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1. Zuma Zen is packed with plenty of fruits and greens that take the edge of this vodka cocktail. Typical summer ingredients include mint, kiwi and cucumbers. Japanese shiso leaves (a sharp and fruity leaf you always find in sashimi and sashimi platters) are also thrown in plus yuzu syrup (based on a tart Japanese dried fruit), Bison grass vodka from Poland, and freshly pressed apple juice.
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2. Kiwis and cucumbers are diced into chunks and put into a glass. Torn shiso leaves and chopped yuzu are tossed in there too.
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3. Crushed ice are piled in and everything is pounded and mashed by a large pestle.
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4. The booze of choice in this concoction is a smooth Bison Grass Vodka from Poland; around 50mls is poured in.
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5. According to Zuma’s bar manager Ian Wong, they avoid using too much artificial liqueurs so their drinks can taste more natural. Here, they use cold pressed apple juice for extra sweetness.
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6. Shake, shake, shake.
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7. Poured into a glass, it's finished with extra shiso leaves on top as a garnish.
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8. Zuma Zen, a cool and crisp cocktail at just HK$95, now available at Zuma.
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Zuma, the Japanese sushi and sashimi emporium in Central's Landmark building, has earned a lot of cred for their cocktails since they've opened a few years ago. Whatever the season, their signature drink Rubabu (based on rhubarb and sake) is their best seller. According to their bar manager, Ian Wong, it normally takes over two days to make this recipe, which involves simmering kilos and kilos of the stringy red vegetable in sugar and water until it all becomes a syrupy pulp.
This season, Wong's recent cocktail experiments have led to Zuma's Bonseki Cocktails promotion, where a handful of summer freshers feel like a breezy stroll through a garden rather than the typical tropical variety that involves coconuts and rum. We just love their Zuma Zen, packed with plenty of greens, like cucumber and mint, plus Japanese Shiso leaves that bring a potent, earthy zing to this drink. Dried Yuzu, a tart Japanese plum, is thrown into the mix, giving it an extra tarty dimension. "We try not to use artificial liqueurs in these cocktails because we want them to taste more natural," reveals Lung. The booze of choice here is a smooth Bison Grass Vodka from Poland, known for mixing well with fruits. Zuma's bartenders gave us a tour of how Zuma Zen's made, for your viewing pleasure. This cocktail is only HK$95 a pop, available at Zuma now. For more information, call +852 3657-6388 or go to Level 6, The Landmark, 15 Queen's Road, Central.
