As if we needed more excuses to go to Vail, we now have two. Makoto Vail restaurant opened earlier this year inside the recently-remodeled Grand Hyatt Vail. Together, they provide more than enough reasons to plan a Colorado Staycation.
Makoto Vail + Grand Hyatt Vail: An Indulgent Combination
Where to Sleep and Play:
Grand Hyatt Vail got a fresh, new look, top to bottom, room-by-room, in 2019. Located in Vail Valley, a beautiful stroll away from Vail Villages, or a quick shuttle drive away, it’s easy to take advantage of all of the dining, shopping and festival-going the resort town has to offer, year-round. But, you might be tempted to just stay put, given all that the property has to offer keeping you having fun, being active, or laying low.
Here’s just a sampling of what the hotel offers:
A heated pool and hot tubs located opposite Gore Creek and the mountain for beautiful views.
The Spa at Grand Hyatt takes inspiration from traditional alpine spas, offering a variety of treatments incorporating the healing powers of nature including Swedish massage, mud baths, body scrubs and facials.
The Fitness Center is open 24/7 and has state-of-the-art equipment plus scheduled fitness classes.
Topgolf Swing Suites can be reserved with golf simulators that allow you to play renowned courses around the world or other non-golf games.
Venture Sports Ski & Snowboard Rentals is located on-site, for a ski-in/ski-out experience. While you wait by the fireplace, your boots will be warmed up for you and equipment will be carried to and from the #20 chair lift which is right outside the door. This is also the place to rent a variety of other winter sports equipment.
Access to activities including guided nature walks and hikes, fly-fishing, bike rentals and tours and dog sledding.
Resort experiences including nightly s’mores by the outdoor firepit, morning flow yoga and meditation, sweet treats served in the Fireside Lounge and even champagne sabering!
Rooms with benefits such as balconies overlooking the creek and mountainside, comfy beds and big bathrooms.
Dining options for whatever you’re in the mood for, from Room Service to Gore creek Market for grab-and-go and food throughout the day; Fireside Bar & Lounge for lunch and dinner with floor-to-ceiling mountain views; Colorado Mountain Grill and, newly, Makoto! That leads us to…
The Makoto Vail experience
From Chef Makoto Okuwa, master of modern Japanese cuisine, the restaurant is inspired by traditional cooking with a contemporary take on raw and cooked dishes. The restaurant has 110 seats with a serene color palette and Wabi-sabi design, the Japanese philosophy of embracing the natural world through materials that can be found in light wood, smooth stone and dark metal. A dramatic shoji screen at the entrance and artwork highlight the bar area. The main dining area (which extends out to the covered patio), has a long, open kitchen. That means seeing beautiful sushi coming out and flares of flame (that are supposed to be happening!), for quite the show. You can also sit up at the sushi counter to see your mini works of art being formed. We loved the tables which have inlay elements that reminded us of jackets with brocade fasteners.
To give you an idea of the culinary expertise behind Makoto Vail, Chef Makoto himself has trained under sushi masters and has worked in, and opened, stellar restaurants in Philadelphia, New York, Miami, Washington D.C. Sao Paulo, and Phoenix.
The food menu offers a lot of choices but not so many that you’re overwhelmed and find yourself pointing to just anything. Our helpful server answered our questions to help us pick some amazing items. Heres’ what we had:
Miso Soup ($7) was delicious with comforting warmth, earthy flavor and silky tofu.
Dynamite Hand Roll ($15) was baked crab in soy paper. Given the name, we were picturing a sushi-like roll but it was more like a soft egg roll. It was a little difficult to eat but very good.
Tuna Crispy Rice ($17) with serrano chili, was also a surprise in presentation, with tuna “paste” on top of rectangles of rice cake. The combination of soft tuna on the crisp rice was nice. Great for grownups, this would be a good thing to order for kids because of the familiar taste but texture they’ll enjoy.
Makoto House Salad ($16) was a nice surprise with a plentiful heap of various greens and wasabi miso dressing that didn’t overwhelm and a sprinkling of panko crumbs on top. We loved the presentation in a chilled block which kept the delicate greens from getting wilty. I strongly encourage you to order this along with your other selections. It’s a nice counterpoint to other offerings and is delicious.
Braised Beef Yaki Noodles ($29) are a hearty dish finished off table-side. The ingredients are stirred in a hot bowl with instructions to let it sit a couple of minutes so that whatever is in contact with the bowl gets a little crispy. Our tip is to dig down as you serve up from this bowl to get a good mix of ingredients and to continue to let new parts get that nice sear on them.
We also enjoyed a bountiful and beautiful platter of a combination of Sushi and Sashimi, selected by the Chef. I can’t even tell you what everything was on this platter but I know Unagi (BBQ Fresh Water Eel), Hamachi (King Yellow Tail), Oh-Toro (Fatty Tuna), Hirami (Fluke), Tamago (Traditional Egg Omelette – the rectangle with branding!), and Japanese Uni (Hokkaido Sea Urchin) were among the items. The delicate flavors were so interesting and varied. We made a point of not talking as we ate them, really focusing on the flavors and textures, noting the differences and various qualities. It was the least we could do for ourselves, for the sushi masters and, frankly, for the fishes and seafood!
Other options on the menu include Crispy Brussels Sprouts with kimchee and lime ($14), Wasabi Veggie Fried Rice ($15), Miso Wild Alaskan Sable Fish ($48), Grilled Lamb Chop ($49), Wagyu Beef Hot Stone ($38), and a variety of Premium Steak offerings. The Wagyu Beef Hot Stone is a fun one. Although we didn’t order it, it’s quite the event with diners placing raw slices of beef on an actual hot stone which cooks it!
Dessert options run from simpler options like a trio of Mochi ($12), to more complex like Soft Serve Sundae ($10) with vanilla and blood peach swirl, miso caramel, caramelized pumpkin seeds and raspberry pecans. There are very ambitious options too such as the Flaming Death Star ($16) which we were told is on the heavy side but amazing, with black sesame chocolate cream, green tea marshmallow, sake dark chocolate and rum flambe. We shared the Fruit Toban Yaki ($16) with a passion fruit-white chocolate base, almond cookie crumble and mango sorbet.
We met Eduardo Dingler who runs the beverage program. He is a renowned wine and sake judge, sake ambassador and sommelier. He has created a menu including mocktails, wine, saki and spirits for drinks including Atsui Apres Ski, a Japanese-style hot toddy with Iwai Whiskey, Junmai sake, honey ginger syrup and spices including star anise and clove. The restaurant also has a Suntory highball machine used to create four highball iterations with whiskey, vodka, gin and shochu.
A meal at Makoto is not to be rushed through. It should be focused on, taking note of the appearance, aromas, textures and flavors. You’ll get much more out of the entire experience, making it more worth the money you’re spending, which can add up depending on how much, and what, you order.
Makoto Vail is located at Grand Hyatt Vail at 1300 Westhaven Drive in Vail. Dinner is served from 5-9pm and reservations are encouraged but not required for dinner. Complementary valet parking is available with a validated ticket when dining at Makoto.
-Story and photos by Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, In Good Taste Denver
Please note: As is common practice in our industry, we were hosted for this visit but that never influences our opinions which remain our own, honest and true.
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