Marriott + Starwood

TOGETER WE'RE BETTER!!
"Two Become One" Friday, September 21, 2016
Finally, Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts officially become one company.

Internal celebration pary at Fei, W Guangzhou

"Marriott International and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide received approval for their merger from the Chinese government. With the removal of that final regulatory obstacle, the two companies are expected to complete the transaction by Friday morning."
 (It’s official: Marriott, Starwood clear final hurdle By Barbara Bohn on 9/20/2016)

It is a great hornor to be a part of this histrical moment as a talent of W Guangzhou...

Completion of Marriott International’s acquisition of Starwood Hotels & Resorts creates a behemoth hotel company with 30 brands, 5,700 hotels in 110 countries and 1.1 million rooms!!

Strawberry Dessert "Ichigo Daifuku" 苺のデザート "いちご大福"

When do you think the season of strawberry is!? Winter...? Spring...??

Nowadays, we see strawberry in a super market almost all year around. It is getting more and more difficult for us to know the real seasonality of any kind of food, isn't it!?

 

In Japan, real season for strawberry is Spring from April to June. Of course, there is a slight time difference between the regions though.

But, as I mentioned earlier, many strawberries are farmed in greenhouses nowadays and many of them are often started to be seen in the market during the winter time.

 

Fresh Strawberries (left), Ichigo Daifuku (right top),

Ichigo Daifuku Tempura (right bottom)

 

So, this time of the year, I make dessert with strawberries. "Ichigo Daifuku 苺大福" is one of them.

It's a very popular Japanese sweet. Strawberry coated by sweet red bean paste and a layer of soft & sticky Mochi-like skin.

So, it will be just like the above picture on the right top. Strawberry in the middle, covered with dark brawn seet red been paste and outside is a white stickly rice cake skin.

 

This time, I have put a little twist to the traditional "Ichigo Daifuku". Deep fry it with tempura batter and served with strawberry puree (on the right bottom of the above picture). Surface of it becomes hot and crispy... Very Nice!

 

"Ichigo Daifuku"

W Singapore Sentosa Cove, vol 2 W シンガポール セントーサ コーヴ、その２

Frog on a table (left), Cusion on a chair (middle), Light balls by the entrance (right)

I love the room! A clean & big room with full of surprises -lighiting, little objects (like a frog), etc...-
The room I stayed was a Wonderful Room with a king bed. 431-452 Square Feet / 40-42 Square Meters room with Bose Surround Sound System.

WONDERFUL ROOM with a king size bed

 

Cool lighting under the bed (left) and behind the TV (right)

Lighting on the wall over the bed

TV and Work Desk (left), Bathtub (middle & right)

Bathroom

-Rainforest Shower (left), Mirror and Washbasin (middle), Toilet and W Signature Bathrobe (right)-

Butterflies on the ceiling light

Hand from the wall holds a flower at the room entrance (left), W Mix Bar (right)

 

Mood lightings will give the room different faces between the day and the night. Colored mood lighting appears on the wall, under the bed, behind the TV and also the flowers and butterflies on the lumps give a special touch to the room.

I stayed there with my wife on our anniversary, on top of a box of chocolate and a message on the card, they arrange special turndown set-up for the evening! -the Red Hearts on the pillow and carpet, Huge "LOVE" on the bed cover-

 

  

Night time with mood lighting

Night time with mood lighting

Guestroom floor corridor (left), ligt (middle), art object at public area (right)

I was there for 2nights on Sunday & Monday. I wanted to try The Kitchen Table on Monday night but the restaurant was fully booked on Sunday night, so I had dinner on Monday instead.

They were having "Indian food" promotion with a Indian master chef. I must say, not only the food on the live cooking station with the Indian chef was fantastic, but also all those indian food and other international cuisine food on the buffet were great!

The Kitchen Table -dining area- (left), Sunday Remix promotion billboard (right)

Dinner buffet food

Dinner buffet food

W Singapore Sentosa Cove W シンガポール セントーサ コーヴ

W Logo with different colors at the entrance of W Singapore Sentosa Cove

 

 



In Nov. 2015, I took a vacation and traveled to Singapore. I stayed for a couple of nights at W Singapore Sentosa Cove for the first time.

 

My flight from Guangzhou arrived at Singapore Changi Airport in the early morning. Took MRT to Chinatown for a nice local breakfast to start the day. Then, moved to Sentosa.

 

Getting to Resort World Sentosa, there are a few ways.

By Singapore Cable Car, by Sentosa Boardwalk, by Sentosa Express (I took this one when I visited there for the first time in 2013 (See→Trip to Singapore シンガポール小旅行) or by Car/Taxi.

This time, I took a taxi from Vivo City straight to W Singapore Sentosa Cove.



 

Exterior of the hotel during the day time (left), Entrance of the hotel (left)

A harbor and residential area at behind the hotel (left), The Residences at W Singapore (right) 

It takes about 15minutes drive from Vivo City to W Singapore. The hotel is located at the edge of Sentosa island, the Singapore's most luxury residencial area at the right in front of the ocean. It's isolated from the busy city jam, surrounded by nature and quiet neighborhood..., it's a perfect spot for a weekend getaway from the city. Of course, inside of the hotel was very gorgeous but it was also nice to walk aound the harbor side and feel the fresh air.

Day time look of Woo bar  (left) and Living room (right)

Lobby -day time- (left), Elevator hall at guest room floor (right)

The facility of the hotel was very unique, fashionable and chic,  just like every other W hotels.

Especailly, it was so much fun to see the contrast of it looks, between the day time and the night time.
Both the public areas -Lobby, Living room, Woo Bar, Wet- and the room.

Night time look of Lobby (left) and Woo bar (right)





I stayed there on Sunday and Monday nights. So, there weren't so many people at the bar but many families at Wet, the swimming pool, during the day time of Sunday.
I enjoyed hanging around Wet after dark (It's 24 hours open!). Not many people around, quiet and no heat... COOL!



Day time look of outside terrace (left) and Wet -swimming pool- (right)

Night time look of outside terrace (left) and Wet -swimming pool- (right)

 Wet -swimming pool- at night

 

 Wet -swimming pool- at night

 

W Logo with different colors at the entrance of W Singapore Sentosa Cove

 

Wish You a Merry Christmas 2015 from W Guangzhou!

2015 Christmas tree in W Guangzhou, Living room

2015 Christmas tree in W Guangzhou, Living room

Yamagata Premium Sake Dinner 山形県銘酒特別酒ディナー懐石 11.28 2015

In November 28, 2015, "Yamagata Premium Sake Dinner" in I by Inagiku, W Guangzhou! 5 different types of Premium Sake from Yamagata prefecture, pairing with 8 courses Seasonal Kaiseki Set, including Yamagata's specialty dish "Imo-Ni" -simmered baby taro with wagyu beef-.  

Fresh seasonal ingredients and Collection of Sake cups and bottle/carafe made in Japan

 

 

I have started preparing this event back in July. Working together with a sake supplier introduced by a Japanese chef, Chef Yamada, from Inagiku in Shanghai Marriott Hotel City Centre.   Started from trying out several different types of Sake and select the ones which are unique, different to each others and yet go perfectly well with my food. And, at the end, I have decided to go with the Award Wining Sake from Yamagata prefecture and create a Yamagata themed kaiseki set menu.  

Sake tasting in July.

 

Selected sake list for the sake dinner

Ginrei Gassan "Sechu Jukusei" Junmai Ginjo & Junmai Dai Ginjo (1st and 2nd from the left) 

Toko "Karakuchi" Junmai Dai Ginjo, Daiginjo and Ginjo "Umeshu" (3rd, 4th and 5th from the left) 

 

After picked those 5 different types of Award Wining Sake, made by two different sake brewer, one is "Ginrei Gassan" and other is "Toko", I drafted the Kaiseki set menu for the Sake dinner and send it out to those two sake brewer. I am a professional cook but those people from the brewer know which sake go with what kind of food, better than me. So, I need to show them the menu and make sure the food and their sake goes well (After listening to their opinions, I actually made a miner change on the menu).

Sake knowledge training in private dining room "Ume"

Before the Sake dinner, we also have scheduled a training session for the service staff. The training conducted by the sake supplier and also a president of the sake brewer "Toko" from Yamagata prefecture. He even brouhgt his company's signature "Toko Sake Facial Mask" as a give away gift for the sake dinner guests!

Thanks to all the support I got from the supplier, Sake brewers, a friend/Japanese chef and the hard work from my team, both service and kitchen, the Sake dinner event was very successful and, most importantly, all the guests who came for this event have enjoyed the night and been happy!!

"Happi" jacket from the sake brewers (left), Award Wining Sake for the Sake dinner (right)

Beautiful fresh "Toro" tuna belly for the Sake dinner 

Trimmed "Toro" tuna belly for the Sake dinner, ready for Sashimi

"Junmai Dai Ginjo" Sake Facial Mask by Yamagata's Sake Brewer "Toko"  

Spice Market Doha ｢スパイスマーケット｣ ドーハ

A restaurant in W Doha, "Spice Market", inspired by the street food found in South-East Asia, Jean-Georges Vongerichten inspires us with a fusion of authentic cuisine served in a casual sexy atmosphere.

Entrance of the restaurant (left top), Friday Brunch's cold food selection (left bottom, right)

The last day of my task force assignment, W Doha's culinary team has invited me to their award wining restaurant Spice Market for their famous Friday Brunch.
It started from welcome drink -sparkling wine- and the food was just astonishing! In turms of both the quality and the variety of food. Selection of Indian curries, Thai's freshly made spring rolls, Chinise wok fried rice and noodles, Japanese sushi and tempura... and more!!
Great food with the live band music make the Friday just perfect.

 Restaurant's main dining hall (left), bar area (right)

 

Restaurant's dining area

 

 

 Dessert and fruit selections

 

Wok fry live cooking station (left), fresh seafood on ice station (right)

 

Indian curry selection (left), BBQ meat selection (right)

Live Paratha cooking station

Freshly made Paratha by the chef at the live cooking station

Well, previously, I have been posting about the city of Doha (* Task Force Doha, Qatar -1-,
Task Force Doha, Qatar -2--), W Doha and their restaurants (* W Doha Hotel & Residences) but just to remind you that I was there on a mission. Look after their Japanese section in Spice Market and also Market and teach those young boys how to do the things in real traditional Japanese way.

I also have worked together with their sushi chef and made some New Style, Innovative Sushi that might be suitable for the place. You would probably see those sushi in Japan, never and ever!

Crispy salmon sushi roll with almond chips (left),

Tomato croquette -stuffed seafood sushi rice-(right top),

Spicy seafood sushi spring roll (right bottom) 

 

 

Their original maki rolls in Spice Market and Market,

Spicy Salmon (left), Yuzu Infused Shrimp Tempura (right)