LIO HOTEL Tokyo Nippori

‘Simple and minimal’ is Noboru Arai’s guiding philosophy, grounded in precision. Using few ingredients and minimal seasoning, he pursues a refined, elegant expression of French cuisine. He communicates regularly with chefs of other countries, borrowing from a wide range of culinary cultures in search of originality. While French in spirit, the proprietress greets guests in kimono—an Asakusa touch that reflects the charm of Tokyo’s traditional downtown.

Asakusa is a second hometown for the chef, who has lived here since his apprenticeship. He inherited both spirit and skill, along with tools and serving ware, from his mentor. He reveres the old teachings of the sushi world but does add a few twists of his own. He adds sweet potato shochu to rich soy syrup; to rolled omelette, he adds soy milk. The character for the chef’s surname of ‘Oku’ developed from a combination of the characters for ‘house’, ‘rice’ and ‘palm of hand’; a sign, he contends, that he was destined to run a place where he would fashion rice meals with his hands.

The chef opened a small restaurant, Ma Poule to celebrate the appeal of Jura, in eastern France. This region, with its beautiful forests, valleys and wetlands and its wonderful ingredients and people, made a profound impression on the chef. Chicken and morels in sauce vin jaune is a Jura dish in which the chef takes great pride. This dish is paired with specially produced yellow wine. The façade and interior, and even proprietress’s clothing, are yellow as well. A restaurant filled with love of Jura.

The chef’s starting point is the ramen his grandmother cooked for him when he was a child. He added ‘Toy Box’ to the name because he wanted to create ramen that holds the same excitement for his guests as a box of toys does for a child. Soy sauce ramen, the shop’s flagship offering, is constantly tinkered with to improve it. In search of a depth of gustatory experience, over 10 types of soy sauce are combined in the broth. Yet the ramen is a dish of simple happiness; noodles from the good old days.

‘Tentenkyokyo’ carries the heartfelt wish that guests will enjoy tempura and soba to their heart’s content. Shiba shrimp, skewered and deep-fried, is a standard of soba-shop tempura beloved since the Edo period. Although the sea from which shiba shrimp were once harvested has been reclaimed as land, the tradition lives on. Shiba-shrimp tempura embodies the spirit of Edo, and the food culture resonates even today. For your omakase set menu, you can choose whether to include small dishes in the bill of fare or focus solely on tempura.

Hideki Ishikawa’s guiding principle is ‘mui-shizen’: serve cuisine that is true to nature, free from artifice. Flavours are light, respecting each ingredient. Simplicity makes presentations all the more impressive, with consideration for harmony among flavours. Niigata rice is cooked fresh and served in earthen bowls, imparting the taste of the chef’s homeland. Kitchen and service staff work together with the practised solidarity of a well-rehearsed team.

Black, white and orange are the tricolore of ‘Watanabe-ism.’ Black represents faith that cannot be tainted; white, the freedom to become any colour; and orange, the flame manipulated by the chef. On offer here is a fusion of French and Edo food cultures. Sobagaki is emulsified using French techniques; local Japanese elements include kaminari-okoshi, a roasted and flavoured mochi cracker; and monaka, a sweet of azuki bean paste sandwiched between crisp wafers. Watanabe-ism has deep roots in Asakusa-Komagata.