The Place
A time-tested sake producer, Tatenokawa is the Château Margaux of Japan’s favorite alcoholic beverage. Tatenokawa, meaning ‘castle brook’ in English, is situated at the base of a mountain range in Japan’s Yamagata prefecture and boasts nearly a 190-year history of sake making. The mission: to create Japan’s foremost sake.
With astute nods to their sake-producing heritage, Tatenokawa’s eponymous, recently opened restaurant in K11 Art Mall offers a fine selection of their ‘rice wine.’
The eatery’s facade resembles a traditional Japanese home and the entrance is staffed by a Cantonese-speaking usher wearing getas, a pink kimono and welcoming smile.
Image by Tristin Zhang/That's
The dining area, which is blanketed in soothing, yellowish light, is compartmented by wooden screens, while private rooms with zeshiki-style tables and a sushi bar cater to diners’ varying expectations.
The Food
When we visit in mid-November, the restaurant’s menu only offers set meals, but a staffer does mention to us that an a la carte menu will be available to diners by the end of the year.
But don’t let this deter you, as Tatenokawa’s fresh cuts of sashimi and perfectly-roasted mackerel (RMB60) will impress even the pickiest of seafood fans.
Image by Tristin Zhang/That's
We recommend sampling the restaurant’s abundance of kaiseki-style set meals, which come in a number of varieties, including teppanyaki, tempura, sashimi, sushi, roasted fish and more!
Sashimi lovers would be wise to try the ‘assorted banquet meal box’ (RMB228), a meal set focused on the day’s freshest seafood offerings. In addition to generous cuts of salmon, tuna and the like, the set also comes with a bowl of sushi rice, a sour salad, sesame tofu, steamed tofu with beef, pickled daikon and a bowl of piping hot miso soup. (Other meal sets come with more or less the same formula).
Image by Tristin Zhang/That's
Although the drink list is largely based around sake, wines and soft drinks are also available for purchase. If you do decide to get in on the sake action, be forewarned: it isn’t cheap. (Most sake available here is from Tatenokawa, of course, and the alcohol percentage hovers at around 33 percent. Prices per bottle range from RMB500 to well over RMB2,000).
The Vibe
A low-key ambiance hovers over the dining area, only occasionally broken by bursts of laughter from private booths and Japanese greetings from Tatenokawa’s service staff.
Price: RMB100-200
Who’s going: sake tipplers, mall diners
Good for: Japanese meal sets, food porn
Nearest metro: Huacheng Dadao (Exit B), 5 minutes’ walk
Open daily, 11.30am-2.30pm, 5-11pm; see listing for Tatenokawa.
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