Three days. Two masterful teams. One extraordinary convergence of craft and philosophy.
The Oberoi Mumbai is preparing to host what may well be the city’s most significant bar takeover of the season. The Aubrey at Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong—ranked No. 10 on Asia’s 50 Best Bars 2024—will transform The Eau Bar and Fenix into a sanctuary of Shibumi-inspired cocktails and refined Izakaya cuisine. This rare collaboration, running from January 30th through February 1st, 2026, marks a defining moment in the global alliance between Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Mandarin Oriental Hotels—two hospitality titans whose shared commitment to excellence creates the perfect stage for this culinary theatre.
At the heart of this takeover stands Stefano Bussi, The Aubrey’s Head Mixologist, whose approach to the cocktail arts embodies the paradox at the core of Japanese aesthetics: profound complexity achieved through radical simplicity. Ahead of the guest shift, Bussi offered an intimate glimpse into his creative philosophy, the delicate art of cultural adaptation, and the mindset required to transform bartending into something approaching alchemy.
The Four Pillars of Effortless Beauty
The Art of Shibumi is not merely a menu—it’s a philosophical framework translated into liquid form. Bussi has structured his offering around four distinct yet interwoven principles: Elegant, Refined, Imperfect, and Balanced. “Elegant focuses on clarity and precision,” he explains, his words carrying the weight of someone who has spent years perfecting the invisible architecture of flavour. “Refined builds on elegant but introduces more layers and unexpected flavours. Imperfection embraces contrasts, texture, and the unusual. And Balanced focuses on zero-alcohol selections without compromising on overall look, feel, or taste.”
This framework reveals something essential about Bussi’s methodology. “Shibumi is about restraint with intention,” he says. “In our cocktails, that means stripping a drink back to its essential idea and refining every element until nothing feels excessive.” Structurally, this manifests in clarity and balance—fewer ingredients, each chosen for a precise role, each performing with the quiet authority of a master musician in a chamber ensemble.
The flavour profiles themselves become exercises in whispered contrasts: umami paired with gentle acidity, soft bitterness balanced with restrained sweetness. “We create cocktails that reveal depth over time rather than demanding attention at first sip,” Bussi notes. “That quiet confidence is, to me, the essence of Shibumi.” It’s the difference between shouting and speaking in a voice so compelling that listeners lean in.
The Mumbai Translation
Adapting The Aubrey’s rarefied aesthetic for Mumbai presented a fascinating creative challenge—one that required not dilution but recalibration. “Mumbai is a city with an incredibly confident palate—bold, layered, and unafraid of intensity,” Bussi observes, clearly admiring the city’s gastronomic fearlessness. “So the approach was never to dilute our identity, but to tune it.”
That tuning process involved maintaining The Aubrey’s Japanese precision in technique and balance while embracing richer textures, warmer spice profiles, and more expressive aromatics that resonate with Mumbai’s sophisticated drinkers. “The key was harmony,” he emphasises. “Allowing global influences to speak clearly, but always within a refined structure that still feels The Aubrey.”
This cultural conversation—conducted through carefully composed flavours—will unfold throughout the three-day takeover, where guests at The Eau Bar and Fenix will experience cocktails that honor both The Aubrey’s precision and Mumbai’s dynamic, unapologetic palate.
The Choreography of Collaboration
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of The Aubrey’s approach lies in the seamless integration between bar and kitchen. Bussi’s partnership with Chef Emiliano Sebastian Comerso—Maximal Concept’s Group Executive Chef and the creative architect behind The Aubrey’s fine-dining experience—transcends the traditional concept of “pairing.”
“Working with Chef Emiliano is very much a dialogue rather than a pairing exercise,” Bussi explains. “We taste together constantly—not just finished dishes and cocktails, but elements and ingredients in progress—to understand where umami, fat, acidity, and spice are leading the conversation.” This intensive, ongoing collaboration allows cocktails to emerge that either echo the dishes’ flavours or create precise contrasts, never competing with the plate or overwhelming the palate.
“The aim is seamless flow,” he continues. “Each sip and bite enhances the other, so the experience feels cohesive rather than choreographed.” It’s a subtle but crucial distinction—the difference between watching dancers count steps and witnessing true partnership. Mumbai’s discerning diners will experience this carefully calibrated harmony during lunch and dinner service throughout the event.
The Architecture of Simplicity
Achieving minimalism without sacrificing complexity represents Bussi’s greatest technical achievement and most distinctive signature. “Minimalism with complexity comes from technique more than volume,” he explains. “We rely heavily on precise dilution, temperature control, and texture to shape how a drink unfolds.”
Consider “Hanakotoba,” where Daiyame Imo shochu provides natural depth and subtle aromatics, supported by gentle ferments, umami components, and meticulously calibrated infusions. Then there’s “Start Here”—a more welcoming overture, “brighter in profile with lifted aromatics and a clear, precise structure, an entry point into the menu that feels approachable yet quietly nuanced, setting the tone for the experience.”
Both cocktails exemplify Bussi’s central philosophy: “When each element is treated with respect and intention, complexity emerges quietly—and that’s where the balance lives.” It’s the bartender’s equivalent of negative space in visual art—what you choose not to include becomes as important as what remains.
The Global Dialogue
For Bussi and his team, this guest shift at The Oberoi Mumbai represents far more than professional prestige. “It’s important to step out and partake in guest shifts such as at The Oberoi Mumbai, as it requires our team to adapt our philosophy to local markets, fostering creativity and pushing our creative boundaries with local flavours and cultural nuances,” he says.
The global alliance between Oberoi Hotels & Resorts and Mandarin Oriental Hotels provides the ideal framework for this creative exchange. “Being part of this alliance allows us to exchange ideas and standards seamlessly, while adapting to the local palate and culture,” Bussi notes. “It challenges me creatively to maintain The Aubrey’s signature precision and subtlety, even in a new context, and professionally to translate our approach into a bar environment that demands both consistency and flexibility. Every service becomes an opportunity to refine technique, storytelling, and guest connection.”
Beyond the technical challenges, these collaborations serve a broader ambassadorial purpose. “It’s important for the team to use this opportunity to raise awareness in new markets, meeting with esteemed guests at The Eau Bar and Fenix at The Oberoi Mumbai as a way to not only introduce The Aubrey but also Hong Kong.”
The Craft, Speaking for Itself
When asked what aspiring bartenders should cultivate to elevate cocktail-making into a genuine craft, Bussi returns to first principles. “The most important mindset is a combination of curiosity and patience. Be endlessly curious about ingredients, cultures, and techniques, but also patient enough to let flavours, balance, and skills develop over time.”
He encourages treating every drink as a small work of art: “Respect each element, understand why it’s there, and never settle for ‘good enough.’ At the end of the day, it’s about staying humble, learning constantly, innovating, and letting the craft speak for itself.”
That final phrase—”letting the craft speak for itself”—captures something essential about Bussi’s approach and The Aubrey’s philosophy. In an era of maximalism and spectacle, there’s something profoundly compelling about work that doesn’t demand attention but earns it through quiet excellence.
Mumbai’s most discerning guests now have a rare three-day window to experience this philosophy firsthand—Shibumi-inspired cocktails and elevated Izakaya cuisine that demonstrate what becomes possible when quiet confidence meets exceptional craft, when restraint becomes its own form of generosity, and when two great hospitality houses unite in service of something approaching art.
To reserve your table at The Eau Bar or Fenix during The Aubrey takeover, contact +91 22 6632 6205 or +91 22 6632 6220.
Images: The Oberoi Mumbai
