A Real Treat For Japanese Food Lovers

Kotetsu serves freshly made Japanese delicacies that are a treat to the palate.

Hotel Ambassador is a four-star hotel, with forty years of rich history and service experience, located in the heart of Kathmandu. It is an ideal choice for guests who want to experience everything great that the city has to offer, without having to venture too far. The Ambassador was initially established in the 1960s as an apartment complex for diplomats. In 1978, with its growing popularity and growth of tourism in Nepal, it was converted into a full fledged 40-room hotel. Finally, in 2013, the hotel was dismantled rebuilt to offer a brand new experience to its regular as well as future guests.

Kotetsu Restaurant at Hotel Ambassador offers authentic Japanese dining experience. Japanese cuisine is in many ways different from other cuisines in the world. The food used usually encompasses regional and traditional varieties that have endured and developed through centuries of social and economic changes in the country. The secret of an authentic Japanese cuisine is in thorough selection of products, beauty of serving, and respect for products in general. The underlying philosophy is that only the best gifts of the Earth and water deserve to find themselves on a dining table, and the goal of a chef is to save their initial characteristics. The main rule of the Japanese cuisine is "Don't create but find and discover," as nobody can compete with what has been created by nature.

A beautifully designed restaurant with a glass facade looking out into the city, Kotetsu serves freshly made Japanese delicacies that are a treat to the palate. Its decorations are elegant and sophisticated, and its ambiance calm and hassle-free. Its rising popularity amongst the surrounding diplomatic community is a stamp of approval of the inimitable and authentic quality of food served there, and its stunning ambiance.

Our visit to this popular place was no different. We met Mr. Ramesh Balami, the Head Chef at Kotetsu Restaurant. Mr. Balami, a man with friendly and smiling personality, started by serving us Green Tea. One of the main points of the restaurant, we noticed, is way the counter seating was set up at the teppanyaki grill, which brought a traditional Japanese feel to the place. Another specialty of this restaurant is that almost all the ingredients and condiments are imported from Japan itself. According to Mr. Balami, the Japanese cuisine has one more unique feature: apart from beauty and harmony of forms and colors, the dishes reflect seasons of the year. Each season grants its own delicacies. Correspondence to season as well as freshness of products are valued in Japan cuisine more than how they are prepared.

The first dish we tried was Prawn Tempura, which was served as an appetizer. Served along with soy sauce, the batter was light and distinctive. The serving size was sufficiently large as well. The prawns were delectable and fresh, and the tempura was crunchy. It was delicious and had an excellent taste to it. It is definitely a must try there.

We then tried probably the most popular dish in Japan ‑‑ sashimi. Sashimi jyo is a Japanese delicacy consisting of very fresh raw meat or fish sliced into thin pieces. The ingredients used for sashimi included: tuna (Maguro), aalmon (Sake), octopus (Tako), yellowtail (Hamachi) and crab (Kani). It was served with a dipping sauce (soy sauce) and condiments such as wasabi paste, grated fresh ginger, grated fresh garlic, and shredded daikon radish. The presentation looked pretty, and the food although plain and simple, was enjoyable. According to the Chef, a primary motivation for serving wasabi with sashimi, besides its flavor, is to kill harmful bacteria and parasites that could be present in raw seafood. 

The final dish served was Okonomiyaki. Also called Japanese pizza, it is a savory pancake with a combination of vegetables, pork and eggs. When the dish was served to us, we were awestruck with the way it was presented. And when we tasted it, it matched the presentation. It was cooked to perfection and had an excellent taste. All the flavors and ingredients blended in really well and complemented each other. No wonder it is a very popular dish there.

Kotetsu Restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel is a real treat for Japanese food lovers in Kathmandu. Everything ‑‑ from Sashimi, and Tempura to Okonomiyaki ‑‑ is delicious and super fresh! Its great location and nice ambience are an added bonus! The price, however, are not cheap as the fresh fish and beef are all imported, but it is certainly well worth to spoil oneself now and then.