Ken Kawasaki, the Japanese Chef Hiding Out in Montmartre

With just 14 covers along a wooden counter, facing a traditionally Japanese open kitchen, Ken Kawasaki launched his eponymous restaurant in June 2016. Kawasaki works alongside Noborimachi Saryo from Hiroshima, and the pair present an unpretentious offering that straddles two continents.

This does not mean however that the food is facile. With a liberal interpretation of Franco-Japanese cuisine, the young chef presents bold pairings such as mochi and octopus or grapefruit and dauphinois gratin with grated wasabi. Ingredients are sourced both in France as much as in Japan, while means of preparation oscillate in much the same way. There is just one single thematic: harmony served with calligraphic precision.

Awarded its first Michelin star in 2018, the Montmartre-based restaurant is flying high.