The Japanese winter comes to life through four cocktails and an omakase experience. Fuyu is the first chapter of Shiki, a new project at Mandarin Garden, inside Mandarin Oriental, Milan, dedicated to exploring the changing seasons in Japan. The concept was developed by bar manager Gaetano Ascone and his team, alongside executive chef Antonio Guida, who curated a selection of Japanese-inspired bites to accompany the cocktails.
Omakase Meets Mixology
With Shiki, Japanese culture takes center stage, drawing on some of its most deeply rooted traditions. At the heart of the experience is omakase, a Japanese expression meaning “I leave it up to you.”
Traditionally associated with dining, omakase invites guests to place their trust entirely in the chef, allowing them to determine both the dishes and the order in which they are served. In return, the chef takes full responsibility for delivering an exceptional experience, selecting the freshest, highest-quality seasonal ingredients and preparing each course with meticulous attention to detail.
The Shiki Ritual
Trusting the chef and embracing a carefully orchestrated ritual are essential elements of omakase, which Shiki reinterprets through the language of mixology.
At the Mandarin Garden bar counter, a maximum of ten guests are welcomed with an oshibori, a traditional hand towel served warm or cold depending on the season, inviting them to cleanse their hands and prepare for the experience.
Before the cocktails arrive, guests are offered a refreshing beverage, also served warm or cold according to the season, designed to prepare the palate. Only then does the cocktail journey begin, unfolding at a leisurely pace that encourages guests to savor every moment.
Fuyu: A Journey Through the Japanese Winter
The first chapter of Shiki features four cocktails, each inspired by a particular moment in the Japanese winter.
Rittō marks the beginning of the cold season, inviting guests to observe nature as it enters a period of profound stillness. Intense, smoky and enveloping, the cocktail evokes the introspective atmosphere of snowy winter months. Gaetano Ascone prepares it with Japanese whisky, Lapsang Souchong black tea, spices and Okinawan sugar. Next comes Tōji, named after the winter solstice. This cocktail combines citrus and vegetal notes through a blend of vodka, yuzu sake, lemon and matcha.
The third creation celebrates the Japanese New Year, expressing gratitude for the year gone by and welcoming the next with good wishes. Called Shōgatsu, it brings together the vibrant citrus freshness of calamansi, the botanical character of gin and shiso, and the gentle sweetness of honey, which lends a rounded texture to the drink.
The experience concludes with Setsubun, inspired by the end of winter. Delicate floral notes of sakura, the Japanese cherry blossom, anticipate the arrival of spring, intertwining with the smoothness of sake and the sweetness of persimmon. Soda adds a refreshing lift to this elegant finale.
Shiki’s Omakase Finds a Natural Home in Milan
Shiki is an experience deeply rooted in Japanese culture. Its appeal to Western audiences, and particularly to Milan’s discerning hospitality scene, lies in its response to an increasingly widespread desire: to carve out time away from the relentless pace of everyday life, place oneself in someone else’s capable hands and enjoy a moment of indulgence.
Starting November 12, that indulgence is called Fuyu. The experience takes place at Mandarin Garden in Milan every Thursday, from 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm, welcoming a maximum of ten guests at €70 per person, including food pairing.
Images courtesy of Mandarin Oriental, Milan
