TOKYO YAKI is the new Asian restaurant in Rhodes

Rhodes old town is one of the best-preserved medieval cities anywhere in Europe, rich in Byzantine, Ottoman and Venetian masterpieces. The old town is completely surrounded by walls that are still intact in spite of the passing centuries. All the streets are cobbled and the historic part is so beautiful that it has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site.

A new food venue, the Tokyo Yaki Asian Restaurant, has just opened between the old medieval town and the new harbour area. Apart from the name, anyone entering the restaurant can be in no doubt about the chef’s specialities.

The mood is striking Japanese right from the entrance. Customers are greeted by a carved wood hall and hanging lanterns. A whole wall is occupied by traditional “Fusuma” sliding doors, consisting of vertical rectangular panels and rice paper. The panels’ edging is in natural coloured wood and above the “window” is a tiled roof with light fittings that catch the eye and put diners in the mood for a culinary experience with exotic tastes.

For the floors and walls of the entire venue, the architect ... selected Boutique Noisette marble-effect slabs. The dark colour, deep vein patterns and incredible shine reflect the illuminated signs in Japanese script which appear more or less throughout the restaurant. The same porcelain stoneware surfaces were used to cover the staircases and low walls.

In the washroom area, a painting that portrays the mysterious world of the Geisha and Japanese tradition is placed above large, dark cylindrical washbasins. The second floor is accessed via a staircase clad with specially shaped large-size Boutique Noisette slabs, lit with small LED lights along the length of each step. The walls are decorated with graffiti-like ideograms and cherry blossom. Traditional chopsticks, made from decorated wood, feature on the tables.