[HONG KONG, June], — Island Shangri-La announces the appointment of Masahiro Ogawa as Sushi Chief Chef at Nadaman, marking a significant moment of refinement for the city’s Japanese gastronomy scene.
[HONG KONG, June], — Island Shangri-La announces the appointment of Masahiro Ogawa as Sushi Chief Chef at Nadaman, marking a significant moment of refinement for the city’s Japanese gastronomy scene.
Chef Ogawa, who transitions from Nadaman at Shangri-La Tokyo, arrives with close to four decades of experience in high-end Japanese cuisine. The appointment represents a renewed focus on the restaurant's intimate eight-seat sushi counter, spotlighting the rigorous, elegant techniques of traditional sushi-making.
The revival of the sushi counter coincides with the launch of the broader seasonal program, including the "Tour of Japanese Finest Wagyu Series". The rotating regional menus, such as June's focus on Kagoshima’s rich Wagyu and curated delicacies, complement the permanent sushi offering.
In an era often dominated by fleeting culinary trends, Chef Ogawa’s approach is a testament to unadorned simplicity, where he prefers to let the quality of the produce speak for itself. His process begins each evening with a direct line to suppliers in Japan, capitalising on relationships he has built over decades to bypass rigid seasonal ordering and better discover what the markets have yielded at that exact moment. This ensures that ingredients – whether it’s bafun uni in July or bluefin tuna in September – arrive at the counter the very next day at their absolute peak.
At the eight-seat counter, the focus shifts to the subtle, real-time adjustments that define authentic mastery. Chef Ogawa delicately calibrates a highly considered choreography where traditional curing, marinating, and temperature control are dictated entirely by the ingredient, elevating the omakase from a mere meal into a precise, tactile dialogue between the craftsman and the diner.
“We are delighted to welcome Chef Ogawa back to the Island Shangri-La family. His return is a testament to our commitment to culinary excellence and the preservation of authentic Japanese dining traditions,” says Clifford Weiner, General Manager of Island Shangri-La. “In an era of trend-led dining, our sushi counter offers a meaningful antidote thanks to an omakase experience that focuses on pure craftsmanship and uncompromised quality."
Running concurrently with Chef Ogawa’s presence at the counter is the "Tour of Japan's Finest Wagyu Series," a six-month gastronomic campaign offered from June through November. The program explores this regional bounty through monthly rotating menus, beginning in June with Kagoshima’s celebrated rich Wagyu, before transitioning through the coastal delicacies of Kumamoto, Miyazaki’s award-winning beef, and finally the rich sweet flavours of Omi Wagyu offering an expansive view of Japan’s most fertile gastronomic regions.
Chef Ogawa’s culinary trajectory has taken him behind some of the most selective sushi counters around the world. Since graduating from the prestigious Hattori Culinary School, he has showcased his craft across Germany, Spain, and mainland China, including on the global stage at the 1992 World Exposition in Seville. Chef Ogawa lives and breathes the Nadaman ethos – his new chapter with Nadaman at Island Shangri-La will be his seventh posting with the 196-year-old brand.
Established in 1830 in Osaka, Japan, Nadaman boasts over 190 years of culinary excellence, serving authentic Japanese cuisine to royalty, world leaders, and discerning gourmands globally. Island Shangri-La holds the prestigious distinction of establishing the first Nadaman outpost outside of Japan, cementing its status as a pioneer in introducing high-end Japanese gastronomy, including kaiseki, teppanyaki, and sukiyaki, to Hong Kong.
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