Kiyomi Mikuni's restaurant lies in a quiet residential area of central Tokyo, close to Shinjuku, one of the oldest neighbourhoods in the heart of the Japanese capital. It is within walking distance of the Tunisian Embassy and Wakaba Church and only a stone's throw from the foreign visitors' reception hall.

Background
Kiyomi Mikuni believes in destiny: at age 17 he already knew he would become one of the world's most renowned chefs. Born in Hokkaido, the son of a fisherman, he set out on his own at a young age, going first to Sapporo and then to the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. Later he made his way to Geneva to take a job at the Japanese Embassy - it was in Geneva that he encountered French cuisine. He spent the following eight years working under some of the greatest French chefs, including Alain Chapel whom he still considers his true master. In 1985 Mikuni returned to Japan and opened his own restaurant. He believes strongly in "spontaneous cuisine" and has developed a uniquely personal style incorporating elements from both French and Japanese traditions. He draws his inspiration from painting; to him "haute cuisine" means creating a work of art on a plate. This is no mere figure of speech: his artful blending of Asian and European elements achieves a perfection both of style and taste. In his cooking rosemary and chervil blend harmoniously with maitake (a perfumed mushroom) and a Japanese herb called kaiware. Mikuni owes his fame to this skillful mingling of two very different cuisines. As he puts it: "In order to become a great chef you have to 'steal' the talents of the great masters" - something Mikuni has done to perfection.

Kiyomi Mikuni's Passions
This great traveller has only one true passion: cooking. His cuisine is a world of its own, remarkable for its countless touches of refinement.