La Mar Debuts ‘Amano’ Tasting Menu Featuring Chef-Made Stoneware | Eater Miami
"I learned that Mandarin Oriental’s in-house restaurant La Mar by Gastón Acurio is launching “AMANO by Oka,” an eight-course Nikkei tasting menu by executive chef Diego Oka that will run three nights a week in a 20-seat, reservation-only format (reservations open October 17, 2024). Each dish is served on over 400 unique, handcrafted stoneware pieces Oka made himself and finished with a liquid-glass coating — a literal nod to the Spanish phrase for “made by hand.” Oka describes the work as art: “I’ve been doing art for years that disappears in minutes; now, I am doing art in minutes that will last for years.” The menu blends Peruvian cuisine with Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, and Italian influences and stages courses with distinct presentations: La Flor, inspired by Japanese ikebana on a plate modeled after Peruvian Brutalism; El Tiradito, served in a Murano glass–inspired bowl with carved edges; Los Fideos, cured duck noodles in a vessel inspired by traditional Japanese clay plates; La Papa, celebrating Peru’s 4,000 potato varieties on a tray symbolizing the Andes; Escondido, a tribute to Oka’s grandmother reimagining locro; Picante, channeling carapulcra with more than 30 ingredients on a molten-lava–style plate; and Pachamanca, quinoa tamales cooked underground and unveiled tableside. Dessert, El Asparrago, is eaten with a handcrafted spoon guests choose, and each diner departs with a surprise keepsake and a parting gift of Peruvian pancakes to enjoy the next morning. Oka taught himself pottery about five years ago via online videos, now works in a studio the Mandarin Oriental converted for him using FDA-approved clay, and the experience is priced at $260 per person (excluding beverages, tax, and gratuity)." - Olee Fowler
