An urban area ‘destination restaurant’
Aiming for the top floor of the Toranomon Hills Station Tower, which opened in 2023, I arrived by a dedicated elevator in a futuristic building. Though directly connected to the station, visiting the restaurant apothéose is, in and of itself, a journey to a special destination.
The aroma that gently envelops you when the elevator doors open imparts a sense of Chef Keita Kitamura's character. It is a scent specially blended by an aroma therapist, made with a hinoki cypress aroma base. Scents evokes memories in us, and Kitamura believes that French cuisine is a food of aromas. In the waiting room, you are greeted with original music composed from a blend of piano with sounds including insects and bird chirping recorded at Ninnaji Temple. Coupled with the aroma, a moment of heartfelt peace that feels like being in a tranquil forest awaits. After a short rest, it is time to enter the dining room. Upon opening a thick and heavy door reminiscent of the architecture of Gaudí, a favourite architect of Kitamura, you are greeted by the kitchen to the left and right sides, and to the front expands a wonderful night view of Tokyo.
From Paris to Tokyo in a quest for loftier heights
Chef Keita Kitamura trained diligently at "NARISAWA," and then went to France in 2008. After working in restaurants including the Three MICHELIN Star "Pierre Gagnaire ," he became the chef at the 2nd arrondissement area French cuisine restaurant "ERH ." For his last five years before returning to Japan, he continued to maintain the One MICHELIN Star status there. And just when he was struggling with the question of what to do in order to aim for more stars, he received an offer at the amazing location of the highest floor at the Toranomon Hills Station Tower in Tokyo. After discussing the offer with his team at "ERH," he decided to bring them back to Japan together. For their first year, they received One MICHELIN Star. Kitamura comments, ‘Of course I was happy about that. But the reason I came back to Japan was to aim for something higher.’ The question was, what was lacking? And of course, there was the staff who had departed from their familiar environs of Paris to dive into this challenge. He promised to himself that he would strive even harder, both for himself and for his staff.
French cuisine with a unique Japanese approach
Apothéose means ‘the highest praise’ in French. Kitamura chose the name out of a desire to create cuisine that focuses on Japanese ingredients, and delivers the highest praise to the diners. This is a French cuisine that can only be enjoyed in Japan, imbued with the ultimate in Japanese essence. After returning home, Kitamura visited many Japanese food producers, absorbed the stories behind the various ingredients, and started reflecting that in his cooking. Out of a desire to learn more deeply about the Japanese natural environment, he began entering the base area of Mt. Fuji under the navigation of herb producers in Yamanashi Prefecture. And what he discovered there was the aroma of plants growing vigorously in the fields and mountains of Japan. ‘French cuisine is a food that places a strong emphasis on aroma.’ And that is why he decided to bring in the aroma of Japan’s fields and mountains as a way of expressing a unique Japanese approach to cooking. Kitamura comments, ‘For example, the wild plant Yamato Toki of the Apiaceae family is also treated as a medicinal plant. Its unique aroma is similar to lovage, and goes very well with French cuisine.’ And thus, he uses it as oil for cooking, and in herbal tea blends to enjoy after meals.
Creating a canvas of imagination
The cuisine at apothéose continues to evolve daily, and recently dish names have also undergone a major change. Up until recently, dishes were listed by ingredient names, but one day, a dish was named "The Beginning of a Journey" for fun, and now the menu is populated by poetic names like "An Autumn Poem", "The Pride of France ", and "You Won't Believe They're Potatoes". Using names that spark the imagination builds up a sense of curiosity and excitement about what is going to arrive at the table. The goal is an exchange of memories using food as the medium. Kitamura explains, 'For example, there is a dish called "Autumn Dusk". The memory that surfaces for me from this name is the aroma of burning autumn rice paddy fields in Shiga Prefecture where I was born and raised. To recreate that scene, I use beets that are deep crimson like the sun at dusk and straw incense. Of course, the scene that is evoked by this title will be different for everyone. Even still, I believe that the ability of food to possess this medium for linking the memories of the chef and the diner is an incredibly special thing.' Naming that builds on the canvas of the imagination evokes memories. And, if the food before your eyes at the table stays in your heart, that will link to a memory you can enjoy in the future. Kitamura wants to keep creating this kind of a world of food that expands across time and space.
Fine dining for the future, with new diversity
Kitamura believes that food that links to future memories, but he is also concerned about the future of food. Due to climate change including global warming, it is getting harder to catch fish and becoming impossible to raise produce through traditional methods, and the number of farmers who have shut down has also increased. He is raising the alarm on ingredient usage that relies too heavily on the types and cuts that are generally recognized as high grade ingredients, saying, 'Just because we are crafting a fine dining experience, do we have to use the same kinds of fish, or the same cut of meats, or are there ingredients we can substitute instead? I believe we must rethink these things.' The toro cut of tuna that used to be thrown away because people did not like the fattiness of it in the Edo era is now traded at high prices as a top-grade ingredient. "High grade ingredients" are a notable example of things changing with the times. Kitamura feels that, 'Even if something is not commonly recognized as a high-grade ingredient, a chef should be able to draw out its deliciousness through their skill and create the value of gourmet cuisine.'
And that is exactly why, when he finds an unusual ingredient, he immediately orders it and thinks of ways to use it. This approach is why there are over 100 ingredients used in just one tasting course. He takes in all sorts of diverse ingredients. And there is a commonality with the spirit of Japanese multi-course kaiseki cuisine that weaves together many ingredients with perfect balance.
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A multidimensional fine dining experience enabled by the skills of numerous specialists
But he does more than just employing many kinds of ingredients and maintaining food diversity without relying too heavily on limited resources. He also implements all sorts of sustainable food usage methods. For example, he stews celeriac peels in chicken bouillon and uses that as a sauce so as not to waste the peels.
And out of a desire to keep traditional culture alive, most of the tableware is ordered from Japanese crafters.
But most importantly, the people who make it possible to create courses weaving together some 100 ingredients is a full team of nine kitchen staff members and six service staff members for a diner count of 28 seats. While acknowledging the merits of the recently growing number of one-person operations and small-team high quality cuisine restaurants, Kitamura also feels that, 'French cuisine was originally royal court food prepared by many hands. I want to continue the tradition of haute cuisine (grand cuisine) created by large numbers of people.' This is because he believes that, 'When there is a service staff, a sommelier, and a chef, the variety of viewpoints and approaches shines light from a wider array of angles, giving the diners a more three-dimensional dining experience.' And even the meal names, which may sometimes feel like riddles, are made possible by having a staff that can concisely explain them.
What Kitamura most wants to protect is a rich dining experience that evokes memories through all five senses and moves the heart. From his location in Japan, to which he returned after being away for 15 years, he continues to shine a light on the emotionally rich Japanese environs and present a fresh sensibility, together with his staff who share his dream, never losing his belief that what awaits is 'apothéose', the highest praise.
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ⒸTop Image: apothéose
