Park Hyatt Kyoto's 'Yasaka' Partners with 'Chefs for the Blue' to Host Sustainable Gastronomy Event 'Sustainable Seas, Kyoto Table' on July 7

Park Hyatt Kyoto (Location: 360 Masuyacho, Kodaiji, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto City; General Manager: Matthew Carroll) will host a special event, 'Sustainable Seas, Kyoto Table,' at its 4th-floor signature restaurant, Yasaka, on Tuesday, July 7, 2026. This event is made possible through a collaboration with the general incorporated association Chefs for the Blue (Headquarters: Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Hiroko Sasaki). On the day of the event, Yasaka's Head Chef Kentaro Koyama will welcome Kyoto-based members of the organization, Chef Ken Sakamoto and Chef Motoi Maeda, to provide a special six-hands course.

Chef Koyama's Thoughts Behind the Event

After building his career as a chef in France and Tokyo, Chef Koyama became the head chef at Yasaka in Kyoto. Since his arrival, he has been engaging with Kyoto's diverse ingredients and exploring their appeal. Throughout this process, he began to harbor a vague question regarding guests visiting from around the world: 'Is it truly enough to just cook and serve delicious Kyoto ingredients?' In an era where chefs are expected to have ethical responsibilities, he wondered if there was something he could do through his cuisine. Around that time, participating in a seminar by Chefs for the Blue sparked a strong sense of urgency regarding the sustainability of marine resources. He desired not to keep these learnings to himself but to share them with his restaurant and hotel teams and turn them into practice. Driven by this thought, and with the cooperation of Chefs for the Blue, this initiative was planned.

Furthermore, this event is held as part of Park Hyatt's signature program, 'Masters of Food & Wine,' where award-winning chefs, sommeliers, and culinary experts provide refined experiences of local food culture centered around the theme of 'seasonal flavors.' This time, the goal goes beyond merely enjoying sustainable gastronomy; it aims to explore actionable 'sustainability' as a restaurant while sharing awareness of the issues with the guests. In a time when the word 'sustainability' is used in various contexts, the intention is not to let it end as a mere philosophy or metric, but to make it the first step for a restaurant in Kyoto to connect the past, present, and future. Through study sessions, visits to fisheries, and discussions with Chef Sakamoto and Chef Maeda, Chef Koyama and his team gained many insights and learnings. The culmination of this journey is 'Sustainable Seas, Kyoto Table,' to be held on Tuesday, July 7. Please enjoy this special evening.

The dinner course will feature Chef Sakamoto and Chef Maeda expressing Kyoto's long-nurtured fish dietary culture through their unique interpretations. Additionally, Chef Koyama has elevated the insights and learnings gained from this collaboration into his dishes. The 8-course menu embodies the shared desire of the three chefs to 'connect sustainable fish consumption to the future.' Below are introductions to four particularly symbolic dishes from the menu.

'Sustainable Seas, Kyoto Table' Menu Introduction

■ Amuse-Bouche ~ 'Internationally Eco-Certified' Bluefin Tuna in Various Expressions ~

(Clockwise from bottom right)
- Head meat, heart, stomach, brain, cheek meat prepared as Tête de Fromage
Using a gelatinous broth made from tuna bones and eyes, head meat, stomach, brain, cheek meat, and smoked heart are made into a terrine with parsley and Japanese pepper. It expresses French techniques using tuna in a manner characteristic of Japanese fish culture, drawing out the different textures and umami of each part.

- Tail stewed with spices, Dosa style
Inspired by the South Indian fermented crepe, 'Dosa.' A batter of rice and beans wraps potato mash mixed with 'Takanade,' made by fermenting mustard seeds from Aso. The tail of certified tuna from Usufuku Honten in Kyotango is stewed with spices and fresh onions, harmonizing the sourness of fermentation with the aroma of spices.

- Stomach tossed in homemade aged Doubanjiang / Collar in Xiaolongbao
Prepped tuna stomach is cooked with green onions and ginger, then tossed in a special sauce made of homemade 2-year-aged Doubanjiang, black vinegar, and green Sichuan pepper. The fatty bluefin tuna collar is crafted into Xiaolongbao, wrapped with a jelly of tuna flake broth and steamed, highlighting the umami with just soy sauce.

■ Fish from Ine fixed net fishing, steamed Cantonese style (Chef Maeda)
Seasonal fish landed from Ine's fixed net fishing is simply steamed with seasonal vegetables. Hot oil is used to bring out the aroma...