The bespectacled Hokkaido-born chef recalls: “When I thought of it as a profession, I realised it was not easy to make my living, so I decided to change my direction to cooking, which I had the same level of interest as in design.”
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At 31, he took a plunge—coupled with a hefty loan—to buy a plot of land in the affluent district near Maruyama Park and built a standalone building that would later expand to be three-stories tall.
When it comes to cooking, chef Ishii also believes in “being realistic”.
It is little surprise that his 20-seat fine-dining restaurant revolves around the terroir of Hokkaido, and he visits farmers to understand their philosophy. He explains: “My food changes all the time because it is expression of ‘the me of today’. Reality is the concept of my cuisine.”
He does not complicate dishes by “respecting the pure taste of produce and putting some diversity or dramatic changes depending on the dish”.
“In a degustation menu, I use different tastes and textures to give the guests rhythm and tempo. I want them to enjoy the moment with excitement”, he adds.
The meal opened with pillow-soft potato croquettes buried in an earthy ‘soil’ of hazelnuts, black olives, anchovies and black sesame that is nutty, sandy with a dash of salt in a stone pot.
Chef Ishii says tongue-in-cheek: “I want diners to forage like how pigs search for truffles”. The sandy appetiser is served with sweet chunks of botan shrimps that melds into the topping of citrusy yuzu espuma crowned with caviar.
With the Hokkaido terroir playing an integral part of his cuisine, the menu at Le Musée changes based on the seasons and the transition periods. April in Hokkaido, to chef Ishii, is “just between the melting of snow and the sprouting of greenery, which gives a very short window frame to use the produce for dishes”.
To this end, he has created an amuse bouche of fried springtime vegetables and dishes such as sea urchin soup and onion, spring cabbage and Hokkaido abalone, oyster drenched in single malt whisky from a distillery, which opened in Hokkaido two months ago.
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In fact, it was the Russian-French artist that inspired chef Ishii to name his restaurant, Le Musée. During his maiden trip to France at 22 years old, the first French words that he knew was ‘Le Musée’ as he wanted to visit Marc Chagall Museum in Nice, France.
“The culinary world that I create is an expression of myself and it is an art form”, he says. “Le Musée is a place where people get to watch my philosophy—just like art.”
What was your first encounter with the MICHELIN Guide?
It was in 2012 when the first edition of MICHELIN Hokkaido Guide was launched, but of course I knew about [it] long before I started my culinary adventure. The Guide is like a dream for chefs learning French cuisine. As soon as I started my career, I already knew about it. My first impression of the Guide is that it is authoritative and it is a distant dream.
How was it like when your restaurant received Michelin Star for the first time 12 years ago?
I felt very happy to receive a star. But at the same time, I also felt bitter and I could do more. I have got more motivation to go further.
What does having one Michelin star mean to you?
Having a star is a kind of rating to the restaurant and to myself that makes me confident. Guests can also rely on us to deliver a certain standard guarantee of a dining experience. I only have gratitude to all those who have supported me. However, I feel that I still need to grow and go further in terms of what I want to do, what I want to express and the messages I want to deliver through my restaurant.
What advice do you have for young chefs aiming for Michelin stars?
Getting a Michelin star is so influential and it can change your life. But you need to think of what you really want to do and how you work. Work with quality ingredients, improve your sensibility, have curiosity to anything—there will always be someone who will appreciate your work. Don't think too much about what people say or on someone's rating, but focus on improving yourself.
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