Zuma Mykonos
Nothing says leisure, indulgence and tasting journey more than this carefully assembled Japanese experience in the form of Restaurant Zuma Mykonos. This unique, pop-up restaurant is really something you should consider visiting while you are vacationing on “The Island of the Winds”.
If you are into fine dining this is one of those must-visit spots. Not only that you will be greeted by excellent service and more than unique food, but you’ll also enjoy a breath-taking view of the seascape and sunset.
This restaurant offers alfresco dining, and it consists of the main kitchen, robata grill and sushi counter. Keep reading if you want to know a bit more about the culinary concept and the restaurant as a whole.
What is Alfresco Dining?
Alfresco dining is by no means a new concept when it comes to a restaurant or home dining experience. Basically it means dining in the open, on the fresh air. It is gaining more and more popularity in recent years, so much so that some seasonal restaurants don’t even have an enclosed space.
Since open space restaurants are very much dependent on the weather, this type of dining is usually during the summer, or, if the climate is mild like here on Mykonos, for the better part of the year. A certain atmosphere is closely associated with Alfresco dining, dim lights, fresh and breezy air, some pleasant music and of course, delicious cuisine.
Zuma Restaurant Mykonos incorporates all those tiny little details, featuring traditional Japanese cuisine with a modern twist. The carefully crafted atmosphere and menus will help you experience Japanese fresh and vibrant cuisine as you’ve never experienced it before.
This pop-up seasonal concept will reside on the beautiful terrace of the 5 star CavoTagoo Hotel from the 15th of July until September the 30th 2020.
The ChiqueRobata Grill
Used over centuries in Japan Robata Grill or Robatayaki is revamped as a modern cooking style in recent years and it is gaining more and more popularity around the globe. Although it is a type of barbeque grill, which uses hot charcoal to prepare food, it differs a bit from your usual western-style barbecue in its design and food preparation.
In Japan, it is mostly used to prepare seafood and vegetables, but with its popularization, it started to be used to prepare all kinds of food, like Wagyu beef for example.
Its concept brings the customers a unique experience of watching how their food is being prepared, so they become more than just consumers, they become spectators as well. A good Robata Grill chef can make quite the spectacle out of food preparation.
With its Robatayaki, Zuma Mykonos Restaurant is gaining more and more popularity among Japanese Restaurants on Mykonos. Here you can try robata meat and robata seafood.
It is advisable to make a reservation if you want to get your best spot and enjoy the visual experience and savor the smoky flavors of the food made on the Robatayaki Grill.
Izakaya Restaurant, Your Pub the Japanese Way
Izakaya restaurants became globally popular in the recent years, but they are a well-rooted type of establishment in Japan for more than three centuries. Just like the pubs, tapas bars and taverns, Izakaya restaurants are places where people go after work for some drinks and snacks to go with it.
The need for Izakaya restaurants started with the rising popularity of sake among common people and the working class in the 18th century. What distinguishes Japanese Izakaya from pubs and other types of after-work bars is, of course, the type of drinks that are being served there, the cuisine and the authentic Japanese interior design.
A traditional Izakaya restaurant sits guests on tatami mats and low tables, or you can sit by the bar. Some of them are tachi-nomi style which literally means “standing while drinking”, which is almost as their predecessor, sake shops.
Before this type of restaurants appeared, the only place where people could buy and drink sake were sake shops, where you could stand and order your drinks, and not much more than that.
However, modern Japanese Izakaya restaurants are on a much higher level than that. They are casual places to have a drink and eat after work, but the menu is much more sophisticated and the interior design is much more modern. By its concept, Zuma Mykonos Restaurant is Izakaya place among other things, but it is also so much more than that.
Zuma Mykonos – Sushi Counter
I think we’ve all heard about how hard it is to become a sushi master, how long it takes to learn the skills and how tedious the tasks can be. But once the sushi master gains his title, he is a master of unique culinary art.
Sushi became a global sensation in the 20th century, and on its way around the world it has sometimes strayed from its original form, but the one constant that makes sushi, is sushi rice. Whether you get California roll, fruit variety or authentic sushi, vinegared rice is the common tread.
Sushi started in ancient Japan as a method to preserve fresh fish. Raw fish would be wrapped in the fermented rice and preserved for months. However, in the 14th century, it evolved in the dish of its own. Vinegar that was added to the rice provided the possibility to skip the fermentation process of the rice.
Today’s Osaka can be considered as a birthplace of the Sushi we know and love today.
There are many varieties of sushi nowadays, but what is mandatory is that they all contain vinegared rice. Usually, people think that sushi’s main ingredient is raw fish, but they couldn’t be further from the truth.
Sushi rice can be filled with tofu, vegetables, fresh fruit and many more ingredients, but raw fish on its own, without rice is not considered to be sushi, it is sashimi.
Difference Between Nigiri and Sashimi
Nigiri is a type of sushi that consists of thin slices of raw fish put over pressed vinegared rice. It is usually served with soy sauce, pickled ginger and wasabi, and nothing else. Sometimes a chef can insist that you take special sauce to accompany your Nigiri, and of course, you should listen to him, he knows what goes best with his creation.
Sashimi are pieces of raw meat, mostly fish, that are sliced and served on their own, without rice.
The meat is fresh and almost always prime cuts and expensive specimens like salmon or tuna. It is accompanied by pickled ginger, soy sauce and wasabi. The goal here is to enjoy these expensive cuts in their prime, raw state and appreciate the quality of the ingredients.
To Sum it All Up, What Can You Expect in Zuma Restaurant Mykonos
This exquisite restaurant that serves Japanese cuisine is more than just an Izakaya restaurant. The exclusivity and the carefully crafted menu and atmosphere are a unique experience.
The main kitchen offers some Mediterranean dishes with Japanese influences as well as authentic Japanese dishes and snacks like Japanese tempura.
Behind the sushi counter, sushi master awaits you to serve some unforgettable maki rolls, classic sushi, nigiri and sashimi. If you are more of a grill lower, enjoy the experience of the open Robata Grill and try some robata seafood or robata meat.
Tradition plays a big role in Japanese cuisine and Zuma Mykonos Restaurant honors the tradition by sticking to its roots but also brings some modern twists to wake up your taste buds as they’ve never been woken up before.