Singapore-based Aman Hotels and Resorts has launched Nama, a new culinary concept surrounding the tradition of Japanese cuisine.
A year in the making, Nama – the reverse spelling of Aman and the Japanese word for ‘raw’ – marks a move for Aman towards a more gastronomic focus. The first Nama will debut at Amanpuri, Aman’s first resort in Phuket, but over the next year, the concept will launch at selected Aman destinations, with menus at each resort shaped according to local produce and ingredients.
Amanpuri’s Nama will have fish from Japan markets including Tsukiji in Tokyo, combined with daily catches from local waters to create fresh, raw dishes, sharing space on the menu with classic Japanese delicacies. A menu of sushi, nigiri sushi and sashimi is available alongside signature dishes such as Kobe Gyu, a Japanese Kobe Wagyu steak grilled directly on the table over charcoal and served with Moshio mineral salt. Master chef Keiji Matoba directs the broader picture for Nama’s culinary vision.
The minimalistic and elegant Japanese aesthetic is infused into Nama in both the presentation of its dishes, bespoke earthenware, and its staff uniforms, which are structured with simple lines in calming neutral earth tones and natural linens.
Paying homage to one of the oldest ceramic traditions in the world and to showcase the cuisine, bespoke earthenware was commissioned for Nama, including bizen ware known for its raw and unglazed aesthetic, shigaraki ware, which uses 17th century glazing and coloring techniques to produce a distinctive red color, and oribe ware, invented in Japan in the 16th century, with its vivid patterns and green glazes.
Future Nama destinations will initially include Amanpulo in the Philippines and Amanjena in Morocco. At Amanjena, where Nama will launch later this year, the restaurant’s signature dishes will include wild salmon and chicken, prepared on an authentic robata grill which is heated using bincho-tan, a traditional charcoal of Japan dating back to the Edo period.
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