MY FAVOURITE DISH

Yukio Ozeki
Head Chef - Ebisu

Ebisu no Osashimi - New style mixed sashimi, pickled cucumber, tobiko, ginger & sesame dressing



This dish is a collaboration between the chefs here at Ebisu. I had a vision of how this dish would be and Murray the executive chef added a European twist to it. I took that and turned it into a Japanese style dish. It was great that collectively we came up with the dish. It's quite a beautiful evolving fusion of all of our ideas.



What is on the menu now is a smaller broken-down version of what we originally came up with. It's clean and sharp and crisp. When you think of sashimi you think of big chunks of fish all standing on their own. This dish is more to be eaten all together as the flavours match really well.



The fish we use is whatever is in season and what's been caught fresh. There is always Japanese scallop, tuna and salmon. There's sometimes John Dory, hapuka or snapper, literally what comes in from the boat. We only take the best possible fish that's brought in.

It is a simple process to get this dish prepared. First I slice the sashimi and place this on the plate. We add sliced cucumber, wasabi and dressing and then add some tobiko and edible flowers.



What comes out of the kitchen here has to be a meal for every sense. Firstly you take in a meal with your eyes, then you smell in and all your senses come together last of which is the flavour coming through on your palate. It's got to have texture, crunch, softness… a lot of things. You can't serve great tasting food if it doesn't look good when you first see it.



This is my favourite dish as I've never had the chance before to create a dish that combines my cooking experience from Japan and New Zealand. This is the first time I have made a multinational fusion dish. The Ebisu concept is fusion new-style Japanese. This dish introduces Japan to New Zealand, but really represents both countries.


Simple, fresh and absolutely beautiful to look at. It's a shame you have to eat it given the immaculate presentation.

As told to Jono Park.

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