New Japanese restaurant now open in Vail

The highly anticipated opening of Zuma Vail is finally here with the restaurant set to serve guests its signature izakaya-style cuisine on June 11 at The Sebastian-Vail.

Zuma is a global brand that started 25 years ago with its first location in London in 2002, followed by Hong Kong in 2007, then came Dubai and other worldwide destinations. Its first location in the United States was in Miami in 2010. Vail now joins New York, Boston and Las Vegas and is the brand’s first alpine location in North America. 

“I’ve been coming to Vail for years and for me, the energy, the people who live here, the people who visit here, that’s our type of clientele, so it just made all the sense in the world to bring Zuma to Vail,” said Nick Fielding, senior vice president for Azumi, the award-winning global restaurant company that operates Zuma in 25 different locations as well as other restaurants like ROKA, Oblix and more.  

The space in The Sebastian-Vail has completely changed from the configuration of the entrance to the carved timber screens and original Japanese beam pillars with glowing amber resin inlays creating a warm and inviting place to dine and socialize after a day on the hill. Cozy up in one of the boucle wool-lined booths along the restaurant’s perimeter or view a piece of the action at the sushi or robata counters. There are also private dining rooms for a more intimate experience for your group. The open kitchen gives guests an immersive experience while the culinary team is firing up the robata grill or creating artwork with nigiri on the plate. 

The menu at Zuma is extensive, but the brand holds true to its most beloved dishes and will be serving them in Vail, also.

Support Local Journalism

Donate

“If you step into any Zuma, you’re going to have the same spicy beef, the same miso black cod in Vail, in New York, in Dubai, in Hong Kong, that’s what our guests want. Having those four or five signature dishes keeps the guests returning and then they can always look for something new,” said Marco Cannata, corporate executive chef of Zuma North America.  

The dishes are prepared in the kitchen, sushi bar and robata grill. The Zuma style of dining is focused on sharing with family and friends, and with so many amazing signature staples and specials, you’ll want to try as much of the menu as you can.

For starters, try the crab salad with avocado, mizuna and sesame dressing or the tiger prawn tempura. Then move on to one of the signature dishes Chef Marco mentioned, or try the wagyu skirt steak with shiso sauce made on the robata grill or salt-grilled branzino. Save room for dessert. The Vail-inspired maple cheesecake comes with huckleberry, kokuto graham crumble, and the Nikka whisky foam makes it look like a little mountain on your plate. The taste and textures are balanced beautifully, and there are no calories when food tastes this delicious. 

Beyond the menu and décor, Zuma Vail also sets the tone with a DJ booth built right into the restaurant. 

“We have a global head of music who takes care of our music for all of our Zuma restaurants, just to make sure that the music is consistent throughout all the venues,” Fielding said. “It lends to the atmosphere. The DJ can build up the mood for après ski, change it for dinner, and then bump it up for after dinner.” 

Zuma Vail carries with it an energy that can be felt at all of its locations, and Fielding says that starts with the staff globally and locally. 

“Speaking to the energy of the room, it really is completely dependent on the teams that we have working here. We’ve got a lot of amazing people who have worked in Vail before, and they understand our clientele really well. We have our global department heads here to spread the spirit of Zuma and instill that into this new location,” Fielding said. 

On Tuesday night, the Zuma Vail team officially kicked things off during a private, invite-only pre-opening dinner with its wonderful tradition of cracking open a barrel of sake. Francisco Troncoso, Azumi’s group culinary director, asked the large crowd of diners, “Are you ready?” and got a resounding “Hai,” which means “yes” in Japanese, in response. 

“Are you sure?” Troncoso asked again.

“HAI!” was the reply, even louder and with more energy this time.   

“I get a little emotional talking about it because we’ve all been working on this project for a long time,” Fielding said. “It takes so many people who are here and afar to bring this to life. Our team is super grateful to be here above anything else. We’re thrilled for this, and we can’t wait to welcome you to Zuma Vail.”