The Zentis Osaka is a lifestyle hotel that opened in 2020 and is part of the Palace Hotel Group, which is most famous for the outstanding Palace Hotel Tokyo. The Zentis Osaka has 210 rooms and two suites, close proximity to a blissfully peaceful riverwalk, and a lounge, bar and restaurant that hosts one of the most unique and immersive series of workshops you must try if Osaka is on your itinerary.
The Zentis Craftsmanship series of events guides guests on immersive, hands-on activities and workshops, so that their appreciation of Japanese culture, cuisine, and craftsmanship can be instilled and deepened through these interactive sessions. From hand-roasting hand-drop coffee to mending broken ceramics in the Japanese artform known as kintsugi (金継ぎ), and plenty more besides, the Zentis Craftsmanship series is the kind of personalised cultural activities that can only be enjoyed in a contemporarily cool setting like the Zentis Osaka.
Robb Report Malaysia was recently invited to participate (and partake) in the ‘Bartending’ iteration of the Zentis Craftsmanship series, which is held twice a month until October 2025 in the hotel’s UPSTAIRZ bar, lounge and restaurant. To ensure maximum immersion, only four guests per day can join the bartending workshop. Each session will be led by one of two award-winning bartenders: Yuji Otomo, the Grand Champion of the Rémy Martin Bartender Talent Academy 2024, or Norihiko Furuse, a Top 10 finalist in Diageo’s World Class 2024 Japan Finals. Don’t worry about the language barrier, as both speak English fluently, and you’ll be able to grasp and absorb all the skills and knowledge from them as easily as you’ll imbibe the exquisite Japanese whiskies.
During the hour-long session, guests will be able to savour Suntory’s very best and hard-to-find highlights, such as the ‘Japanese Harmony’ Hibiki, the 12-year-old Yamazaki single malt, the 12-year-old Hakushu single malt, and the 21-year-old Hibiki. During my session, Furuse-san kicked things off with a demonstration of how an experienced, professional bartender prepares a whisky highball. Mind you, it’s one made with the ‘Japanese Harmony’ Hibiki, and not the ‘Kakubin’ whisky so commonly found in virtually every izakaya in Japan (more on this later). From a block of ice, he cut, carved, and smoothened a perfectly shaped prism in seconds, then used it to chill a highball glass with a bar spoon. He rotated the ice in flawless circular motions until the glass was chilled to exactly the right temperature he wanted—a fridge couldn’t have done a better job. Next, came the pour of the precious elixir and another stir, before he added the soda water. From start to finish, from separated ingredients on a bar countertop to the immaculately crafted whisky highball in front of me, it felt like a blink of an eye. “Alright, now you try,” Furuse-san beckoned to me after I enjoyed a few wonderful gulps of the highball.
Long story short, there’s a difference between an eager but clumsy enthusiast like me and a highly trained, award-winning shokunin (職人; craftsman, artisan) like him. My ice was butchered, the pour almost messed up the entire bar and seats, and my fingers simply refused to cooperate when I was ‘stirring’. Furuse-san was magnanimous when he remarked that I did well, and I still finished the ‘highball’ I cobbled together, but I obviously enjoyed his iteration more.
In the midst of all this, Furuse-san took me on a languid saunter through the history of Japanese whisky: from the completion of the Yamazaki Distillery, Japan’s first malt whisky distillery, in 1924, to the introduction of the Shirofuda whisky in 1929, which attempted to replicate an authentic Scotch whisky flavour profile but did not suit the palate of the Japanese at the time (“too smoky”, Furuse-san said). The next milestone: the introduction of the Kakubin whisky on 8 October 1937 (which is also now commemorated every year as National Highball Day in Japan), created to appeal to Japanese drinkers—thanks to its delicate, rich, and smooth flavour—and to pair well with Japanese cuisine. The rest is history, and you’ll be hard pressed to find an izakaya without its iconic angular bottle with an oval yellow label on its shelves.
Before my session ended and I adjourned to the restaurant for a specially crafted dinner, Furuse-san then guided me on a fantastic flight of the 12-year-old Hakushu single malt, the 12-year-old Yamazaki single malt, and the 21-year-old Hibiki. The Hakushu was smooth and superb, the Yamazaki was fruity and fantastic, and the 21-year-old Hibiki—which he said is hard to come by, even for him—was what I imagine they serve to kamisama (神様; gods) during heavenly banquets. All throughout, he regaled me with insider knowledge of each whisky and even more history of Japanese whisky, and I left the workshop with an abounding sense of shiawase (幸せ; happiness, fortune, blessed).
Dinner was a spectacle in and of itself. It was a four-course tasting menu crafted by Chef Kazutoyo Uchiyama and his team, paired with a delightful 2021 chardonnay from the Shinshu Takayama Winery. Uchiyama, an affable man who seemed like the kind of guy who’d chat with anybody at the bar, made it a point to explain each course personally. To start, Amami Island seafood tartare was served with organic vegetables from Fushimi in Kyoto, potato muffins (which were dangerously addictive), and hybrid caviar. Uchiyama explained that this particular type of caviar is cultivated in a shorter period compared with the usual kind, thus reducing the chances of overfishing, resulting in a supply that is more stable and sustainable. Next came the Japanese lobster with Sabayon sauce, whose rich, complex flavours complemented the fresh, umami notes of the lobster. The main course was roasted beef with fried cutlets of venison—a triumphant way to celebrate the wonderful time I was having in the Zentis Osaka. And the ending of Tonka Bean souffle cake with truffle ice cream helped me understand from deep within my soul the true meaning and all of the subtle nuances of gochisousamadeshita (ご馳走様でした)—thank you for the meal; that was a delicious meal; what a wonderful meal!
Book Zentis Osaka’s New Celebratory Stay Package here or sign up for the Zentis Craftsmanship’s whisky experience here.
