Bengaluru: In a fast-paced culinary world defined by instant gratification, true luxury increasingly belongs to the art of waiting. This weekend, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts invites epicures in Bengaluru to slow down and partake in a monumental gastronomic milestone: India’s first-ever Japanese Kioke Dojo experience. Hosted at Wabi Sabi inside The Oberoi, Bengaluru, this event is a rare, hyper-exclusive masterclass in craft, terroir, and time.
Chef Tashima and Yasuo
Yamamoto Kioke Dojo team.
Brought to India through an extraordinary collaboration between SpicedLore by Tropical Trading Co., Japan’s revered Yamaroku Shoyu, and Tokyo’s award-winning restaurant namida, this seven-course dining event redefines how we understand umami. At the heart of this culinary showcase is an ingredient as complex and nuanced as a fine vintage wine: double-brewed, Kioke barrel-aged soy sauce. For refined diners accustomed to the uncompromising standards of Oberoi Hotels, this series promises an unprecedented journey into one of Japan’s most endangered and treasured artisan traditions.
READ ALSO: Going PHURR-Ther Than Ever: How PHURR Is Redefining Elevated Vegetarian Dining in Bengaluru
To understand the magnitude of the Kioke Dojo experience, one must look closely at the craft of shoyu (soy sauce) making. Today, mass industrial production accounts for nearly all the soy sauce consumed globally. Less than 1% of the world’s soy sauce is still fermented using traditional kioke—massive, centuries-old wooden barrels that harbor a living ecosystem of beneficial microorganisms.
Bar-b-q style burdock with burdock chips.
On Shodo Island in Japan, master brewer Yasuo Yamamoto of Yamaroku Shoyu guards this timeless heritage with quiet devotion. Yamaroku’s soy sauce undergoes Saishikomi—a double-brewing process aged for roughly four years. Over this extended period, seasonal shifts temperature-tune the barrels, allowing the wood to breathe and coaxing out an astonishing depth of flavor. The resulting Tsuru bishio soy sauce is high in umami, naturally low in sodium, and bursting with a complex terroir shaped by land, sea, and time. As Yasuo Yamamoto notes, bringing the Kioke Dojo to India is deeply meaningful because it connects two cultures where craft and traditions continue to live through their people.
The Kioke Dojo dinner is a harmonious meeting of minds, bringing together visionary chefs who share a reverence for seasonal integrity and precision. Leading the international delegation is Tokyo’s acclaimed Chef Yoshifumi Tashida of namida. Serving as an international ambassador for the Japanese Government, Chef Yoshifumi champions “Personalized Pairing,” drawing intentional parallels between the ancient wood-barrel fermentation of soy sauce and the time-honored traditions of global winemaking. Joining Chef Yoshifumi in the kitchen is Chef Randy Cultivo, Lead Chef at Wabi Sabi at The Oberoi, Bengaluru. Together, these masters have curated a bespoke seven-course tasting menu that thoughtfully bridges authentic Japanese technique with hyper-seasonal Indian ingredients—all elevated by the rich, velvety undertones of Yamaroku’s four-year barrel-aged Tsuru bishio.
SpicedLore Yamaroku Shoyus.
Unfolding on August 22nd, 2026, the Kioke Dojo series anchors itself within Wabi Sabi, the signature Japanese dining venue at The Oberoi, Bengaluru. Nestled among lush, ancient grounds framed by a centenarian raintree, The Oberoi, Bengaluru provides an idyllic, serene backdrop for an evening steeped in cultural depth. Ranked among the premier dining destinations in the world, Wabi Sabi offers a tranquil sanctuary where zen-like water bodies and elevated gastronomy intertw. Mayank Dhawan, General Manager of The Oberoi, Bengaluru, highlights that nurturing this spirit of excellence and bringing guests an experience steeped in history and cultural depth makes this collaboration particularly exciting.
READ ALSO: Wait, It’s Automatic?! The Plot Twist Inside Versace’s Latest 5-Lakh Timepieces
That this historic cultural exchange finds its home at Oberoi Hotels is no coincidence. Since its inception in 1934, The Oberoi Group has built an international reputation rooted in an unwavering philosophy that the guest is everything. While the brand’s pristine gardens, private balconies, and state-of-the-art luxuries—such as IoT-based air purification systems ensuring the city’s cleanest air—set a benchmark for global hospitality in the Garden City, the true essence of the hotel lies in heartfelt human connection. By bringing rare global traditions like the Kioke Dojo to Bengaluru, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts continues to curate meaningful cultural dialogues that resonate long after the final course is cleared.
Slow cooked onion with plum, tomato tofu.
Given the intimate nature of the Kioke Dojo experience at Wabi Sabi on August 22nd, seating is strictly limited to ensure an unhurried, personalized journey for every guest. Tables for these exclusive sittings at 6:30 p.m. and 9:15 p.m. are capped at the first 30 bookings. Prior reservations are mandatory and can be secured directly with The Oberoi, Bengaluru.
