Tokyu Stay Shibuya Ebisu

For Joël Robuchon, ‘emperor of French cuisine’, this eponymous restaurant is the jewel in the crown of the company. Kenichiro Sekiya, recipient of the prestigious Meilleurs Ouvriers de France (MOF) and heir to both the spirit and cuisine of his famous mentor, uses Japanese ingredients to breathe new life into French gastronomy. His interpretation of Le Caviar Imperial evolves from generation to generation. Even the trolley service is the pinnacle of luxury. A table of magnificence as befits the hall of the emperor.

Ensui means ‘flame and water’, celebrating the two starting points of Japanese cuisine: charcoal flame and water for soup stock. The pride of the house is its stew. Using water brought all the way from Kagoshima, dashi stock is drawn from aged kombu and high-grade bonito flakes. The soup ingredients are suffused with the aroma of charcoal, completing the theme. With the practiced hands of a craftsman, the chef weaves the soup ingredients and the soup broth into a harmonious whole. A natural curiosity drives him to scour producing regions for the best ingredients. A personal journey expressed t

The dim interior suggests the depths of the ocean—the abyss—or the deep green of the forest. Pursuing the theme of ‘sea and mountain’, seafood and vegetables are combined in dishes that convey the bounty of Japan’s seas. The chef first understood the appeal of seafood while staying in Marseilles. Land and sea are united by the turning seasons; the clear streams of mountain uplands become rivers below. This is the eternal cycle by which the land is replenished and the ocean is refreshed. The laws of nature expressed in cooking.

Kaoru Aihara is a veteran of fish cuisine with an inquiring mind. Depending on the fish, he may break apart the fibres, transform the fish oils, add umami or increase complexity even to the aroma. His ‘Charcuterie of the Sea’ appetiser explores the possibilities of fish through French culinary technique. Immerse yourself in the story of fish through the geography of Japan, a land surrounded by ocean.

The name is French: saucer used as a verb, to pour sauce or to drizzle sauce on bread. The standard fare is what the chef terms ‘saucer’: freshly baked bread on one plate and a sauce on the other. Consommé drawn over a period of three days is a key ingredient. Morel mushrooms in spring and sweetfish in summer impart seasonal flavours. As an apprentice, the chef was appointed saucier, sauce master; his confidence shines in his work today.

The restaurant has had a new chef since 2026. The interior, kitted out like an English manor house, is the reason for the name ‘Manoir’. Eager that guests should relax as if in their own homes, the owner/sommelier serves guests himself. The chef’s aim is to serve light French cuisine. The sweetness and tartness of fruit are overlaid with the umami of fermentation and salt-pickling. Game is delivered by hunters from Hokkaido and other places throughout Japan. Enjoy the wild flavours of game cuisine, with a glass of French wine.

The omakase set menu provides an impressive variety, beginning with side dishes. After sashimi and bar snacks, vegetarian fare follows to change the pace and to signal the transition from snacks to nigiri. Sushi toppings showcase the chef’s craftsmanship, honed over many years, as well as a few of his novel touches. The first piece is tuna, the measure by which a sushi shop is judged. Unique choices include botan shrimp and shiitake mushrooms from Minamiuonuma. Eggs are rolled into Japanese-style omelettes, light and gentle in flavour.