Hong Kong’s private members enclave Kee Club has partnered with acclaimed footballer, fashion icon and sake ambassador Hidetoshi Nakata to introduce a new Japanese social dining concept that’s bound to prove popular with visiting business travellers.

Located on 77 Wyndham Street, KOKO is a contemporary izakaya restaurant with a spacious garden terrace that’s ideal for intimate events or cocktail catch ups and which overlooks the historic Central Police Station, offering a rare sanctuary in the heart of the city.

“KOKO means ‘here’ in Japanese. We want KOKO’s guests to be ‘here’, to be present in the moment, to meet new people, and to immerse themselves in the atmosphere, drinks and food,” says creative director Mara Rhomberg.

KOKO combines the much-loved aspects of Japan into one concept – drinks, high quality ingredients, the finesse and creativity that goes into food preparation, and love for eclectic music. Curated by Nakata’s company, Japan Craft Sake Company, KOKO’s sake list features a wide variety of rare and vintage sakes shipped directly from Japan, many of which are not readily found in Hong Kong. Sake lovers will especially enjoy Nakata’s “N” sake made from the highest grade Yamadanishki rice harvested in Kobe, while whisky drinkers can enjoy a selection of Japanese whiskies from Hakushu, Yamazaki, Yoichi, to Suntory without breaking the bank. The list of Japanese whiskies will continually evolve so that guests can try something new on every visit. KOKO’s cocktails, which are crafted with Japanese whiskies and sake liqueurs, are light and fresh, perfect for sundowners on the terrace and match easily with the food.

The izakaya-style contemporary menu allows guests to rediscover Japan through KOKO’s eyes. Dishes pay homage to Japan’s culinary history through the use of Japanese techniques and ingredients while incorporating flavours from around the region to create a unique take on Japanese cuisine. Signature dishes include spicy seafood soup; chu-toro tartare with ponzu and wasabi; red mullet escabeche; rock shrimp tempura with chili sauce and wasabi peel; and chicken tsukune with soft egg and nori. There are also clams in sake; baby back pork ribs; uni crab hotpot; and Hokkaido scallops with citrus tomato and seaweed. The almond and yoghurt cake with mango and caramel miso ice cream and dark chocolate green tea fondant with vanilla ice cream are must-haves for dessert lovers

As the seasons change, KOKO’s chefs will create daily specials to showcase the best seasonal delicacies from Japan as well as unique local ingredients.

During dinner, KOKO’s sake sommelier can suggest sake pairings according to the menu choice to elevate the taste of the food and support the social sharing concept of KOKO. Guests will also be able to choose from an ever-changing list of sakes allowing them to explore different flavours and styles, and unlike Japanese restaurants which serve sake by the bottle, KOKO will offer 10 to 15 different sakes by the glass so that guests can experience the whole spectrum of Nihonshu. www.kokohk.com