The Service Award was launched to further enliven the restaurant industry by placing the spotlight on service rather than just the food or the chef. The award already appears in other editions of the Michelin Guide, and was recently included in the Japanese edition. The first winner of the Service Award in Japan is Mayuka Arai of Hommage. Her restaurant received two stars in Michelin Guide Tokyo 2022. Her appeal lies in her genuineness and unpretentious smile. Hommage is a French restaurant in Asakusa in Taito ward, Tokyo. It is a short distance from all the tourist traffic, in the Kannon Ura area behind Senso-ji Temple. Mayuka Arai welcomed us with Chef Noboru Arai on the day of the interview.
From Japanese to French
Mayuka Arai started out in customer service at a Japanese restaurant and has been wearing her trademark kimono since that time. Before long, she moved to, and became the face of, Hommage. She says she struggled at first with the different style of doing things. Nevertheless, hospitality is an element common to all genres of cuisine. The desire to have customers enjoy themselves shows itself naturally in everything she says and does, and she has developed her own outlook on what hospitality is.
Straightforwardness
When Arai talks about service, what stands out is her approach of treating everyone the same. “I don’t think of service as requiring special skills. I try to create an atmosphere where customers can relax and enjoy great food”. When asked about his wife’s customer service, the chef said, “She is attentive to all of our customers, whether they’re first-timers or regulars, Japanese or foreign nationals. She doesn’t treat those of higher social status better than others or anything like that. When she interacts with people, it’s genuine. She’s always been like that, and I respect her for it”. That natural interaction with people regardless of career or position carries over to the staff as well. And the friendly atmosphere she maintains characterised the interview, too. Apparently, she also has a strict side, with the chef saying, She’s the strictest person here!”. He spoke of how she maintains an uncompromising attentiveness to detail and sometimes even sends dishes back. Arai puts herself in the customer’s shoes in her thoughts and actions, and there’s kindness in her strict approach.
The appeal of customer service
Arai says that the true charm of customer service comes into play when she senses a change in the customer’s mood. Smiling, she says, “There are some hard-to-please customers. I interact with them while thinking about things like what makes them smile, why they smile, and what their countenance will be when the chef sees them off. Their faces change as they eat and we talk. It’s really fun to see them looking happy. For me, that’s the real appeal of customer service”.
Being able to meet people from different walks of life is another aspect of their work that they enjoy. One of her stories is about a Taiwanese customer who visited Hommage. Then, when Hommage participated in an event in Taiwan, this same customer came and surprised them in a joyful reunion. Sometimes people they wouldn’t normally see come in for a meal, and she says interacting with people she would not normally have the opportunity to meet in everyday life is a precious and enjoyable experience. Also, Asakusa is a downtown district with a sense of human warmth, a human touch, where the emphasis is on encounters and connections. In this spirit, Hommage even launched a Kids’ Day for young children to enjoy French cuisine, as well.
Chef Arai says, “People gather in pursuit of delicious food; they come to pay homage to it. There’s no status, educational background, or titles there. We meet various people in our lives, both customers and producers. These encounters are possible only through this job”. Throughout the interview, their faces lit up whenever they relate stories involving their guests making these moments memorable.
“The times are changing. We try to keep abreast and change our style a little at a time.”
Arai says, “Nothing in particular will change as a result of me winning the Service Award. I hope to keep changing for the better, always thinking about what I can do to make the experience of coming here ever more pleasant for our customers”. At the end of the interview, she shrugs and says with a smile, “I’m still surprised that I won the Service Award”. Standing beside her, the chef casually adds, “Among all the restaurants using their various techniques, with outstanding service teams, and individuals with amazing careers, I think Mayuka’s natural hospitality must have stood out and led to her winning the Service Award”.
At Hommage, they don’t rely on gorgeous presentations or high-grade ingredients. Instead, the delicious flavours and the sense of happiness they provide flow naturally out of their daily activities. Mayuka Arai’s large-as-life customer service is a symbol of that. She says, “The dishes at Hommage connect people. My aim is to make the space for that more pleasant”. These words truly express the essence of the Service Award.
