“I think that’s the ultimate for experience. A lot of guests appreciate that. I believe we have [created an environment] almost like a second home and many guests have wanted to come back here.” That return business is a key feature for Kazumasa and Thana. Connections from an earlier life have led to many overseas visits from friends and acquaintances, and the couple go out of their way to make sure the long-haul flights are worth coming back for. “We could have been anywhere in the cities, but we chose to be here, we wanted also to have something meaningful for us. It’s not running after the figures or the numbers, any more, not about how much business you can do,” Thana says. “People might be thinking we are kind of a hotel and restaurant, which we are not really positioning ourselves that way. It is hard to actually fall into a main theme, accommodation or restaurant, because then expectations and then the service part will be very different. What we are doing here is more private, you can exclusively come and stay. I know that it sounds very unusual.” That understatement is part of their charm. They’re not chasing tourists or trending on Instagram. Guests come because they’ve heard whispers. Because they’re looking for something real. This lends itself into the carefully curated menu as well, which, while undeniably Japanese, is shaped by the landscape. “We don’t position ourselves as a Japanese restaurant, because a lot our guests are coming from Singapore, from Malaysia, from Southeast Asia, following chef,” says Thana. “Obviously it’s much cheaper and there are more direct flights from Singapore to Japan, so it is more about providing an experience for people. We’re not trying to serve anything you can find alternatively, equally good or even better in Japan, it doesn’t make sense. A flight to Japan is much cheaper. “What we try to do in here, I think, is more about giving a new perspective of Japanese technique that could be highlighting what is based on the land and the sea
here. It’s more a Japanese technique, but it’s a new perspective, a new experience.
“If guests are coming this far, often they will spend many hours in and around the house, rather than using it as a base and going off on excursions. We serve afternoon tea; we have many chances to be with them whenever they ask. The dining alone is 4-5 hours, and then most of the courses will be executed over the woodfire in front of you. The longest we have stayed with our guests is until 4am in the morning. That is a lot of hours to bond. You cannot spend that much time if you want to start following the numbers. We spend our time to get to know them as well, because that is part of what we think is meaningful.” In an age where some are chasing the latest overexposed dining trends or social media-fuelled hype, Cambridge House stands apart. Not because it’s hidden, but because it chooses to stay that way.
There’s a Japanese word, Shibui – a quiet, understated elegance that doesn’t need to shout to be beautiful.
That’s Cambridge House. A place where the food is slow, the memories linger, and the chef might just sit down with you after dessert – if the plum wine or house made sake is ready.
14
Tasmanian Hospitality Review June/July Edition
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online