东京大门酒店 by Hulic

‘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.

Sometimes our connections intervene to change our lives. Harutaka Takahashi’s mischievous youth in Asahikawa took a turn for the better when, through a tempura master who was a close friend of his potter uncle, he landed a job at Sukiyabashi Jiro. Like Ravel’s Bolero, sushi here is presented with a particular rhythm, building toward a crescendo of sweetness, sourness and temperature in harmony. Destiny is in the taste and texture of every piece of sushi at Harutaka.

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.

Katsuhiro Onodera unearths exquisite flavours by combining the barest minimum of ingredients. The starting point for his creativity is his Tohoku hometown of Kesennuma, where he grew up surrounded by mountains on one side and ocean on the other. Turban shell and bamboo shoot soup, served in seashells, is a homegrown greeting to welcome the spring. Crab baked in the shell and hot pots are somehow hearty and delicate at the same time. The dishes engage all five senses, leaving lasting memories of what you ate.

Shinji Kanesaka’s watchword is iki, a word spanning a wonderful variety of meanings. Depending on the character it’s written with, it can mean ‘living’, ‘fresh’ or ‘stylish’. Steady, daily accumulation of learning shows in the way the craftsman lives his life. The leadership by which he cultivates his young staff is outstanding. Kanesaka orients his team toward a common goal, burnishing their character, with each team member playing an appointed role. He sharpens his skills and those of his team, knowing that all their training culminates in that single moment – a piece of sushi.