A cave up in the sky. This could sum up the concept of Manten Omakase, a Japanese fusion restaurant that seems to have been excavated in stone. However, this restaurant run by chef Waimeng, who specialises in creative Japanese cuisine, is located on the rooftop of one of the exclusive Star Residences luxury buildings in Kuala Lumpur’s business district. Specifically, the restaurant is located on the 88th floor, offering spectacular views over the city skyline.

‘Omakase’ means ‘sky’, and this meaning is also reflected in the restaurant’s tables through the use of Dekton Liquid Sky, a marbled swirl of ethereal lightness that pays homage to the scientific principles of fluid dynamics. Its unique characteristics are apparent on its white background crossed by organic grey veins in a design that explores the momentum of gravity and the interplay of the elements and their parts, paying homage to circular energy and perpetual motion.

“Dekton Liquid Sky matched perfectly with the rocky texture of the walls and ceilings”, says the studio. “It was a challenge to find a material that would fit in with our ‘Omakase’ concept, a space that gives the impression of being inside a natural cave, while maintaining hygiene standards and without having to worry about the appearance of cracks in the material”, the studio further says. The architecture studio found the solution it was looking for in Dekton, an ultra-compact stone composed of a sophisticated blend of more than 20 minerals extracted from nature.

Thanks to its exclusive TSP technology, capable of sintering mineral particles by making them bond together, Cosentino perfects in a few hours what nature takes thousands of years to produce, generating 25,000 tons of uniform pressure (2.5 times the weight of the Eiffel Tower). As a result of this ultra-compaction process, Dekton is free from micro-defects that cause stresses or weak points and has almost zero porosity. And this is precisely what COX Co was looking for: a material that is both durable – it comes with a 25-year warranty – and hygienic, as it does not absorb stains, which can be easily removed with a damp cloth.

While Dekton Liquid Sky, with its dreamlike air and suggestive curved shape, is used for the bartop where food is served, Dekton Keon is used for the show cooking island where chef Waimeng prepares the food. The light and bright shade of Keon brings naturalness and edginess to the space, while adding an industrial and sober touch. “For this restaurant, we set out to achieve a palette of bright tones that, at the same time, would be able to showcase the beauty of natural stone”, says the studio.

The result achieves this with flying colours and, what’s more, it fully meets the customer’s taste. “We especially liked the Liquid Sky and Liquid Embers series, as they matched the taste of our customers”, the studio says finally.