JHotelTokyoGEO

Satoru Asahina pursues a gastronomy of ‘traditional heritage with modern innovation’. He delves into the history of French cuisine to reconstruct ancient recipes with his own interpretations. The prix fixe meal begins with a colourful amuse-bouche and proceeds to plates adorned with multi-layered culinary creations. Consommé pressed through a siphon with a flourish and desserts paraded on trolleys catch the eye. Classic cuisine tuned up to point to the future.

Chef Guillaume Bracaval expresses the Japanese landscape in his cuisine. Travelling across the country to familiarise himself with ingredients, he experienced its abundant nature first-hand. The map of Japan indicating where all his ingredients come from traces his journey. Wanting to create delicate and healthy dishes, he limits his use of butter and cream. Desserts inspired by contemporary art are highly original. Perched on the hotel’s top floor, the dining room affords stunning views of the city below.

A man of few words, the chef fixes his attention on his grill. He focuses on every detail of yakitori—the state of the charcoal, how the skewers are assembled and grilled—pursuing the subtleties of a cuisine. His favoured type of chicken is game fowl, prized for its supple texture and rich flavour. It is seasoned with a salt base and modulated with added chicken fat or vinegar, then wreathed in smoke as it cooks on the grill. Skewers are interspersed with chicken-based snacks such as cold chicken breast and mincemeat potato salad. A procession of dishes of lively originality.

‘Circular gastronomy’ from the chef of Mirazur in southern France. Prix fixe menus are composed from four themes—roots, leaves, flowers and fruits—expressing the beauty of nature and the cycle that happens in our world. The fare is modern French woven from Japanese ingredients, but it also beguiles with influences from the chef’s native Argentina, such as tapas and asado. Having stretched out his roots in southern France and budded leaves of creativity, the chef has blossomed in Otemachi.

A restaurant under the supervision of Niko Romito, whose unique philosophy is blazing a trail through the Italian culinary world. From the concept of ‘authentic yet contemporary’, Il Ristorante - Niko Romito brings together fare from every region of Italy. Vegetable soup is prepared without water; instead, moisture is extracted from the ingredients, yielding a pure expression of flavour. Spaghetti pomodoro features concentrated essence of tomato. The pursuit of the flavours and essence of Italy.

The concept is ‘a place that weaves a tale of an encounter between earth and sea’. ESTERRE expresses the terroir of Japan through the supervision of Alain Ducasse, a legend of the gastronomic world. Entrusted with the kitchen is Kei Kojima, who conjures fare that is both healthful and flavourful. Vegetables, selected in the markets of Kamakura, are colourful and fresh. Ingredients wreathed in the fragrance of a charcoal flame display a quintessentially Japanese approach.

An old wooden sign catches the eye: ‘Unagi – eat this, and there is no need for medicine.’ This reflects the founder’s belief in eel as a nourishing food. The fourth-generation chef honours tradition while adapting to the present. The Unatsugu-ju carries the spirit of passing eel culture to the future, with efforts to release juvenile eels into the sea to replenish wild stocks. In step with the times, a counter seat offers a view of the craftsmen at work.