For 10 weeks only, one of Grand Hyatt Manila’s most intimate dining experiences yet takes shape around just 12 seats.
Photo: Grand Hyatt Manila
Beginning September 9, 2026, Tokyo-trained Japanese sushi chef Yuki Anzai takes up residence at the Round Bar of The Lounge on the second floor of Grand Hyatt Manila, bringing his interpretation of Edomae sushi to an experience built around seasonality, precision and the relationship between chef and diner.
Open Wednesdays through Saturdays, the counter welcomes only 12 guests per seating, with just two nightly seatings at 6:00 PM and 8:30 PM, through November 14, 2026 – a total of only 24 covers per evening.
Having spent the past year and a half in Manila following time in the United States, Chef Yuki brings to the counter a deeply considered approach to sushi rooted in the traditions of Edomae – the style that developed in Edo-era Tokyo.
Japanese sushi chef Yuki Anzai
Underscoring that omakase is as much about progression and temperature as it is about provenance, Chef Yuki begins each experience with lighter, more delicate flavors before gradually moving toward richer courses. Even the temperature of the sushi rice is adjusted according to the ingredient being served. A fattier cut of tuna or wagyu, for instance, may meet warmer shari so that its fat begins to soften more quickly on the palate creating texture, aroma and the sensation of richness. It is an approach that turns details often invisible to the diner into an essential part of the experience.
Before the launch, Grand Hyatt Manila hosted a media dinner that offered a first taste through a carefully sequenced menu. The evening began with an appetizer of Suzuki (Japanese sea bass), Koi no arai (carp) and tosazu jelly followed by a nigiri sequence of Hotate (scallop), Kohada (dotted gizzard shad), Shima Aji (striped jack), Otoro (tuna belly), Kinmedai (splendid alfonsino) and A5 Wagyu with onion sauce.
A warm course of crab and Kinmedai chawanmushi was followed by fresh melon cubes to refresh the palate, before the meal concluded with miso crème brûlée and black sesame macaron.
The precise menu evolves according to the season and the best ingredients available on the day, with carefully selected produce and seafood sourced from Toyosu Market in Japan.
Every course is prepared directly in front of the 12-seat counter, allowing diners to watch the changes in knife work, temperature, seasoning and technique that shape each piece. Rather than reproducing a fixed tasting menu night after night, Chef Yuki allows ingredient and season to determine the progression. That philosophy is intrinsic to omakase itself, an invitation to leave the decisions in the chef’s hands.
The residency transforms the Round Bar of The Lounge on Level 2 into an intimate sushi counter, exchanging the scale of a traditional luxury-hotel restaurant for a direct chef-to-guest experience. With only 24 covers available per evening across two seatings, and service limited to Wednesdays through Sundays for 10 weeks, the dinner is intentionally a not-to-be-missed experience.
Guests may choose between two expressions of the omakase – the light omakase with seven courses and at PHP 5,800 nett consists of the Chef’s welcome bite, a seasonal appetizer, seasonal sashimi, five pieces of nigiri, two pieces of maki, chawanmushi, and dessert. For the full experience,10 courses priced at PHP 7,800, this adds on a seasonal small dish, a specialty dish, eight (instead of five) pieces of nigiri, an additional course, dessert, and seasonal fruit.
Guests can book in advance online via The Lounge, call 0288381234 or 0279181234 and email manila.grand@hyatt.com. For more on the latest promotions, they can follow Grand Hyatt Manila on Instagram www.instagram.com/grandhyattmanilaph/ and on Facebook www.facebook.com/GrandHyattManilaPh.
