This August, India gets a rare taste of one of Japan’s most quietly remarkable culinary traditions. The Oberoi, Bengaluru and The Oberoi, Mumbai will host Kioke Dojo, an exclusive dining experience that brings together Tokyo chef Yoshifumi Tashida of Namida, master brewer Yasuo Yamamoto of Yamaroku Shoyu, and chefs from The Oberoi Hotels to explore the extraordinary possibilities of barrel-aged Japanese soy sauce. Presented by SpicedLore and Tropical Trading Co., the experience marks the first time Kioke Dojo comes to India, with dinners taking place at Wabi Sabi at The Oberoi, Bengaluru, on 22 August, followed by Fenix at The Oberoi, Mumbai, on 24 August 2026.
At the centre of the experience is Yamaroku Shoyu, a rare style of Japanese soy sauce made using traditional kioke wooden barrels. On Shodoshima Island, where Yamaroku is based, soy sauce continues to be brewed in these centuries-old wooden vessels—living ecosystems in themselves, where naturally occurring microorganisms contribute to the character and complexity of the final product. The process is remarkably patient. Yamaroku’s shoyu is aged for approximately four years, allowing seasonal changes and the natural fermentation environment to gradually develop its flavour. The result is a soy sauce with remarkable depth and nuance: intensely umami, complex and layered, yet delicately balanced. It is a tradition that has become increasingly rare. Less than one per cent of the world’s soy sauce is still produced using this traditional wooden-barrel method, while saishikomi, or double-brewed soy sauce, represents an even rarer expression of the craft.
For Chef Yoshifumi Tashida, the experience is an opportunity to draw a connection between Japanese culinary heritage and another great tradition of patient fermentation: wine. As an international ambassador for the Japanese Government, Chef Yoshifumi has long championed Japanese regional cuisine on the global stage. His philosophy of “Personalised Pairing” forms the foundation of Kioke Dojo, exploring how the distinctive character of Yamaroku’s shoyu can be paired with individual ingredients and dishes much as one might pair a particular wine with food.
At The Oberoi, Bengaluru, Chef Yoshifumi will collaborate with Wabi Sabi’s Lead Chef Randy Cultivo, while Chef Richard Malone will join him at Fenix in Mumbai. Together, they will present a seven-course menu that brings Japanese culinary techniques into conversation with India’s seasonal produce.
The menus will feature Yamaroku’s Tsuru Bishio, a high-umami, low-sodium soy sauce, allowing the ingredient to take on a role far beyond that of a conventional condiment. Here, shoyu becomes part of the architecture of the dish—adding depth, salinity and complexity while allowing the natural character of each ingredient to remain at the forefront. There is something particularly compelling about an experience built around such an unhurried philosophy. In an era of instant gratification, Kioke Dojo celebrates the opposite: fermentation measured in years, craftsmanship passed through generations and flavours shaped by time, place and nature.
For The Oberoi, the collaboration also reflects the hotels’ continuing focus on bringing culturally significant culinary experiences to India. The Bengaluru and Mumbai dinners offer guests an opportunity to encounter a Japanese tradition that is rarely experienced outside its homeland, interpreted through a contemporary seven-course menu and the lens of Indian seasonality.
Ultimately, Kioke Dojo is less about soy sauce as an ingredient and more about understanding what happens when food is given time. It is a celebration of patience, terroir and craftsmanship—and a reminder that some of the world’s most extraordinary flavours cannot be rushed.
Images: The Oberoi Hotels
