One of the most extravagant meals I had was at this restaurant at the top floor of Imperial Hotel, and it was memorable. Traditional Japanese hospitality with Western influence in the dishes.
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And this Japanese-Western integration is a common theme running through the hotel. It could be traced back when Imperial Hotel were first established in 1890 at the direction of the imperial palace. Foreign visitors arriving in the alien capital of Japan were received at the newly opened hotel with what was surely a reassuring array of familiar western facilities and services; yet to their wonder and delight, it was a reception extended and expressed in the classical format of traditional Japanese hospitality. From its very first days, and as a matter of national prestige, The Imperial set the stage for the introduction into Japan of the latest in foreign technologies, culture and traditions of hospitality.
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Besides this, there was a Tuna and Crab Tartare with Caviar, with a Japanese core of tuna and crab sashimi, but also containing Western elements such as caviar and a sous vide quail egg yolk encased in a green shell.
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The highlight of the meal was an A5 Wagyu Sirloin. It's one thing to have this thick slab of beautifully marbled A5 wagyu placed in front of you, and another to see it sizzle under the hands of their experienced teppanyaki chefs. And even though you wish the theatre of teppanyaki could last forever, this wagyu steak was ready for us to eat it three ways.
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A lavish and memorable dinner, thanks to @terubotsu1 and the warm hospitality of the team at @imperialhotel_jp_official who hosted Siew Yan and I.