The second installment of the project, which spotlights the appeal of hotel dining and the chefs who work hard at it, introduces ``The Okura Tokyo,'' known as the ``Okura of food.'' Okura French aims to hire two chefs to explore how to evolve a new "Nouvelle Epoque" while preserving the essence of Hotel Okura executive chef Masakichi Ono, who led Japanese Western cuisine to authentic French cuisine. I asked about things.

What is Okura French created by the new “Nouvelle Epoque”?

It may be remembered that when Hotel Okura Tokyo announced that it would be rebuilt, many artists from around the world expressed their desire to preserve the masterpiece of modernist architecture. At the same time, the world's media focused on how the architecture, design, and spatial design of Hotel Okura Tokyo would be inherited.

In 2019, Hotel Okura Tokyo opened as "The Okura Tokyo." There was a new Okura that certainly inherited the Okuraism of the past, and it gave us both relief and excitement. With the opening, Okura's representative French restaurant ``La Belle Epoque'' became ``Nouvelle Epoque'' (Nouvelle means new in French) and a new history of Okura French began.

It's been 4 years since then. How did the "Nouvelle Epoque" come to be? Currently, there are two chefs who are indispensable to understanding the "Nouvelle Epoque." Chef Yoshiyuki Ikeda, executive chef of Western cuisine, who takes overall command of the Western food department at The Okura Tokyo, including Nouvelle Epoque, and Ikeda, who was appointed as the new head chef of Nouvelle Epoque in March 2022. Chef Shinichi Ikeda.

Okura French was built by Masakichi Ono, who was known as the Emperor of French cuisine.

When talking about why Okura is called the "Okura of food," let's first introduce the legendary chef "Monsieur Ono," who must not be forgotten.

Hotel Okura Tokyo was founded in 1962, during the period of high economic prosperity, by founder Kishichiro Okura and president Iwajiro Noda, under the guidelines of ``American-style management, European-style cuisine'' and is a representative hotel in Japan. It's a hotel. In 1973, the annex was completed, and at a time when there were still few authentic French restaurants in Japan, ``La Belle Epoque'' was born. The executive chef is Masakichi Ono, who was known as the "Emperor" of French cuisine along with Nobuo Murakami, the head chef of the Imperial Hotel. Murakami of the Empire and Ono of Okura were both called Monsieur with respect. He is a legendary chef of French cuisine in Japan.

The current executive chef for Western cuisine, Junyuki Ikeda, trained under Okura's legendary legend, Masakichi Ono.
``In a nutshell, Monsieur Ono is a cooking demon.When he enters the kitchen, the atmosphere is tense and everyone's faces change.He is a person who never compromises when it comes to cooking, so he checks the taste with his own cup.'' It was really tough.”
Masakichi Ono's recipe notebooks, filled with notes and his attitude towards cooking, are still written down in books and passed down from generation to generation.

Overcoming the challenges faced by the Nouvelle Epoque

``La Belle Epoque'' is an authentic French restaurant reminiscent of a Grand Maison in Paris. And the traditional French cuisine created by Monsieur Ono suited her well. However, when the restaurant was renovated and renamed "Nouvelle Epoque," Executive Chef Ikeda had some conflicts.
``In contrast to ``La Belle Epoque,'' which had an impressive Art Nouveau-style interior with a stately feel, ``Nouvelle Epoque'' is a sophisticated, modern space designed by architect Yoshio Taniguchi.Here, The old menu may not be suitable." He told me how he felt at the time.

Therefore, we decided to take on the challenge of creating a new menu, but in addition to the impact of the coronavirus, we also received comments from customers from the "La Belle Epoque" era that this was not Okura French, so we decided to stop. Become. Shinichi Ikeda will be appointed as the new head chef in March 2022. Therefore, Executive Chef Ikeda decided to return to Okura French's roots.

Although we find tradition appealing, it is also true that we are captivated by novelty. In the restaurant industry around the world, innovative fusion is a new culinary genre that is exciting foodies. Their creative and unique performances that transcend nationality attract many people. Furthermore, this originality is also one of the criteria for restaurant evaluations such as the 50 Best Restaurants, Michelin, and Gault & Millau.

“If we are conscious of these evaluations, we should change our Nouvelle Epoque cuisine, but that is not what we are aiming for. We will continue to create French cuisine,'' Executive Chef Ikeda declared. And he said with a smile, ``I think it would be nice to have a French restaurant like this.''
``In Okura French, there are things that Monsieur Ono treasured that serve as the base for sauces such as consommé, fond de veau, and fumé de poisson.These things should never be spared or changed. This is the origin of Okura food, and by making these things with care, we create unmistakable deliciousness,'' says Executive Chef Ikeda.

Changes in the times and conflicts and reforms in the inheritance of philosophy

Nouvelle Epoque's new head chef, Shinichi Ikeda, is also one of those who wants to carry on Okura French.
“When I became head chef, Executive Chef Ikeda told me to think carefully about what we should protect and what we can change.The background to this is what Okura French is all about. ?What kind of food will please the customers who have continued to love us?I think it's up to you to think about it yourself.''
Based on the challenges faced when The Okura Tokyo opened in 2019, ``Nouvelle Epoque'' has corrected its trajectory to its original form as Okura French. Furthermore, as the new head chef, how will Ikeda express his individuality and culinary aesthetic? A new ``Nouvelle Epoch'' is now starting.

``Okura has a huge amount of recipes that we have accumulated over the years.While reviving them, we will continue to inherit and evolve Okura's heritage by adding a little arrangement to the current taste and combining recipes. "We are working on this," says Chef Ikeda.

I hear that long-time customers are coming back because of the cuisine created by Chef Ikeda. In particular, Ikeda's double consommé soup has a taste that you'll never forget once you try it. Okura consommé is originally one of the popular menu items, but it is a double soup that is simmered with minced Okura beef that is fattened on a private farm in Shimane Prefecture. By applying the extra effort twice, the unpleasant taste disappears and the flavor deepens. We also introduced a new low-temperature cooking technique. Until now, roasted veal had only been carefully baked in the oven, but now it is cooked at a low temperature before being placed in the oven. This concentrates the flavor of the meat and makes it surprisingly tender. The new evolution is also a sign of success.

Accepting the chef's individuality when it comes to presentation and sealing the Okura rule.

According to Executive Chef Ikeda, Monsieur Ono also has rules for presentation that he continues to follow.
``Plenty of sauce, and don't let the sauce go beyond the line at the edge of the plate.'' This was always followed at the time, but now it's common to spread the sauce all the way to the edge of the plate. That's why I leave the presentation to the head chef, thinking it's his or her own individuality.'' I also asked him about the current "Nouvelle Epoque."
"I guess it's okay. I'm telling you to do whatever you want," he says with a wry smile, but his expression is satisfied.

There is a big difference between a hotel restaurant and a city restaurant. While restaurants in the city unilaterally serve the dishes on the menu, hotel restaurants respond to guests' requests with flexibility and responsiveness. The two say that this is what a hotel restaurant is all about, where you can feel at home in your own kitchen, and where top-notch service staff provide a comfortable experience.

And the ``Nouvelle Epoque'' always offers authentic French cuisine. If you want to eat really delicious French food, you should go to Nouvelle Epoque. You're sure to find some delicious food that you won't go wrong with.

(Titles omitted)

The Okura Tokyo

10-XNUMX-XNUMX Toranomon, Minato-ku, Tokyo