Sushi for the soul
Alina owner Chef Ken has devoted the last 20 years of his life to perfectly crafting sushi dishes. In Japanese culture, he would be considered an itamae, which is a cook in a Japanese kitchen, or a chef in larger restaurants. In the western world, the itamae is often thought of in relation to sushi, which is what this skilled chef has specialized in for so long.
Chef Ken earned his stripes working in places like London for four years and Moscow for another two years. Sydney Australia was also his home at some point, along with other famous cities. In more recent years, his travels took him to Cuisine Art in Anguilla, which was a huge change for him, given his background in larger restaurants in huge cities. He fell in love with the small-island life and made himself a home in Anguilla for the past seven years, complete with his own restaurant. Thanks to upsets from Irma, Chef Ken moved to St. Maarten and graced us with the presence of Alina, a new sushi sand sake concept bar in the heart of the Simpson Bay Yacht Club.
When you have the pleasure of dining at Alina, one of the more distinctive aspects of the experience is watching Chef Ken at work as he prepares Nigirizushi, or hand-pressed sushi. His hands dance elegantly over the rice and raw fish combos as he assembles them into delicately edible mounds of beauty held together by delicious wasabi. You can easily spend hours being calmed by the meticulous sleight of hand used in preparing these dishes. The graceful knife work could be something out of Kabuki, a form of Japanese theatre that combines, music, drama and dance, as he arranges the slices of seafood for his display of sashimi. Have you ever seen a lobster skilfully plated next to its supple flesh? Chef Ken has made this happen. The way he chooses to prepare and arrange his food speaks of a type of imaginative reverence chosen for a creature that has given its life to provide your body with sustenance.
After 20 years in the kitchen and working in Japanese cuisine, Chef Ken came up with the concept of Alina, which provides a traditional Japanese experience that relies heavily on quality, but utilizes mainly locally caught fresh fish. Part of the appeal of Alina is eating at the bar, which seats up to eight people at a time. From there, you can watch Chef Ken and his sous chef create works of art. He has worked to provide a unique dining experience mainly heard of in Japan. You can call Alina before you arrive and make a reservation for Chef’s Choice, which is an arrangement of dishes prepared by the chef; you can sit at the bar and enjoy the dance of hands.
While many choose to focus on sushi rolls, you will find quality nigiri at Alina. Expect to be served fresh tuna, snapper, king fish and whatever other local fish are available. There is a choice between indoor and outdoor dining, like the Izakaya or Japanese informal pub style of dining. Imagine having a long day and being able to have drinks and tapas before you head home. Alina makes it easy for you to relax and share a wonderful meal experience with close friends.
Open for lunch and dinner, Alina is located next to Jimbo’s in the Simpson Bay Yacht Club. The kitchen usually closes at 10:00pm, but is flexible.
