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This festive season, the NAYUU space at Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai becomes a meeting place for two chefs from different culinary backgrounds. Chef Alex Moranda and Chef Kazu Miyata, two distinct personalities from two different worlds of Japanese cuisine, share a kitchen, opening up a subtle dialogue. Omakase and kaiseki meet in every slice of ingredient, creating a rare experience where the uniqueness comes from the moment two culinary worlds coexist and resonate in a festive feast.
Chef Alex Moranda (left) of NAYUU and Chef Kazu Miyata (right) of Odo deliver an unforgettable culinary experience for the festive season.
Two schools, two approaches to Japanese cuisine, blend together in a single meal while maintaining their distinct identities. While omakase is immediacy and personal, where the chef reacts to the day's ingredients and the sensations of the moment, kaiseki, on the other hand, is structured as a narrative, slow-paced and rich in seasonality, where each dish plays a predetermined role. When placed side-by-side, these two spirits don't merge into one, but rather coexist and engage in dialogue, allowing the meal to unfold a deeper, more nuanced understanding of Japanese culinary depth.
During the year-end holiday season, NAYUU's head chef Alex Moranda will team up with chef Kazu Miyata, representing the two-Michelin-star restaurant Odo in New York, to present a series of four-hands dinners from December 25th to 29th and New Year's Eve, December 31st, 2025.
The event was seen as a rare culinary dialogue, where two elite Japanese culinary schools intersected: the contemporary omakase style of NAYUU and the traditional yet modernized kaiseki art of Odo. This fusion was built on a shared foundation of appreciation for premium ingredients, a spirit of creativity, and a celebration of Japanese culinary philosophy.
The four-hands dinner experience at NAYUU opens up a multi-layered culinary journey, reflecting the deep expertise of the two chefs. NAYUU, under Chef Alex Moranda, focuses on the refined omakase style, built upon gomi – the five core taste elements of Japanese cuisine. Chef Alex, who trained at the Sushi Tokyo Academy and has experience at numerous Michelin-starred restaurants, brings a blend of precise heat control techniques and a unique omakase perspective.
In contrast, Odo restaurant in New York embodies the essence of fine dining, renowned for its modern kaiseki style. Under the expert guidance of its team, including chef Kazu Miyata, Odo stands out with its philosophy focusing on seasonality, the purity of flavor, and the selection of sustainable ingredients. Chef Kazu Miyata possesses a Kyoto-style culinary artistry, honed through years of study and work in prestigious kitchens such as the legendary 3-Michelin-star restaurant Kikunoi.
The four-hands menu opens up a culinary journey of creative dishes from two chefs.
The experience at NAYUU is more than just a feast; it's a culinary cultural event, depicting the meeting of two major cities: Da Nang and New York. Diners will be guided through a 14-course menu, a meticulously crafted symphony blending the refined kaiseki artistry of Chef Kazu Miyata with the exquisite omakase, especially the sushi and sashimi, of Head Chef Alex Moranda. This is a rare opportunity to witness the contrast and harmony between the rigor of traditional kaiseki and the improvisational, approachable nature of omakase.
The 14-course menu presents a rare encounter between two unique Japanese culinary styles.
On the evenings of December 25th to 29th, the four-course meal at NAYUU unfolds as a leisurely conversation across 14 dishes, where two chefs guide diners through the distinct rhythms of omakase and kaiseki. The technical complexity isn't displayed directly, but rather subtly hinted at through the seasonal handling of ingredients, allowing each dish to become a pause, a moment to appreciate the listening and dialogue between the two culinary personalities.
On the evening of December 31st, the dinner concluding the old year took on a different rhythm. The menu maintained the spirit of the two Japanese culinary schools, but was expanded with sophisticated drink pairings, making the experience more complete and profound. In the tranquil atmosphere of NAYUU, the New Year's Eve moment was marked not by boisterousness, but by a slow, leisurely culinary journey, allowing one to feel the gentle transition from the old year to the new.
