For business travellers looking to entertain important clients, the iconic Tokyo hotel that played a fundamental role in the introduction of traditional French cooking to Japan’s capital over half a century ago has opened Esterre, a fine dining restaurant showcasing contemporary haute cuisine.
The new Ducasse Paris restaurant at Palace Hotel Tokyo embraces the natural flavours of the terroir (land and sea) by placing more emphasis on ingredients such as grains, vegetables and fruits, rather than limiting them to their traditional roles as accents and accompaniments. First-course presentations incorporate the likes of chickpeas, quinoa, leeks, mushrooms and nuts as their base ingredient while desserts turn to the natural sweetness of fruit rather than refined sugar.
Another core pillar of the new restaurant is local sourcing. In line with chef Alain Ducasse’s philosophy of first uncovering what high-quality ingredients can be found in a given destination and then applying French culinary techniques to their preparation, Esterre serves up the best produce from throughout Japan.
Independent fishermen supply the restaurant, while the wagyu beef comes from Tochigi. The culinary team has also partnered with small, environmentally-friendly farms to bring ingredients such as avocados from Wakayama, vegetables from Nagano, and mikan (Japanese mandarin orange) from Ehime, with regional sources varying with each change of the seasons.
Though the cooking techniques used remain predominantly French, some, including marinades and seasonings, reflect elements of culinary traditions unique to Japan.
“Our concept of applying French techniques to bring out the distinctive, natural flavours of the most beautiful produce the Japanese terroir can offer presents an incredibly exciting challenge,” says Esterre’s chef de cuisine Martin Pitarque Palomar, former sous chef at Michelin-starred Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester.
Palace Hotel Tokyo and Ducasse Paris have also appointed Thomas Moulin, who was most recently pastry chef at Rech by Alain Ducasse in Hong Kong, as chef pâtissier. Together with chef Palomar, the two will collaborate not only on the new restaurant’s menus but also the afternoon tea presentation of Lounge Bar Privé, the hotel’s chic lounge and bar located adjacent to Esterre and whose popular French-inspired afternoon tea will now reflect hints of Esterre.
Local design studio SIMPLICITY, founded by award-winning Japanese interior designer Shinichiro Ogata, conceived the space as a tribute to nature and the continuous, circular flow of life. An earthy colour palette and such tactile materials as paper, textile, wood and soil were chosen to emphasize the harmony between nature and humans.
Patrons will also have the opportunity to dine, converse and soak in the expansive views of the Imperial Palace gardens. visible through the dining room’s floor-to-ceiling windows.
Esterre takes the place of Crown, the hotel’s first French fine dining restaurant, which closed its doors in July.
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