HOMMAGE

As its name suggests, the foundation of this Asakusa restaurant is gratitude, admiration and respect. Whether it’s to the masters who helped him refine his craft, the suppliers who fill his kitchens with fresh produce, meat and seafood every day, and most of all, the guests who take their places at his tables, head chef Arai Noboru is filled with nothing but hommage — “gratitude” in French — for the people who have brought him to where he is. The Asakusa-born Chef Arai opened Hommage in his home district at just 26, after finishing apprenticeships in Tokyo and France. His meteoric rise in the Japanese culinary scene did not go unnoticed by the Michelin Guide, either: he earned his first star in 2012, and a second in 2018, causing his already wildly-popular restaurant to explode onto the front pages of every culinary publication in the country. But Chef Arai refuses to let the attention go to his head. After all, it is a dedication to humility and gratitude that got him to where he was, and it remains the cornerstone of his food. His no-frills Japanese-influenced French cuisine pares down dishes to the barest essentials, distilling the essence of the ingredients into what he calls the “true beauty of flavor”. Simple, minimalist, and accurate. Through these three principles, Chef Arai humbly invites guests from all over the world to discover the essence of French cuisine through his eyes. Michelin Guide: 2012-2017 - 1 Michelin Star 2018-2024 - 2 Michelin Stars