New in 2025 | Prix fixe menus trace the steps of Daniel Calvert’s culinary journey. His experiences in each city—London, New York, Paris, Hong Kong—interweaves and elevates the culinary cultures of their respective countries. A borderless sensibility joins French ingredients such as foie gras and vin jaune with Japanese influences such as soy sauce and sake lees. ‘The key to success is consistency’, says Calvert, who fine-tunes his craft with each dish.

What better location to showcase the wonders of Japan than steps from the Imperial Palace? With the Japanese flag emblazoned on his shirt, Seiji Yamamoto expresses his respect for spirituality and Japanese ingredients. The chef notes that ryori, the word for cuisine, consists of two characters meaning ‘discernment’ and ‘measurement.’ Yamamoto innovates from a scientific perspective, based on clear theoretical grounds.

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.

The Japanese love of small spaces is deeply connected with the spirit of the tea ceremony and its cultural background. The counter, affording just the right distance between guests and Chef Shunya Kadowaki, seats just six. The private room, whose low ceiling suggests a tearoom, is so intimate that guests can feel each other’s breathing. The menu features dishes where ingredients in season come together to create fleeting sensations that linger in the memory forever.

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.

‘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.

Attended by a coterie of apprentices, Hideki Ishikawa never forgets the mindset of constant study. He visits producing regions, returning with the most outstanding foods. Each dish contains no more than two main ingredients. With unobtrusive technique, Ishikawa expresses the quality of his fare with flavours of elegant simplicity, pursuing the true character of Japanese cuisine. In so doing, he reminds us of the bounty of nature and respect for ingredients.

Shinobu Namae’s vision is the connection between nature and people. In search of knowledge about ingredients, he visits producers, plunges into the ocean, and hikes through the hills and fields. The list of producers on his menus tells the story of his cuisine. ‘Artisanal Vegetables’ serves up the fragrances and minerals of the good earth on a single platter. ‘Forest to Ocean’, a seafood dish, expresses the cycles of nature.

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.

Chef Shuzo Kishida is ever mindful of three key elements: ingredients, flame, seasoning. He is always trying to evolve on these fronts. His drive to create new recipes each season derives from constant fine-tuning of sensibility and accumulated experience. Goat’s-milk bavarois has been a speciality since the day Kishida opened his restaurant. Putting the spotlight on the future of French cuisine, Kishida also takes pride in turning out the next generation of chefs.