Narisawa

"Yoshihiro Narisawa worked under Paul Bocuse, Frédy Girardet, and Joël Robuchon. But at his namesake restaurant, he fuses French haute cuisine with a profound understanding of Japanese ingredients that has resulted in a style uniquely his own. Serving brilliant left-field dishes such as soil soup (yes, really) and Okinawan sea snake broth, alongside superb langoustine and wagyu beef, he more than merits his two Michelin stars and spot on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list." - Yukari Sakamoto, Robbie Swinnerton

"Yoshihiro Narisawa draws out the charm of Japanese ingredients by paying homage to satoyama culture, a product of harmony between forest and people, and to food producers. Narisawa calls his culinary approach “innovative satoyama cuisine”. Dishes such as ‘Bread of the Forest 2010’, with natural yeast working its magic before your eyes, and ‘Satoyama Scenery and Essence of the Forest’, the essential landscape of Japan expressed through food, are fomenting a revolution in the culinary world." - Michelin Inspector

"Two-Michelin-starred Narisawa was the first entry from Japan to make it into the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2009. Now, the restaurant—which underwent a major revamp in 2023—is as popular as ever, and chef Yoshihiro Narisawa is in fine form. A pioneer of the farm-to-table movement in Japan, chef Narisawa emphasizes sustainable ingredients in innovative dishes that draw inspiration from Japanese, Chinese, and French cuisine. The effortlessly bilingual staff—still a rarity in Tokyo—explains each course in detail but stops short of delivering a tableside lecture." - Melinda Joe

"Rank: #45 "After close to two decades as one of Tokyo’s finest dining destinations, chef Yoshihiro Narisawa’s eponymous restaurant in Tokyo’s upmarket Aoyama district needs little fanfare. Making its name as the inaugural chart-topper of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants, Narisawa has been a stalwart on both Asia’s and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants lists ever since."

"One of Japan 's most talented chefs, Yoshihiro Narisawa presents Japanese ingredients in a style he calls “innovative Satoyama cuisine,” which highlights the country's natural bounty. Narisawa works directly with purveyors to get the freshest seafood and produce. Bread is cooked on the table, there is soup made from soil (yes, literally dirt, along with burdock roots), and a forest-inspired dish that has a live audio feed from a forest in Japan. The exquisite meal is not gimmicky and involves a dizzying array of ingredients, and the wine-pairing option includes some very interesting, untraditional sakes, a great education in the spirit. Knowledgeable staff explain the provenance of each dish—it's like an edible tour through Japan."