Four Seasons Doha has launched their most dynamic dining experience yet – a special Fugu menu at its signature Pan Asian restaurant Nusantao: Sea Kitchens.
The promotion features a selection of Fugu dishes including Tora Fugu Sashimi, Tora Fugu Nigiri and Tora Fugu Prepared Three Ways all served by Nusantao’s Chef de Cuisine Toshikazu Kato. “This is one of those times when a meal can truly be considered a transcendent experience,” says Simon Casson, Regional Vice President and General Manager Four Seasons Hotel Doha. “There are very few places in the world where Fugu fish can be eaten outside Japan and we are quite privileged to have one of those very special chefs licensed to serve it right here in Qatar.” There’s a reason why eating Fugu, Japanese puffer fish, is so special. While the flesh of the fish is non-toxic and considered the ultimate delicacy in Japanese cuisine – prized for its sweet taste and unique texture, much of the fish such as its eyes, blood, liver and intestines contain a poison called tetrodotoxin that is 1,200 times more potent than cyanide. It thus takes years of intense training and an extremely tough written and practical exam under the most stringent laws for a chef to be certified to prepare and serve Fugu.
Today, Japan is the only country in the world to offer chefs the training and testing required for legal certification. According to Japanese law, Fugu fish can only be exported after it has been cleaned and stripped of its toxic parts. The fish served at Nusanto will thus be in specially packed and sealed containers for preparation by Chef Kato. “I first tasted Fugu when I was 18 and I was hooked. I spent many years training under the best chefs in Japan and spent hours watching the fish being prepared at Tokyo’s famous Tsukiji Fish Market before taking the required qualification exam,” says Chef Kato. “People who eat fugu do it for the taste no doubt, but they do it more for the thrill. And as the chef creating the dish, you are part of that thrill every time you send out a plate.”
The special Fugu Menu is now available at Nusantao: Sea Kitchens at the Four Seasons in Doha. Tel. +974 44948888.
