Asian Gourmet Restaurant in Playa del Carmen: now with Venture Group
Venture Group known for its award-winning dining concepts, expands its refined culinary vision to Lanzarote with Kaori, located within the luxurious Hotel Fariones in Playa Blanca.
This Asian gourmet restaurant is helmed by Chef Víctor Planas, a celebrated talent renowned for his work at Kensei, one of Tenerife’s top restaurants.
Kaori is a journey through Asia’s most sophisticated flavours, reinterpreted through a modern lens and rooted in classical Japanese precision.
The restaurant has quickly become a benchmark for high-end fusion cuisine in Lanzarote, winning Best Hotel Restaurant 2024 at the Qué Bueno Canarias Awards and earning a coveted recommendation from the Guía Repsol 2023.
Asian Gourmet Restaurant in Playa del Carmen: now with Venture Group
Kaori is part of the Kensei universe, born from the same creative vision of Chef Víctor Planas. However, it offers a distinct culinary space where broader Asian influences can flourish.
As Chef Planas explained in an interview: “There are dishes I’d love to create because they come from within me, but they don’t fit into Kensei. So having the opportunity to open a restaurant with a slightly different style, where I can express those creations that live inside me but don’t belong in Kensei, feels like an incredible opportunity.”
Kaori is therefore a complementary outlet where Chef Planas can explore pan-Asian creations that don’t align with the purist Japanese philosophy of Kensei.
This creative freedom results in a menu that retains technical rigour while embracing the rich diversity of Asian culinary traditions.
The restaurant’s interior mirrors this duality: minimalist and elegant with Japanese sensibility, yet subtly infused with broader Asian and Lanzarotean influences in its textures, lighting, and atmosphere.
Asian gourmet menu at Kaori in Lanzarote
Every dish on the Kaori menu reflects a balance between refined Asian techniques and Lanzarote’s rich local produce.
As Chef Víctor Planas explains, “We live in the Canary Islands, and each island has its own native ingredients.” This philosophy guides the menu, which highlights exceptional seasonal products from the island.
Kaori works closely with Finca de Uga, known for its high-quality organic vegetables, meats, and other seasonal goods. “They provide everything from vegetables to livestock,” says Planas. The menu also features fresh seafood, with Planas noting that “the sea around Lanzarote is different from Tenerife’s,” offering specialities such as the prized carabinero from La Santa and fresh fish selected according to the season.
Through this approach, Kaori delivers an Asian-inspired culinary experience that remains deeply rooted in Lanzarote’s unique landscape.
Signature dishes that define the experience
• Usuzukuri of Akami Kakai
A delicate cut of premium bluefin tuna served in a broth inspired by Thai Tom Kha Kai, enriched with chilli oil, tamari, and kódium seaweed, creating an umami-rich depth and silky texture.
• Vietnamese Roll with Carabinero
A fresh rice paper roll filled with sweet Carabinero prawns from La Santa, aromatic herbs, and pickled vegetables. It’s both light and flavourful, striking a perfect balance between acidity and richness.
• Wagyu loin on the grill
This premium cut is lightly seared over hot coals and served with ponzu beurre blanc and a hint of truffle, creating a luxurious mouthfeel with layered complexity.
• Smoked scallops with miso and yuzu
Served dramatically beneath a glass cloche of smoke, this dish combines the sweetness of hand-dived scallops with a miso-yuzu glaze and crispy rice cracker for textural contrast.
• Dim sum de chorizo de teror
A nod to the Canary Islands, this house-made dumpling is filled with local Chorizo de Teror, delivering a unique twist that merges Asian technique with island tradition.
A curated wine and sake experience
Kaori offers a finely curated wine list that places emphasis on Canarian vineyards, as well as international wines chosen to complement the intense flavours of its menu.
The sake selection is equally noteworthy, featuring premium labels from Japan, including Junmai Daiginjo, served in traditional glassware and paired with expert guidance.
Gastronomic Landmark in Southern Lanzarote
In a tourist destination increasingly focused on gastronomic excellence, Kaori stands out as a true point of reference in Lanzarote. Visitors from around the world discover in this space a unique offering that blends:
• Contemporary Asian haute cuisine
• Top-quality local produce
• Impeccable service and a carefully curated atmosphere
• An unbeatable location in the south of the island
As Rodrigo Gonzalez, a representative of the Venture Collections management team, highlights, one of the main challenges when opening a restaurant away from their usual base is not being able to be physically present every day.
However, he emphasises that “we have a fantastic team, both in the kitchen and front of house, and since opening, we’ve experienced many rewards.” That trust in their team is precisely what allows Kaori to deliver a consistently refined and high-level dining experience.
Thus, Kaori is not just a restaurant, but a multi-sensory experience that firmly places Lanzarote on the international map of cutting-edge gastronomy.
Chef Víctor Planas: redefining asian cuisine in the Canary Islands
Chef Planas brings a unique voice to contemporary Asian cuisine. Known for his exacting standards, minimalist plating, and creative flavour combinations, he has become a reference point in Spain’s haute cuisine scene.
At Kaori, he blends Japanese technique, Southeast Asian ingredients, and Mediterranean nuance with ingredients sourced from Lanzarote’s land and sea. Each plate is designed to evoke emotion, an experience as visual as it is flavourful.
Reserve your table at Lanzarote’s leading asian restaurant
Looking for the best Asian restaurant in Lanzarote? Kaori awaits you with a high-end gastronomic experience in Lanzarote, where contemporary Asian cuisine meets the island’s natural surroundings and exceptional service.
According to Rodrigo González, a representative of Venture Group’s management team, “Kaori has enormous potential to become a gastronomic landmark in Lanzarote and the spearhead of the group.”
Chef Víctor Planas puts it clearly: “We always aim to cook at the highest level and surprise our guests, offering them a truly unique experience. With the setting we have, close to the beach, top-tier facilities, and the quality of ingredients we work with, I believe it’s entirely achievable.”
Discover why Kaori has been named the Best Hotel Restaurant in the Canary Islands and recommended by the leading experts in the culinary world.<
Location: Hotel Fariones, Playa Blanca, Lanzarote
Reservations recommended