Where the world turns Japanese

AT KU DE TA’S restaurant Signature, way up on the top floor of the Sathorn Square Building, the world’s diverse culinary cultures are wrapped beautifully around Japanese cuisine.

“Contemporary Japanese dishes with global influences” are the main attraction at Signature, although its stunning views of the city by night probably can’t be beat either.

“Signature is coined a ‘modern Asian restaurant’, but it really is contemporary Japanese cuisine with global influences,” says executive chef Jonathan Maza, a native of Hawaii who’s been working in professional kitchens since he was 14. 

Maza honed his craft working alongside one of the masters, Nobu Matsuhisa of the famed Nobu restaurant chain, and it was Matsushita who chose Maza to open many of the chain’s branches around the world.

A gaze at the menu tends to drop the jaw. Everything is intriguing – to the point of sounding bizarre, with ingredients few people outside Japan have even heard of, like “tozasu” and “maitake”. But fear not: The dishes arrive at the table looking sensational and the taste invariably matches. 

“Our dishes sound complex, but they’re actually quite simple,” says Maza. “Flavour comes first, of course. And you see a lot of influences from different cultures, but primarily, when you look at it, it’s very Japanese. We serve primarily seafood, which is flown in three times a week from around the world, a lot of it from Japan and Europe.”

I began my repast tentatively with a dish that doesn’t sound too bizarre, the salmon hijiki (Bt900). Chunks of Norwegian salmon are grilled to tender juiciness over a fire of Japanese white oak, the sweet smokiness seeping in. 

The fish is served with a hijiki salad, mainly savoury with dried sea vegetables and various legumes and root vegetables. In this case, Maza has used edamame beans and Japanese kelp in a dashi (soup stock) infused with morning glory. 

The result is light yet filling dish with exactly the right balance of flavours. At first bite, anyone used to powerful-tasting food might look for some soy sauce but, as you go on, you start to appreciate the subtle hints of layered flavours and the fragrance that emerges. 

Next up is hirame longkong (Bt500). It sounds strange and it looks strange. Hirame is white-flesh fish, and on this menu diced Japanese fluke. It comes topped with Peruvian-style vinaigrette with aji amarillo chilli, which is savoury and tangy, but not too spicy. And on top of it all are caramelised shallots, tarragon and petals of the sweet and sour longkong, which wonderfully soothes the tang of the dressing and mellows the overall flavour.

Also recommended are madai ceviche (Bt400), king crab salad with Asian slaw (Bt550), okra tempura and garlic ponzu (Bt200) and charred strip loin with enoki mushrooms (Bt1,000). 

 

 

So the main courses are outstanding and it’s tempting to try everything, but room must be for dessert. Executive pasty chef Jason Licker, an American, was recently crowned the king of desserts on “Iron Chef Thailand” and the strawberry consomme with vanilla udon that earned him the coronation is available here for Bt360. 

Vanilla cream is cut to strips like udon noodles, topped with dehydrated fruit, fresh fruit and chocolate popping candy, then served with clear soup made of strawberries, raspberries, lemon and yuzu (vinegar). Sweet, fragrant, refreshing and with a pleasant contrast in textures, this dish is absolutely a winner. 

If you want something a little bit more traditional (but never boring), opt for the white chocolate junmai (Bt360). Valrhona white chocolate is fused with junmai, a sake, and cut to sizeable cubes to share. You get the rich creaminess of the chocolate, which melds nicely with the floral delicacy of the sake. The acidity of the yuzu-scented berries, salted toffee and shiso jelly complement all. 

If you must take a picture to post on Facebook, do so as soon as it arrives – because it will vanish very quickly. It’s that good! 

 

SIGNED UP FOR SUSHI

>>> Signature is at Ku De Ta close to the Chong Nonsi BTS station. 

>>> It’s open Monday to Saturday for dinner only, 6 to 10pm.

>>> Reservations are recommended at (02) 108 2000. 

>>> Find out more at www.KuDeTa.com/Bangkok.