About food in Japan

TOYO, restaurant by a Japanese chef - Paris

Chopsticks placed with a pair of fork and knife. As this cutlery setting, we are not sure if we should consider TOYO as a Japanese restaurant or French.

Local French people may believe that it is a Japanese restaurant elaborated in French style, while for Japanese, TOYO's cuisine is perceived as French with some Japanese taste because of the chef's home country.

It is fusion of French and Japanese or Paris and Tokyo styles.

The unique flavor is strongly associated with the chef, Toyomitsu Nakayama's professional career. 

He started his career from a French restaurant in Kobe, where it is known for high quality beef. after he worked for some years in France, he was hired by ISE, one of the best Japanese restaurants in Paris and challenged a way of Japanese cuisine that is different from French.

Before the chef opened TOYO as the owner-chef in 2009, he had worked for the most famous Japanese fasion designer, Mr. Kenzo Takada as the designer's private cook.

Now we understand it is no sense to think over the restaurant to be French or Japanese.

Let's see what are provided at TOYO. We visited the restaurant for lunch on mid-April.

 

Amuse Bouche - Bouillon soup with sea shells

　

The soup was served on the table

and includes Japanese taste, Umami.

 

My starter dish - squid, white asparagus

topped with Karasumi (dried mullet eggs, local specialty of Kyushu region)

Full of spring season.

Karasumi is rare to be found out of Japan!

 

Main dish for me - beef filet anchovy sauce

 
Thin sliced pieces of cauliflower are on top of beef.

The beef meat was finely cooked for "a point" or medium. 

 

Main dish for a friend - Curry rice with gamba in TOYO style 

It is close to a typical Japanese style curry rice

but the presentation is much more beautiful.

 

For dessert, all ladies ordered a same plate.

 

Green tea tiramis!!!

Again the presentation is fantastic!

 

We noticed some of ingredients especially fish and seafood as well as ways of cooking are in Japanese style at TOYO but plates beautifully presented look like French cuisine.

 

Whatever each of guest consider TOYO as either Japanese or French restaurant, it is a sophisticated choice and we will be able to enjoy plates for the taste and visual look.

 

Restaurant name: TOYO

Address: 17 rue Jules Chaplain, 75006 PARIS FRANCE

 

View Larger Map

Bento arranged in Paris style, Nanashi - Paris

We noticed that "Bento"(弁当, Japanese traditional box meal or lunch box) is a boom in France. So we tried a cafe called Nanashi "Bento Parisian" for lunch located on the 3rd district, north of Marais. 
The cafe is produced by a Japanese lady who had been working as a cook at the bio-cafe, Rose Bakery widely known by foodies.

Let's see what Bento Paririan is like?

Nanashi is located in North Marais area where a Japanese tourist can rarely be found. 

At the counter just after the entrance, it provides take-away service. Yes, surely Bento can be taken away as we do in Japan. Several people may be waiting for picking up his/her Bento during lunch time.

A side of wall is foot-to-ceiling height window bringing sunlight into the cafe tables    .

We can also find some staff including a few of Japanese female baking or cooking at the cafe's kitchen space, which is easily visible from the corridor. We have made sure that the cafe has Japanese taste at least on the making process.

The space stretches away into the back with a plenty of tables. As we could imagine, while walking the district, almost all guests are local French maybe walking or living in the area. It's not a place filled with Japanese seeking for home food.

On another side of wall, a large black board for menu is hang on.

The bright, modern and casual atmosphere is relaxing and must be good even if you are not interested in Japanese food.

 

Well on the menu, we could find familier Japanese words or food names in alphabetical letters; Chirashi (cooked rice, a kind of sushi), miso soup, edamame (boild green soy beans in its shell), beef bowl etc. But what we want to try here is, of course,...

 

Bento!!! Nanashi style

 Bento offered from chocices of meat/fish/vegetarian

accompanied with bio green salad.

The main menu changes on daily base.

My choice meat, today's menu is

pork roast with wild several kind of rice and cereal.

No Japanese taste is sensed for me but it is healty and tasty.

 

 

If you prefer to have more Japanese flavor, roasted sesami and bio soy sauce are available on your table.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cafe name: Nanashi

Address: 57 Rue Charlot, 75003 Paris

Official website: http://nanashi.fr/

View Larger Map