‘ Fishery resources are in crisis now. I asked myself what I could do as a chef, and I decided to inform as many people as possible through my work.’ The speaker is Shinsuke Ishii, chef of Sincère, a French restaurant in Tokyo’s Kitasando area.
To reach fellow restaurateurs, Ishii speaks at seminars and prepares dishes made with underused fish species. For general consumers, he publishes recipes that make underused fish delicious, contributing to both society and the environment . ‘Rather than convince a small coterie of hardcore[environmentalists] to “do without”’, Ishii explains, ‘I prefer to show lots of people how they can get started, beginning with what they know best’. It’s an approach evident in Ishii’s own French cuisine .
‘The general image of French cuisine is that it’s not very accessible. I wanted to make it something that more people can enjoy casually, so for the amuse-bouche, I offer finger food. Japanese diners love taiyaki (fish-shaped waffles filled with adzuki bean jam) , so I use that motif to generate a bit of excitement.’
In the vision Ishii outlines, such engaging presentation draws in large numbers of people who might not otherwise have encountered French cuisine, thereby lifting and sustaining the genre as a whole.
Chef Ishii has two reasons for insisting on sustainable practices. The first is to keep guests coming to his door. The second is the professional and spiritual growth of his staff. Ishii is focused on cultivating the next generation of chefs.
The interior and menu attract new cohorts of French-cuisine enthusiasts; the work environment kindles in young minds an interest in French cuisine as a career. Chef Ishii practices sustainability on multiple levels.
With coexistence between people and nature as his theme, Chef Shinsuke Ishii has fixed his gaze on a sustainable future for cooking. The Audi Q4 e-tron, a car dedicated to promoting harmony between cars, society and the global environment, is moving ahead into a sustainable future.
Though their fields differ, Shinsuke Ishii and the Audi Q4 e-tron find common cause in sharing the experience of sustainability.
