New York's Michelin-star chef Jean-Georges Vongelisten is known as a master of modern French cuisine. The restaurant he oversees is ``Jean-Goerges at The Shinmonzen.'' This famous chef was invited to the hotel ``The Shinmonzen'' in Gion, Kyoto. His cuisine is based on French cuisine, but his most distinctive feature is his skillful fusion of French, American, and Asian cuisine, as he has long experience in Asia, starting with the Mandarin Oriental in Bangkok.
In order to perfectly inherit Jean-Georges' skills and spirit, female executive chef Hana Yoon has been appointed to the restaurant when it opens in March 2023.

``I am most happy to be able to create in Gion, Kyoto, a land where tradition, creativity, and artistry intersect, using the best seasonal ingredients from Kyoto and Japan,'' she says.

The restaurant has an open kitchen, counter seats and table seats where you can enjoy a live experience, and one private room.

Enjoy appetizers of sea urchin, tuna, and trout

The contents of course meals change approximately every two to three months. Jean-Georges also visits Japan every season and takes the lead in creating new menus. Introducing the actual dinner. This time it's the ``Taste of Winter 6 Courses,'' and the wine pairing is up to you.
First, after toasting with Chateau La Coste's sparkling wine ``La Beaure'', the guests were served freshly baked homemade ``buttermilk biscuits'' and ``Bordier'' butter from Brittany. The highest quality fermented butter is salty and umami, and the freshly baked crispy biscuits go perfectly with the butter.

Next is the amuse bush that is served all over the world.From the front left of the photo, ``sea urchin, yuzu, and serrano chili'' use Hokkaido's ``Ogawa sea urchin'', which boasts the highest quality in Japan. The yuzu and chili give a refreshing sensation inside the sweet and rich sea urchin. The one in the middle, ``Tuna, Ginger, Avocado,'' combines thin ribbon-like tuna with avocado and a ginger flavor. The combination of sticky tuna and avocado is great. The one on the right, ``Trout, Rice, Mayonnaise,'' has fresh trout on top of crispy fried mayonnaise rice. It looks like nigiri sushi. All of these items are French interpretations of Japanese cuisine.

Agony over egg yolk and caviar

The second dish was ``Egg Toast, Caviar, and Herbs,'' another Jean-Georges signature appetizer. A dish consisting of egg yolk confit cut in half, sandwiched between pieces of toast, greens spread with dill and chivrette on top, and topped with fresh French caviar. The rich, aromatic egg yolk mixes with the salty taste of the caviar, and the flavor of the two types of eggs overflows in your mouth. The wine I paired it with was the Argentine white wine "Andillian."

The pre-main course, ``Scallops, Soba, Black Truffle,'' is a galette made from buckwheat flour coated with sour cream and topped with raw scallops. The aroma of black truffle overlaps with the aroma of galette and the sweetness of raw scallops. In other words, it's a trio of flavors. The texture is a mixture of crispy and soft, and is a delight. It is a dish that touches all five senses and is very delicious.

The wonders of Kuroge Wagyu beef at the finale

The main fish dish is ``Shinshu salmon, shiitake mushrooms, and celery root.'' It is a very elaborate dish that combines high-quality farmed salmon that has been boiled half-cooked with cooked shiitake mushrooms, celery root, and black sesame puree, and is finished with a bonito soup stock with the scent of yuzu. The taste of each part that Japanese people are familiar with creates a synergistic effect. The pair was white "Château La Coste".

The finale is ``Wagyu beef fillet, parsnip, and miso.'' It's Kyoto's Kuroge Wagyu beef served with parsnip (white carrot) puree and topped with miso sauce. The wagyu beef was perfectly grilled, the parsnicke was sweet like a potato, and I was surprised at how well the fermented spiciness of the miso sauce went well with the meat. The roasted Brussels sprouts that come with it are also delicious. It was truly a fitting item to decorate the grand finale. The red ``Château La Coste'' that goes with it has a really long aftertaste.

I'm so happy that I used all the strawberries for the final dessert. Fresh strawberries, strawberry jelly, strawberry sorbet, white chocolate with strawberry jelly, surrounded by raspberries, blueberries, and elderflowers. It was a very fun and delicious dessert with a variety of strawberries and a mix of different flavors.
Even if a recipe arrives from New York, it won't turn out to be delicious unless you have cooking skills. In that sense, I could feel the skill of executive chef Hana Yoon everywhere.
Not to mention the taste, the high-quality atmosphere, the high level of service from the staff, and the 3000 bottles of wine. After all, we live in an era where comprehensive strength is king. It's great that you can use the restaurant even if you don't stay overnight. I definitely want to spend a night in Kyoto at this restaurant.

The most luxurious hotel in Kyoto

``The Shinmonzen'' opened in 2021 as a sister hotel to ``Villa La Coste,'' located in the center of the vast winery ``Château La Coste'' in the Provence region of southern France. With just nine all-suite rooms, it is one of the top-class luxury boutique hotels in Kyoto - no, it is no exaggeration to say that it is one of the best.

Located along the Shirakawa River in the middle of Gion, it took more than 10 years to create and blend into the surrounding environment. When viewed from the main street, the ink-colored wooden walls look old and pale, and it doesn't look out of place at all as part of the cityscape. The architect was Tadao Ando.

I would like to summarize the charm of this hotel in five points.

1. Great sense of architecture and interior design. Not only do they use old materials, but the taste in everything from the tables, sofas, beds, cypress bathtubs, and interior lights in the guest rooms is truly disgusting. All rooms have a balcony overlooking the river.

2. The ultimate hospitality. If guests come by Shinkansen, they will be met at the Kyoto Station platform. When you enter a hotel, it's nice to hear the staff calling your name. Moreover, since we have a large number of staff, we can respond quickly. The turndown service will fill the cypress bath with hot water upon request.

3. Good environment. Although it is located in the middle of Gion, it is extremely quiet. From the balcony of the guest room, you can see Mt. Higashiyama in the distance and the Shirakawa river flowing below. It is free from the hustle and bustle of overtourism.

90. A must-see for art lovers. The hotel owner, who is also a billionaire, is a collector of contemporary art. Damien Hirst is a friend, Louise Bourgeois, Marc Newson, Hiroshi Sugimoto...the modern art displayed in the hotel is like a museum. There is an art tour inside the hotel, as well as an art tour that takes you around Shinmonzen Street, where XNUMX antique art shops are lined up, both of which are free (XNUMX hour).

5. The food and drinks are outstanding. I mentioned Jean-Georges in detail, but guests can eat his breakfast. This benefit is available only at the prestigious Connaught Hotel in London, anywhere else in the world. In addition to that, barista Iori Yahashi, who is the Japan Siphon Coffee Champion (2nd place in the world competition), is on staff, so he will brew the siphon coffee blended by him right in front of you.

This is what I mean to the best of my ability. It was a truly dreamlike stay, one of a kind, and it's no wonder there are so many repeat guests.

Photography by Hiro Matsui

Jean-Goerges at The Shinmonzen

235 Nishinocho, Shinmonzen-dori, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto Prefecture
TEL: 075-600-2055
E-mail:jg@theshinmonzen.com
Business hours: 18:00-23:00 (last order 21:00)

“Taste of Winter 22,000 Courses” XNUMX yen (tax and service included)