On Sunday, June 24th, a gala dinner was organised at the Matsunoki
Restaurant featuring a menu of Japanese delicacies, such as sashimi and
salmon, nigiri sushi and gyoza – Japanese pasta filled with black
Slavonian pig meat. Saša Pribičević, the restaurant's main chef, created
the Matsunoki menu with his team placing great emphasis on the
combination of the local foods and herbs.
The night before the opening, the guests of Matsunoki enjoyed the preopening party while tasting saki wines at the Masterclass prior to the gala dinner. Along with the meals prepared by Saša Pribičević, the chef, the guests of Matsunoki also tasted the first pink champagne, Veuve Clicquot Rosé, celebrating its 200 years of existence this year.
The newly opened Matsunoki (Eng. pine tree) is a fusion restaurant of the traditional Japanese cuisine merging original Japanese foods with quality fresh Croatian foods grown ecologically and locally. The goal of the chef’s team headed by Saša Pribičević, the main chef of the restaurant, was to offer the guests the best Croatian and international flavours using fresh seasonal foods organically grown that are especially appreciated by the guests of the hotel and villas of the Lošinj Hotels & Villas hotel brand.
All guests of LH&V and the Island of Lošinj, all those who love Japanese cuisine, as well as yachtsmen traversing the Cres-Lošinj waters, can find oysters with wine granita and herbs, maki sushi, beef teriyaki, karrage chicken, matcha ice-cream with sweet azuki bean paste and sesame crumble, as well as other famous Japanese dishes with a dash of Lošinj on the menu at the Matsunoki Restaurant. In addition, Matsunoki staff make their own homemade udon pasta coupled with aged beefsteak, green beans and teriyaki sauce in a wok. Superb Japanese delicacies by Saša Pribičević, the chef, are further complemented by a special offer of whiskeys by renowned distilleries in Japan, such as Nikka Taketsuru, The Yamazaki, Hakushu and Hibiki, as well as an offer of sparkling sake wines and brandies.
The Matsunoki Restaurant takes up 240 m2 and can accommodate around 70 guests. It features a striking sushi bar and an open kitchen so that the guests can see their food being prepared. The Bay of Čikat on the Island of Lošinj has been greatly popular among gourmets and those who enjoy superb wines. Those responsible for such a high level of gastro offer are primarily the chefs of LH&V who prepare gastro specialties using the products and foods grown on Croatian family farms, as well as oenology Masterclass programs gathering leading wine label experts from Croatia and the world each year.
