Sotetsu Fresa Inn Ginza Sanchome

‘L’Osier’ means ‘The Willow’. The name comes from the willow trees that once symbolised Ginza and is a nod to the shop’s founding location. When the doors open, guests are greeted by a glass artwork depicting a willow tree. Half a century has passed since the restaurant opened, but it has never stopped innovating. Chef Olivier Chaignon cultivates relationships with producers around the country, creating French cuisine at the cutting edge of the era.

Menu items are named after the traditional 24 divisions of the seasons, following the celestial longitude of the sun. Ingredients take on a poetic expression as well, and scenes of intersection between nature and human activity convey a wealth of feeling: people preparing food, or eating it. The feelings such images evoke will vary from person to person. Through the sensibilities of Lionel Beccat, we feel the bonds between humanity and nature.

Standing at a counter made from a 700-year-old cypress, Toru Okuda celebrates the vitality of nature through his cooking. The shop boasts water from Okuda’s native Shizuoka, fish from Suruga Bay and wasabi and tea from his home prefecture as well. His heartfelt respect and love for Japanese food led him to open a branch in Paris to spread the gospel of true Japanese cuisine. Opening a fish restaurant in a country without a culture of ikejime was a bold move. By proclaiming food in which Japan can take pride before the world, Okuda is leading one of the world’s great cuisines into an exciting f

Fumio Kondo breathes new life into classic Edo tempura by incorporating vegetables. He popularized the idea that tempura is, in essence, a form of steaming. Working backward from the frying time, he prepares ingredients just before frying to preserve freshness and vibrancy. As the coated tempura pieces steam in their own moisture, flavours of coating and tempura piece merge into one. Kondo’s quiet, unwavering focus as he tends to the pot speaks to the pride he takes in his craft.

The young kitchen team is a blur of motion at this counter kappo establishment. Believing that dining should be fun, the owner greets guests warmly, fostering a congenial atmosphere. The menu sparkles with originality. Oil-cooked dishes, a must-try, extend beyond deep-fried foods. Tsukuri are par-cooked in oil, in a technique known as aburadoshi. Tempura is fried before your eyes, so their aroma and sizzle reach you before the food does. Kakiage, tempura shrimp over rice in a clay pot, draws the meal to a close.

Seiji Yamamoto charts the vastness of Japanese cuisine. He handles his knives and tends his charcoal grill with relentlessly honed technique. He elucidates the properties of each ingredient and the best ways to prepare it with a scientific eye, displaying unwavering resolve. His winter menu is replete with fugu items, products of years of experience and passion for Japanese cuisine. Disarming frankness shines in Yamamoto’s favourite expression: ‘I’m a chef because I love cooking.’ From January to March, RyuGin offers only the exclusive fugu course.

A restaurant produced by an international giant of the culinary world. In an astute reading of the times, he was among the first to include generous amounts of vegetables and cereals in his creations, dialing back the fats and sugars. As a result, both flavour and postprandial feeling are light. BEIGE Alain Ducasse preaches l’art de vivre through gastronomy in an emporium that exudes elegance, from the beige interior to the Jacquard fabrics and the design inspired by Coco Chanel.