Japanese chef Atsushi Tanaka belongs to the new generation chefs in Paris. Prior to opening his tiny restaurant on a tranquil street of 5th arrondissement, Tanaka-san worked at Pierre Gagnaire in Tokyo, Quique Dacosta in Denia and some of the most prestigious kitchens in Scandinavia, Holland and Belgium. That brings us to his cooking, which, I would describe as “Japan meets new Scandinavian with a touch of Spanish avant-garde”. I think Tanaka-san has a lot of potential, but some of his dishes, like big chunks of foie gras ( I must admit, that the product quality was wonderful), hidden under the bed of deconstructed gray meringue, looked more interesting than tasted. The black puffed rice crisp, served in the beginning, was clearly Quique Dacosta influence, who, as I remember, loves using rice crisps in various forms.
I think it’s important for Atsuhi Tanaka to remain true to himself as it’s minimal, Japanese inspired and product-focused dishes that were the most stellar. Like, for example, hake with green asparagus and razor clams, served in delicious stock was incredibly tasty, or Galician beef with turnip cabbage and rosemary was pretty perfect too.
4 Rue du Cardinal Lemoine, 75005 Paris
Tel. +33 1 56 81 94 08
atsushitnaka.com
