Les Amis Group to open Singapore outpost of two-Michelin-starred Zeniya

TWO-MICHELIN-STARRED Japanese restaurant Zeniya, which put Kanazawa on the culinary map by showcasing the best of its region’s ingredients in an authentic traditional setting, is set to bring its signature kaiseki experience to Singapore this August, in a joint venture between the Les Amis Group and Shangri-La Group.

Zeniya Singapore will be located at the Shangri-La Hotel Singapore, where it takes over the former Nami restaurant premises on the 24th floor, with a vantage view of the hotel’s landscaped greenery. 

Zeniya is helmed by Shinichiro Takagi, a second-generation chef who took over the family’s restaurant when his father died unexpectedly. Located in a traditional wooden house in the samurai town of Kanazawa, the capital of Ishikawa prefecture, Zeniya developed an international reputation thanks to the English-proficient Takagi, who now spends much of his time travelling overseas, while his younger brother Jiro helms the kitchen as head chef.

The restaurant – which serves its cuisine on priceless antique tableware – creates menus according to the produce of the season, and foodies are known to head there during the winter when Kanazawa’s prized snow crabs, native to the Kaga region, are in season. 

Still, Takagi is realistic about replicating the Kanazawa dining experience in Singapore. “I am not offering a copy,” he says. “In Kanazawa, incredibly fresh ingredients arrive from the fishing port every morning, but that is not the case here. I could drive 15 minutes from our restaurant and get freshly picked vegetables from a farmer but in Singapore, it is difficult.”

Instead, the Singapore menu would use ingredients “not only from Kanazawa but from all over Japan and the world”, he adds. “Rooted in tradition but with a touch of innovation, I aim to create a new type of Japanese kaiseki-style cuisine that will resonate from Singapore to the rest of the world.”

It won’t be his first overseas operation as he’s had experience opening restaurants in Seoul and Shanghai. “Opening in Singapore doesn’t feel much different from launching a restaurant in Tokyo. I’ve visited Singapore many times and I have a great network here.”

That network includes a longstanding relationship with the Les Amis Group, which culminated in its first joint venture with the Shangri-La Group. Without giving figures, Les Amis Group CEO Tycen Bundgaard says: “Zeniya Singapore will be fully managed by Les Amis Group, while both parties have contributed substantially financially to this project.”

Design-wise, “Zeniya Singapore is inspired by a small outdoor garden that Zeniya Kanazawa features”, adds Bundgaard. “The restaurant will feature a bar, lounge area, counter seating, restaurant seating and two private dining rooms.”

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Takagi will not be based in Singapore but “as our partner he is committing to spending a substantial amount of time in Singapore”, says Bundgaard. “While he is here, he will be curating, launching seasonal menus, and training the team.”

Heading the restaurant will be two chefs handpicked by Takagi from his team who will move from Japan and be permanently posted to Singapore.

“Zeniya Singapore will inherit the spirit of traditional kaiseki cuisine, and that of its two-Michelin-starred flagship in Kanazawa,” says Bundgaard. “It will be a similar, yet different, culinary experience.”