Koki

Main Role

Content Creation

Scope of Work

Content creation, social media marketing, photography

Alex Yates

Creative Director

May Doan

Account Manager

Hoang Anh Nguyen

Junior Account Manager

Viet Ngo

Photographer

Background

One of the best working chefs in Asia left Japan and came to Hanoi. His new concept, a tasteful, intimate underground space only seats a few guests each night, and is usually booked solid weeks, if not months in advance. When Fourdozen began this work, Hibana by Koki was a well-kept secret for those in the know. After we finished, the team that we had come to know and care so much about was standing on stage, receiving their Michelin Star—one of the first four ever given to restaurants in Vietnam.

Hibana by Koki starts with Junichi Yoshida, a man who has devoted his life to the craft. The first and only chef to ever be awarded a Michelin star for teppanyaki, chef Yoshida is single-handedly responsible for elevating this cuisine to new heights on the global stage. At Hibana by Koki, every detail began with Yoshida Junichi’s personal, Michelin-star touch. Executive and sous chefs, benefitting from more than a decade of collaboration with Yoshida, execute his vision flawlessly. Chef Yoshida personally selects every ingredient—yes, every ingredient—and has sourcing arrangements to bring the best that Japan has to offer to Vietnam. 

One of the thrills of working with a new restaurant is in watching it transform and mature before your very eyes. Fourdozen was privileged to assist with not only the grand launch of the Hibana, but also of Koki’s Izakaya which sits one level below. In both venues, diners will be wowed by the craftsmanship and concentration on display.

As part of its work with Capella Hanoi, Fourdozen was engaged to help introduce Hibana by Koki to the world.

Our Big Idea 

The culinary world did not consider teppanyaki a Michelin star-caliber food until Chef Yoshida tried his hand on it. Sourcing beef and seafood from thousands of kilometers away, he brought the best that far-flung Japanese islands had to offer to Ishigaki Yoshida, in Tokyo. Today, he turned his attention to Vietnam, which presented new challenges and puzzles, such as how to source the world’s best beef, from Ishigaki Island, without freezing the taste out of it, or how to get the prized Hokkaido hairy crab to Hanoi in time for dinner. Indeed, executing his vision in Hanoi would push even chef Yoshida, with his Michelin pedigree, to the limits of his creativity.

As Hibana by Koki’s marketing agency, Fourdozen was also presented with a number of unique challenges that come from promoting a restaurant that should need no introduction. Our approach, then, would need to go beyond traditional storytelling on social media.That’s because Hibana by Koki is more than a restaurant. To dine there is something akin to a religious experience. One bite of the slow-cooked steak is enough to make anyone a true believer. Our marketing strategy worked to pull people into Koki’s thrall by doing more than just sharing stories, but rather, by creating legends, and making Koki a place for pilgrimage.

The content plan we prepared placed the hibana grill at the heart of Koki, what we came to call, “the house of senses.” The guest experience begins with the ears, the nose, and the very tips of the fingers. Rather than relying on only words and photos to do the work of evoking this experience, we foregrounded sound in an audiovisual theme that brings the sizzle and clink of Koki to online viewers.

Photography was also a cornerstone of our work, with our lead photographer painstakingly curating shoots that pictured not just the finished dishes but the world-class produce and proteins in a floating world of the senses. Darkness abounds around the edges, with the hyper real food imagery bursting from the center. Minimal, pure and complex all at once, we wanted our imagery to astound just as we knew that Hibana by Koki’s food would.

The project may be completed, but we could not be prouder of the success that this amazing team has gone on to achieve. A recognition richly deserved, for a restaurant that is a true expression of passion. Whether you live in Hanoi or plan to travel here, this is not one to be missed.


Alex Yates

Creative Director

May Doan

Account Manager

Hoang Anh Nguyen

Junior Account Manager

Viet Ngo

Photographer

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