Concept
In Aoyama district of central Tokyo, the restaurant sits comfortably in the ideal environment for restaurateurs: only few minutes walk from three subway lines and from a major boulevard cross section, and yet surrounded in quiet property with wonderful greenery.
Once the guests enter into the dining space, they notice the minimal setting of the subdued decor, with dark brown floors and white walls with pure white linen. Once seated, they realize how much the attention is put into each piece of interior. The crisp linens are made from the best threads available and Narisawas were involved every step of the way.
So is the thick crystal plate with restaurant's logo.
Unlike the flamboyant table settings in common restaurant,
the minimalist approach influenced number of restaurants and chefs that frequented the place since its opening in November 2003.
The owner-chef Yoshihiro Narisawa spent eight years in Europe. He landed in France first when he turned 19 years old and worked his way through culinary maestros, came back to Japan andimmediately, opened his first venture La Napoule in Odawara City, the seaside town about 90minutes away on express train from Tokyo. The restaurant instantly grabbed a major attention amongst the gourmands and celebrities and they had frequented to the tiny space located right
in front of Sagami Bay waterfront.
Chef Narisawa changed the name of the restaurant to Les Creations de NARISAWA and reopened in Aoyama district in Tokyo in 2003 to present.
Throughout his culinary journey, chef Narisawa always stuck to his guns to keep the solid foundation of classical French cuisine. His concept and inspiration dances on it, freely changing its expression and evolving with the times.
The style is not manipulated with some deep mathematical formulas or rocket science but letting the seasons and the ingredients do the talking on the plate. The presentation is always a piece of scenery in nature.
Chef's motto is to be sure about where each vegetable comes from and grown organic, and always think how he can protect and continue the supplies of the ingredients in bigger picture whether they come from the mountains or the sea.
The plate is a frame of his photographic art depicted with such ingredients.
The melancholic feel of transition of each season to another is expressed with the best ingredients with the most appropriate way of cooking to bring out the heavenly aroma and taste. Each ingredient is grown naturally at the appropriate season and never forced. Narisawa always promises to his guests
that such deep respect to nature and life is expressed onto his plates.
Loving nature profoundly, and having the heart to love the people, Narisawa already stepped out of the context of French style cuisine and showed how each chef can signify and establish his own name as a style. He can do so because he knows who he is and aware of his identity as he is based in Japan.