Najir Nooman 
Japan’s youngest three-starred chef to host lunches and dinners at So Hands On at Out of the Blue
Soneva, the world-leading luxury resort operator, is set to welcome back Chef Kenji Gyoten to Soneva Fushi from August 18 to 29 2018 as part of Soneva’s Festival of Colour. Guests at Soneva Fushi will get the chance to skip the young sushi master’s six-month-long waiting list at his restaurant, Sushi Gyoten, in Fukuoka and dine with him for lunch or dinner during his two-week residency at the luxury Maldives resort.
While at Soneva Fushi Chef Kenji will be heading up So Hands On, Out of the Blue’s sushi counter that seats a mere five diners at a time and will be serving lunches and dinners to guests
Chef Kenji was born in 1982 in the Yamaguchi Prefecture and was influenced by his grandfather, a sushi chef, into becoming a sushi chef himself. After working underneath his mentors in Tokyo, the chef opened Sushi Gyoten in Fukuoka at the age of 26 and has received three Michelin stars in three consecutive years since 2014.
Chef Kenji is known for using the hontegaeshi (hand flip) technique of Endomae nigiri to prepare his bite-sized sushi – a technique that is rarely seen these days. At Sushi Gyoten the chef uses rice that has been sourced from a region in Kyushu, where there are extreme temperature differences between night and day for its unique flavour. He sources his seafood both locally and from the renowned Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo to ensure he only serves the very best.
Soneva Fushi welcomes two more Michelin-starred chefs in August as part of the Festival of Colour. The three-starred Chef Christian Le Squer from France defines himself as a creator of flavours and composer of tastes, shaping and assembling ingredients in order to enhance them and obtain the most exacting flavours with perfect coherence. Chef Kiko Moya, from Spain, has two Michelin stars. He offers gourmet travellers dishes full of delicacy, skill and traditional flavours. His dishes comprise of aromas and textures of game, handmade sausages, mushrooms, and fish such as sea bass, cod or tuna. Both chefs will be cooking at Out of the Blue’s Once Upon a Table. Christian will be at Soneva Fushi from August 11-25 and Kiko from August 25 – September 1.
In February, Soneva launched its first ever year-long campaign known as a Festival of Colour to celebrate the diverse array of guest activities and experiences on offer this year. Soneva has confirmed a huge line-up of visiting experts, including chefs, authors, wine producers, world-champion free-divers, astronomers, artists, wellness practitioners, tennis coaches and more at all resorts. Soneva’s Festival of Colour runs from February 2018 – February 2019.
