How much can one learn about a chef just from a single dish? In our Plate Stories series, we take you on a delicious journey into the minds of the world’s top chefs as they unfurl the stories behind each thoughtfully plated ingredient.
One of the most exciting chefs in Asia at the moment, Japanese chef Hideaki Sato is widely celebrated for his delicate and refined cooking style that seamlessly marries French culinary techniques with the kaiseki traditions and premium produce of his homeland.
He cultivated this elegant culinary style after years of working under the tutelage of Seiji Yamamoto at three-Michelin-starred Nihonryori Ryugin in Tokyo, and later, as the chef-patron at Tenku Ryugin in Hong Kong, Mr Yamamoto’s first satellite kitchen.
Under chef Sato’s leadership, Tenku Ryugin earned two Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide’s Hong Kong edition within the first six months of its opening in 2012. In 2015, chef Sato repeated this success when he left Tenku Ryugin to set up his own elegant fine dining restaurant, Ta Vie in Central Hong Kong, which similarly garnered its first Michelin star barely a few months after its launch.
We managed to catch up with the talented and humble chef while he was in town earlier last month to cook a 4-hands dinner with chef Ivan Brehm of Singapore's The Kitchen at Bacchanalia. Designing their menu around memories and recollections of past experiences, the two chefs presented an eight-course menu with brilliantly original creations. In this video, he gives us an insight into the philosophy behind his signature dish, a black egg custard with Aori ika squid.
Written by
Debbie Yong
Debbie Yong was part of the editorial team behind the Michelin Guide Singapore website. Now a freelance food writer and digital content strategist, she is as happy tucking into a plate of char kway teow as a platter of charcuterie.
A figure of Parisian style, model and designer Ines de la Fressange shares her love for lunching al fresco in the Luxembourg Gardens, classic bistros and her top shopping spots in the city.
Following their latest assignments in the Greek capital, we asked our inspectors to highlight the original, flavoursome dishes that will live long in their memory. The list below is a selection that showcases the best of Athenian cuisine in 2022.
Blessed with long summers and a year-round sunny climate, Athens is a city where people spend a lot of time outdoors, including on terraces and rooftop havens. Fine dining restaurants are also in on the act, and many boast outdoor spaces, whether a shady garden, an intimate patio or a rooftop area with a view of the Acropolis, Mount Lycabettus or even the sea.
Since his restaurant AM by Alexandre Mazzia took its third star in 2021, this basketball player turned chef has made no secret of his passion for Japan and its green teas. Let's take a closer look at this creator of imaginative cuisine, a refined man who was born in Congo and adopted Marseille as his home, and who never tires of delving into the gamut of culinary sensations.
At the restaurant L'Écrin in Hotel de Crillon, the chef and the sommelier promise to "embellish tea with the finest menus possible". Drinking and eating at the same time is the secret to magnifying the flavours of Japanese green teas.
The MICHELIN Guide Croatia 2022 was released last June. This destination, which seduces international travelers with its dreamy littoral, the impressive richness of its territory and its crystal-like sea, still charms the MICHELIN Guide’s inspectors with its gastronomy, packed with freshness and flavors.
The MICHELIN Guide Croatia 2022 was released last June. This destination, which seduces international travelers with its dreamy littoral, the impressive richness of its territory and its crystal-like sea, still charms the MICHELIN Guide’s inspectors with its gastronomy, packed with freshness and flavors.
Sylvain Sendra, chef at the restaurant Fleur de Pavé (Paris, 2nd arrondissement), was born in Lyon in 1977. He obtained his first MICHELIN Star while working on Paris's Left Bank, at Itinéraires, where he made a name for himself with his high-calibre bistro cuisine. This was the time he became a devotee of Japan and its green teas.
Beyti is a dish known to almost everyone in Türkiye. Even though there may be different versions, everyone still thinks of a delicious meat dish upon hearing the word “beyti.” While often we aren’t aware when a certain dish is made for the first time or who created it, but that’s not the case for beyti: the creator and namesake, Beyti Güler, is one of the most prominent masters alive.
Its strong relationship with its natural surroundings, its locally inspired cuisine and the importance of sustainability in the kitchen are behind the decision of the Michelin Guide and illycaffè to showcase La Bicicleta as a restaurant with a strong commitment to its environmental impact. A place where you can enjoy your surroundings knowing that care and respect for the environment are paramount.
Opened in 2019 by celebrity chef Ákos Sárközi, the owner of Michelin-starred restaurant Borkonyha, Textúra offers an augmented fine dining experience. A funky interior design, visually creative plates and impeccable gastronomy (in which Hungarian game meat finds a modern incarnation) await the gourmet diners of Budapest, in a laid-back, witty atmosphere full of surprises.
Set in the Eiffel Palace, a former newspapers printing and publishing house erected in 1894, restaurant St. Andrea is a modern fine-dining venue featuring unique wines from the Hungarian estate of the same name. Chef Endre Kollár loves to work with edible flowers and recipes from his countryside background, drawing on the bountiful inspiration from the luscious Hungarian forest.
One of the most exciting chefs in Asia at the moment, Japanese chef Hideaki Sato is widely celebrated for his delicate and refined cooking style that seamlessly marries French culinary techniques with the kaiseki traditions and premium produce of his homeland. 
