unchartered territory, but it is certainly an exotic journey into a land where the ballet of food and sake service is set to a metronome. There are few embellishments in this essentialist cuisine, the products seem raw… and yet! The rice is seasoned and vinegared with consummate skill while the noble and less noble parts of the fish offer their aromatic quintessence in a harmony close to umami. As for the always fantastic wagyu sushi, the noble fat melts tantalisingly after its brief passage under the kitchen torch, triggering a gustatory ecstasy that calls for a return visit. The icing on the cake?  Unlike other Asian addresses, at Ryôdô, desserts are far from being an afterthought, having been entrusted to the Ukrainian duo, Iryna Kulakova & Kateryna Podliesna, who have taken up the challenge of creating sweets without too much sugar. The title of "Pastry Chef of the Year 2023" is, without a doubt, doubly deserved.