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MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES Announces Culinary Partnership with Internationally Acclaimed Chef Kiyomi Mikuni Onboard New MITSUI OCEAN FUJI
- albert883
- Oct 22, 2024
- 5 min read
One of Japan’s Highest-Rated Chefs Embarks on First-Ever Culinary Journey at Sea
[October 23, 2024, Tokyo, Japan] – MOL Cruises, Ltd. [Tsunemichi Mukai – President]: MOL Cruises, Ltd., which operates under the brand name MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES, today announced an exclusive cruise line partnership with award-winning Chef Kiyomi Mikuni, Japan’s proud master of Japanese French fusion cuisine. This premier collaboration will serve Chef Mikuni’s first-ever culinary experiences on a cruise ship – the new MITSUI OCEAN FUJI – debuting Dec. 1, 2024.
Renowned for the stylistic beauty and delicate taste of cuisine onboard its NIPPON MARU cruise ship, by adding Chef Mikuni’s expertise and one-of-a-kind dishes to its dining program, MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES now lays claim to having the best food and culinary experiences at sea.
One of Japan’s highest-rated chefs, owner of award-winning restaurants and best-selling author, Chef Mikuni is internationally known for creating his own “JAPONISÉE” while perfectly understanding and expressing traditional French cuisine. Chef Mikuni is the first-ever Japanese chef to receive the “Chevalier of the Legion of Honour” from the Republic of France in 2015.
MITSUI OCEAN FUJI guests will have the exclusive opportunity to enjoy the delicate cuisine of Chef Mikuni at sea, tasting his curated French dishes that also combine traditional Japanese ingredients. His memorable dining experiences offer the heartfelt “omotenashi” service of Japan and the praise of delicious cuisine, as he oversees the following onboard dining menus:
HOKUSAI FINE DINING: Named after the famous Japanese Artist Katsushika Hokusai who created many famous renderings of Mount Fuji, Chef Mikuni will bring to the table the highest quality of presentation, service and local Japanese seasonal ingredients. The prix fixe, five-course dinner, includes the amuse-bouche, hors d’oeuvres, Japanese-French-inspired main dishes, desserts and petit fours. The menu will also feature vegetarian and gluten-free selections.
Menu offerings include Pacific Bluefin Tuna Tartare; Japanese Spiny Lobster and Truffle Salad; Brittany Blue Lobster Cabbage Wrapped with Caviar; Wagyu Beef Filet Rossini with Foie Gras and Truffles; and Passion Blancmange, Apricot Bavarois with Lychee Sorbet. Chef Mikuni has also hand selected a specially curated wine list.
Guests staying in the top 36 Unjo Suites will receive one complimentary dinner for two in HOKUSAI FINE DINING. A specialty dining cover charge applies for all other guests.
THE RESTAURANT FUJI: For the ship’s namesake main dining restaurant, Chef Mikuni will create a selection of main dishes rotating on the dinner menus, including Salmon Compote with Red Wine Sauce, Red Sea Bream with Escargot Butter Sauce and Vietnamese Rice Bowl with Japanese Vegetables. MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES’ famous roast beef and other delicacies that became favorites on NIPPON MARU will continue to be served onboard.
Katsutoshi Nakayama, Executive Chef of MITSUI OCEAN FUJI, remarked “As the most experienced and traditional cruise line in Japan, our culinary team has always been praised by our guests for their meticulous preparation and presentation of fresh ingredients from local purveyors. Partnering with Chef Mikuni to oversee our new specialty restaurant HOKUSAI and select dishes in the main dining room onboard our new MITSUI OCEAN FUJI combines our heritage and commitment to serve memorable dishes with his expertise and unique style, with exquisite French and Japanese culinary fusion.”
Chef Mikuni added, “The culinary vision of MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES with a high standard to serve extraordinary dishes matches my one true passion of cooking. Partnering with the most experienced cruise line in Japan to bring my innovative flair to guests while they sail around Japan and beyond on the new MITSUI OCEAN FUJI is a joy for me. Like the namesake of my first restaurant at sea, Hokusai, I also draw my inspiration from painting, crafting works of art on a plate, blending the right balance of Asian and European elements to create the perfect taste with each bite.”
More About Chef Mikuni
Born in 1954 in Mashike, Hokkaido, at the age of 15 he aspired to be a chef and trained at Sapporo Grand Hotel and Imperial Hotel. In 1974, he became the head chef of the Japanese Embassy in Switzerland. While working at the embassy, he studied under Frédy Girardet. After that, he continued to train at three-star restaurants such as Troisgros and Auberge de l’Ill. In 1985, he opened Hotel de Mikuni in Yotsuya, Tokyo. In 2013, he received an honorary doctorate from Université François Rabelais in Tours, France for his contributions to French food culture.
In 2015, he became the first Japanese chef to receive the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour from the Republic of France. JAPONISÉE Kiyomi Mikuni was published in 2019, and he was the only winner in the Hall of Fame section of the "Gourmand World Cuisine Award 2020," which is praised as the "Oscar Award" in movies, and it is evaluated as a masterpiece that will become a norm for future generations. In 2021, he was selected as 1 of 14 "100-year Anniversary of Bungei Shunju, best selection of Japan's faces in Showa, Heisei and Reiwa.” In 2022, he published Sanryu Chef from Gentosha, which became a bestseller. In November 2023, he opened Azabudai Hills Dining33. Currently, he shares food education activities for children and easy recipes that can be made at home on YouTube (with over 500,000 subscribers).
MITSUI OCEAN FUJI will debut in Yokohama on December 1, 2024, as Japan's most luxurious all-suite cruise ship with spacious guest venues, traditional omotenashi service, delicately flavored and beautifully presented cuisine, lively entertainment and exciting ports of call. The ship will sail on inspiring voyages celebrating the blue ocean and Japan’s awesome natural beauty.
The 458-guest, 32,477-ton luxury cruise ship MITSUI OCEAN FUJI embodies “FUNATABI – beautiful encounters with Japan.” On sale now, the inaugural season offers a series of Debut Cruises (December 2024-January 2025), including a special New Year’s sailing; Spring and Golden Week Cruises (April-May 2025); and a 66-day Grand Asia Cruise (May-July 2025).
For additional information on MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES, booking information and a video tour of MITSUI OCEAN FUJI, visit https://mol-cruises.jp/en.
About MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES:
Rooted in Japanese heritage, nature and traditions, from the blue sea, MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES connects people with the wonders of nature and Japanese culture to enrich people’s lives and secure a happier and more sustainable future. MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES is the brand of the MOL Cruises, Ltd, the most experienced cruise line in Japan and is part of the Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. Ltd. (MOL) group of companies. It operates the cruise ship NIPPON MARU and will begin operating its second luxury cruise ship, MITSUI OCEAN FUJI, in December 2024.
Contact Information:
MITSUI OCEAN CRUISES
Public Relations
Karen Candy
+1 661-644-3999
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