Sumizen Bali

Sumizen is the yakiniku restaurant of Japan's KAWANO Group, set in the Garden area of the AYANA Bali estate in Jimbaran, next door to its sister restaurant Honzen. The kitchen serves Japanese-style Korean barbecue, and every cut is cooked at the table over binchotan, the dense Japanese white charcoal known for steady heat and a clean, smoky finish. Executive Chef Takumi Kimura, who built his career in Japanese hotels, leads the kitchen.

Beef is the main event. The premium list runs from Japanese Kuroge Wagyu A5 and A5 wagyu picanha to wagyu tenderloin and Australian wagyu MB 9+, backed by classic yakiniku cuts such as karubi short ribs, US sirloin rosu and several styles of beef tongue. A seafood platter with Balinese lobster, Hokkaido scallops and tiger prawns covers non-beef eaters, while kimchi, japchae, stone-pot bibimbap, spicy jigae stews and Japanese desserts round out the meal. An omakase menu can be arranged with one day's notice.

There is no main dining hall. Guests are seated in one of eight Japanese-style private rooms, each with its own balcony over a bamboo and stone garden, which makes Sumizen a natural choice for birthdays, family dinners, business meals and couples who want a quiet, hands-on grill night inside a resort setting.