Mitsui Ocean Cruises Announces Partnership with Chef Kiyomi Mikuni – Cruise Industry News

Mitsui Ocean Cruises today announced an exclusive partnership with internationally acclaimed chef Kiyomi Mikuni.

According to a press release, the award-winning chef is a prominent name in Japanese-French fusion cuisine and will bring his culinary experiences to a cruise ship for the first time.

The collaboration will debut onboard the new Mitsui Ocean Fuji, which is scheduled to enter service for the company on Dec. 1, 2024.

Adding the first ship to its fleet, Mitsui Ocean Cruises was launched earlier this year by MOL Cruises, which operates the Nippon Maru.

According to the company, the new brand will combine MOL’s culinary experiences with Chef Mikuni’s expertise to offer one-of-a-kind dishes and exclusive opportunities.

“As the most experienced and traditional cruise line in Japan, our culinary team has always been praised by our guests for their meticulous preparation and presentation of fresh ingredients from local purveyors,” said Katsutoshi Nakayama, executive chef onboard the Mitsui Ocean Fuji.

“Partnering with Chef Mikuni to oversee our new specialty restaurant Hokusai and select dishes in the main dining room onboard our new Mitsui Ocean Fuji combines our heritage and commitment to serving memorable dishes with his expertise and unique style, with exquisite French and Japanese culinary fusion.”

According to Mitsui, the collaboration will showcase curated French dishes that also combine traditional Japanese ingredients.

Mikuni will oversee the dining menus of Hokusai, a specialty restaurant that will focus on Japanese-French-inspired cuisine, offering a five-course dinner for a fixed price.

The chef will also create a selection of dishes rotating on the dinner menus for the Restaurant Fuji, which serves as the main dining room onboard the ship.

Offerings will include Salmon Compote with Red Wine Sauce, Red Sea Bream with Escargot Butter Sauce, and Vietnamese Rice Bowl with Japanese Vegetables.

“The culinary vision of Mitsui Ocean Cruises has a high standard to serve extraordinary dishes that match my one true passion of cooking,” Chef Mikuni said.

“Partnering with the most experienced cruise line in Japan to bring my innovative flair to guests while they sail around Japan and beyond on the new Mitsui Ocean Fuji is a joy for me.”