Tucked away in a quiet residential area of Shirokane, a wooden door marked simply with the word Yama (Mountain) opens into an intimate space featuring a six-seat counter and a private room for four. Here, Chef Takakazu Katsumata curates a refined assiette dessert (plated dessert) experience. The eclectic collection of antique glasses lining the counter evokes the atmosphere of a sensory laboratory.
‘The MICHELIN Guide evaluates the dining experience, so a dessert-only course should be no exception’, explains Katsumata, who realised his long-held dream of earning a MICHELIN star after opening the restaurant in 2019.
The menu offers just one ‘chef’s choice’ course, consisting of eight dishes crafted with seasonal fruits. Although one savoury dish is included midway through, it is remarkable how Katsumata has managed to create a MICHELIN-worthy experience purely through desserts.
‘Relentlessly Focusing on Excellence’
This achievement reflects Katsumata’s philosophy of mastering one craft with unwavering dedication. Born in 1985 in Fujiyoshida, Yamanashi, a town renowned for its textiles, Katsumata grew up as the eldest son in a family of necktie makers spanning four generations. As a child, he admired the skilful chef at a local Chinese restaurant and initially aspired to become a Chinese chef. However, the lack of specialised schools for Chinese cooking led him to pursue patisserie instead, driven by his belief in focusing solely on one discipline.
Katsumata’s minimalist yet sophisticated desserts reflect his deep understanding of technique and his sensitivity to the ever-changing qualities of fresh ingredients. After graduating from a pastry school, he trained at the Nagoya Marriott Associa Hotel , which has produced winners of the prestigious French Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie, often referred to as the Olympics of confectionery. At just 21, he won a national sugar art competition. Later, he became head pastry chef at the MICHELIN-starred Sola in Paris, where he created unique daily desserts using fresh produce sourced directly from local markets. His blend of technical expertise and deep appreciation for nature forms the foundation of his current style.
Katsumata’s restaurant, described as a ‘dessert restaurant’, is unique in its concept. While his training is rooted in French patisserie, he refuses to be confined by tradition. For example, although French chefs sometimes criticise Japanese fruits as being ‘just sweet’, Katsumata challenges this notion head-on.
Breaking Free from Recipes
Katsumata’s career spans both restaurant pastry work and cake shop training, giving him a unique perspective on the fundamental differences between the two.
For example, cake shops often use commercial fruit purées for consistency, with sweetness and acidity carefully adjusted. Many chefs trained in France base their recipes on an approach to ingredients that is heavily influenced by French culinary principles. However, Katsumata takes a different approach: ‘In France, tropical fruits like pineapples are often harvested unripe and shipped, so alcohol is added to enhance their aroma. But in Japan, where we have local sources like Ishigaki Island, fruits are harvested fully ripe, retaining their natural freshness and fragrance’.
Rather than relying on recipes, Katsumata tailors his desserts to the characteristics of each fruit, tasting and adjusting as he works. He aims to maximise the natural potential of Japan’s exceptional produce, which is already delicious in its raw state.
Treating Fruits Like Sushi
Temperature control is a critical aspect of Katsumata’s approach. He learned from farmers with whom he built close relationships through farm visits and from a produce wholesaler in Toyosu that he visits about twice a week. By avoiding drastic temperature changes during transport, he preserves the fruits in a state similar to when they were on the tree. For fruits requiring post-harvest ripening, such as pears, Katsumata uses an ageing room with four temperature zones—much like Edo-style sushi chefs rest fish—to ensure they reach their peak flavour, aroma, and texture.
‘I imagine how it would feel if I were the fruit’, he explains. ‘Rather than being suddenly exposed to a dramatically different environment, wouldn’t it be less stressful to stay in a warm, consistent setting—like soaking in a hot spring’?
Katsumata also likens the personality of each fruit to human traits. For example, he enhances the mild flavour of chestnuts, which he describes as ‘reserved’, with gentle techniques, while accentuating the lively acidity of citrus fruits. Observing the unique qualities of each fruit and ‘listening’ to their unspoken needs forms the core of his dessert-making philosophy.
A New, Unconventional Way to Enjoy Fruits
The eight-course menu incorporates one savoury dish to keep the experience dynamic, but its appeal goes beyond the pace (where everything is served in about 100 minutes).
Specifically, the fifth dish in the course always includes a savoury option, such as quiche. Each dish stands out for its innovative flavour combinations, inspired by rethinking ingredients from a fresh perspective. For example, sansho pepper, typically used in Japanese cuisine, is treated as an herb and paired with ingredients like Japanese angelica shoots and rapeseed blossoms in a quiche. This approach blends aromas and flavours, creating unexpected and delightful combinations.
He also experiments with contrasts in temperature and texture. To highlight the aroma and creamy texture of Japanese mangoes, he wraps them in spring roll wrappers and deep-fries them, creating a crispy, piping-hot treat. This unconventional approach delights diners, further enhanced by thoughtfully paired drinks inspired by the ‘character’ of each ingredient.
Like Climbing Japan’s Tallest Mountain
Since opening Yama, Katsumata has steadily refined his style. However, his journey has not been without challenges. When the COVID-19 pandemic struck shortly after the restaurant’s launch, he explored different directions, offering dishes influenced by his bistro training or presenting intricate, competition-style desserts.
Now, with a clear vision, Katsumata is eager to share the flavours of Japanese fruits with the world.
Like Mount Fuji, which can be seen from his hometown of Fujiyoshida, Katsumata aspires to climb ever higher. ‘In Berlin, CODA Dessert Dining has two MICHELIN stars’, he notes with a smile. For Katsumata, the journey to the summit has only just begun.
