Sushi Hibiki’s much anticipated Sushi Summit Vol. 8 made a triumphant return last month, delivering an exquisite spectacle that featured eight master chefs from around the world. This event was a true celebration of the refined art of sushi, seeking to elevate its appreciation within the local dining scene. Typically a two-day affair, this year’s summit was extended to an impressive six-day celebration.
Each session featured four chefs in rotation, allowing guests to experience a diverse range of sushi styles in a single sitting. “Sushi may look very simple—rice topped with seafood—but each chef brings a different character and taste to the dish,” said Chef Makoto Saito Sam, executive chef and owner of Sushi Hibiki. “My guests often ask who the best sushi chef is, but there is no definitive answer because every sushi chef is very different in their approach.”
With that said, we delved into the curated menu, beginning with Chef Randy Noprapa from Fillets, Bangkok, who trained under the esteemed Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto. Chef Noprapa enjoys incorporating small bites between courses, exemplified by his creative take on namerō (similar to a tartare), which is typically enjoyed with rice, miso soup and pickled vegetables, but here was condensed into a single bite, with the namerō perched on a rice puff.
The next chef, Chef Masahiro Sugiyama from Hōseki, Bvlgari Resort Dubai, brings a focus on the authenticity of Japanese cuisine. His menu showcased delicacies such as shiro ebi (Japanese glass shrimp)—a prized gem from Toyama Bay—and kinki (rock fish), an exceptional winter fish with juicy, sweet flesh thanks to its high fat content, sourced from depths of 300m below sea level. To also highlight his unique experience as a sushi chef in Dubai, an Islamic country where alcohol is restricted, Chef Sugiyama presented the steamed tako (octopus). Traditionally braised in saké, he opted to steam the octopus instead, expertly preserving its tenderness.
All the way from Saké Restaurant and Bar in Sydney comes Chef Shimpei Hatanaka, who showcased a profession of flavours from light to rich. His menu began with the delicate matsukawa karei (barfin flounder), a rare find due to a recent typhoon, and culminated in the nodoguro (sea perch), unusually fatty for a white fish. Although many chefs remove its skin, Chef Hatanaka prefers to leave the skin on, searing it with hot charcoal to enhance the layer between the skin and meat, which he said held the most flavour.
We finally welcomed Chef Makoto Saito Sam, who with Ee Soon Wei of APW, were the masterminds behind Sushi Summit, first launched in 2019. Chef Sam believes that the true beauty of sushi lies in its simplicity, which was beautifully illustrated by his presentation of the negitoro (tuna roll). While the tuna was remarkable, it was the seaweed wrapper that really stood out—an ingredient often underestimated even by the finest of chefs. Chef Sam also introduced the bakudan natto (fermented soybeans), usually only found in Japanese grocery stores. Fresh natto, almost impossible to find here, showcased that, unlike store-bought natto, its exceptional quality truly makes a difference.
The Sushi Summit is an annual event that has taken place in Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Dubai, with plans to expand to even more cities around the world. Keep an eye out for Vol. 9 next year, and we’ll see where this culinary journey will take us next.
