新桥城市酒店

‘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.

A noren of Tokushima indigo, Tokushima sakes, fish from Naruto and Awa beef make Hiroyuki Kanda’s roots clear. Selecting ingredients carefully and applying minimal preparation is Kanda’s style of cooking. For example, rice should be cooked to perfection, each grain distinct, with small holes like crab burrows dotting the surface. The chef’s motto is ‘subtle flavour is true flavour’, and it is in the subtle flavours that depth of character is known.

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.

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.

The food culture of Hong Kong is summed up in a simple proverb: Sik dak hai fuk: “Eating is a blessing.” The Hong Kong–born chef, known only as ‘Tommy’, delights in staging the daily ritual of gathering around the dinner table and merrily sharing a meal. He puts each ingredient on display as he cooks heaping platters of food and shares it out among his guests. Freshly roasted pork fillet and crispy chicken are flavours straight from his native city.

With his expertise refined at a Kyoto cuisine restaurant, the chef emphasises seasonal ingredients, showcasing his experience in dishes that highlight their finest qualities. He starts with delicacies and aemono appetisers designed to enhance the enjoyment of sake. The warm boiled wild mustard greens with deep-fried tofu is a Sasada speciality perfected over many years. All the dishes are carefully prepared with a focus on simplicity, showcasing the chef’s humble personality and dedication to his craft.