Transparent cooking

Hokkaido-born Shinichi Sato started his career in Japan, before moving to France in 2000. He quickly established himself, in 2011 becoming the first Japanese chef in the country to earn two Michelin stars, for his restaurant Passage 53. “I was surprised by the announcement,” he says. “Although my role remains the same, it has given me a motivating pressure to excel, as it seems to have raised people’s expectations of me.”

Last September marked a new chapter for Sato, with the opening of Le Restaurant Blanc in Paris’s 16th arrondissement. In collaboration with Japanese starchitect Kengo Kuma, Sato meticulously crafted every aspect of this elegant 30-seater restaurant, from the menu to the stylish, clean aesthetic and the impressive cellar of over 7,000 wines. The look of his new restaurant reflects his Japanese roots, with a bright, open kitchen and white-themed decor, symbolising the purity and simplicity that underlie his culinary vision.

Sato refrains from traditional French ingredients such as heavy butter and cream in favour of a “transparent” style of cooking – for instance, using Japanese ingredient kombu dashi stock to enhance flavours without overwhelming the palate. His dishes, characterised by clarity and lightness, avoid excessive decoration and focus on the essence of the ingredients instead. Take his oyster ice cream with Laphroaig whisky and Sologne caviar: the fresh umami of the ocean is elevated with a hint of peaty smokiness.

“My aim is not just to impress but to satisfy my diners,” he says. “I’ll let their contentment be the measure of my success.”