Makoto is Vail’s newest sushi paradise

When was the last time a dining experience transported you to a different world? At Makoto at Grand Hyatt Vail, it’s easy to believe that a bespoke restaurant has been lifted directly from Japan and placed in Vail. Entering the dining room, guests are greeted with warmth: wood, textures and buttery light. Choose a table on the enclosed patio for stellar views of Gore Creek, but truly, expansive vistas are available from almost any seat. This is Executive Chef Makoto Okuwa’s first restaurant in a mountain town; his love of the area is expressed in the design and décor.

Created by Okuwa, who was originally known for his work with Chef Masaharu Morimoto on “Iron Chef” but has made a name for himself with restaurants across the county, Makoto is a celebration of the chef’s vision of Japanese cuisine. Inspired by traditional Edomae-Sushi but elevated by his innovative reinterpretation of raw and cooked dishes, the menu includes sashimi imported from Japan and a premium selection of Wagyu steaks sourced from Hokkaido and Snake River Farms in Idaho. 

Start with a cocktail: The list includes playful interpretations of classics like the Nagoya Negroni which uses genmaicha-infused Roku gin, or the Murasaki Margarita, with tequila and lime along with umeboshi salted plum. The Dai Ume is a popular option with sake, sochu and mezcal. After awakening your palate, it’s time to peruse the options. Sushi or sashimi or steak or salmon? Why not try it all?

Every dish is a haiku, a bit of poetry presented with each bite. A first taste of crab with dynamite sauce, rolled in rice paper, is: spicy, savory/creamy luxuriousness/bereft when consumed. The tuna crispy rice is a play on textures, the jasmine rice providing the perfect crunch for the tuna mousse topped with a serrano chili: juxtaposition/between crispy and velvet/do we need some more? Then there’s the Umami Kampachi: amberjack served raw/yuzu provides a brightness/umami powder. Add in the garlic chips and julienned shiso leaf and it’s a multi-syllable symphony.

Though it would be easy to stay with the starters and “raw” section of the menu, don’t sleep on the salads: The Makoto house salad is addictive. Our waiter shared that Okuwa grew up on a river and his family used to pick watercress. The dressing (search it online and dozens of copycat recipes pop up) is a version of one his mother made. The result is an elevated version with watercress and chikuwa (a Japanese fishcake) tossed in a wasabi miso dressing with a generous portion of tempura flakes. It’s a dish that invites endless picking — you might think you’re finished, but then you find you’re reaching back for more.

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There are so many flavors to explore, so many bites to be savored. Looking for some elevated comfort food? The braised beef yaki noodles arrive sizzling, the tamarind soy sauce decadent and glossy yet refreshingly cut by the ginger aioli. Feeling like fish? The miso wild Alaskan sablefish literally melts in your mouth (try it — this is not hyperbole), a luscious bite rounded by the ume plum and punctuated by the pickled turnip. Every element of Makoto comes together to create a lyrical experience. Let the poetry of the scene, scents, spices and sake sweep you away.