The Peninsula Hong Kong’s Iconic Japanese Restaurant Imasa Celebrates 25 Years

Tucked away in the glamorous confines of The Peninsula Hong Kong, Imasa opened its doors in 1995. when its president, Nobuhiro Aoki, selected Hong Kong to expand his acclaimed destination restaurant beyond its original location in Tokyo’s famed Shinjuku neighbourhood. As head chef of Imasa during the grand opening, Chef Nishimiya Yoshihiko – whose father was a revered Japanese chef who cooked for Emperor Hirohito – showcased Kaiseki cuisine, Ishiyaki stone grill and Kaminabe paper hot pot for Hong Kong diners. 

For the past 18 years, Jack Tse has presided over Imasa as restaurant manager. His upbeat passion and charisma matched by an encyclopaedic knowledge of Japanese cuisines and beverages have created exquisite dining experiences for guests from around the world. Frequent trips to Japan to source the highest quality ingredients and premium sakes from specialist distilleries, such as Tamanohikari, Tenryo, Nabeshima and Shinshu Kirei, have burnished his intimate expertise of Japanese fine dining.

To celebrate this 25th anniversary, Jack has collaborated with Imasa’s chefs to curate an unforgettable 8-course set dinner menu presenting the restaurant’s most beloved creations alongside a pairing of rare sakes. The kaiseki experience showcases a Sashimi platter of lobster, fatty tuna, sea urchin and sweet shrimp paired with Kokushimuso Asahi Kamui, a smooth yet powerful sake with cherry and melon aromas. The sumptuous platter is followed by Grilled Nagano sweetfish with salt, Deep-fried Iwate-ken oyster and sweet corn tempura. Ishiyaki stone grill abalone and Hida beef, one of Imasa’s timeless signatures, is prepared with top-ranked A5 wagyu, and accompanied with a soft-textured Tenryo Tenrokuhairyo. Yonezawa wagyu beef rice ball in clear soup, and a Chef’s Special dessert matched with Eihime Mikan de Sake mandarin orange sake complete this once-in-a-quarter-century dining experience. To commemorate this landmark occasion, guests will also be gifted a beautiful set of embroidered Japanese chopsticks# as a memento to take home and a HK$250 gift voucher^# that can be redeemed at Imasa.