Ryori-ya Tachibana

Born in Fukuoka, Chef Kosei Tachibana was filled with a passion for traditional Japanese arts from a young age — not just culinary, but aesthetic as well. After refining his skills in sushi and kappo cuisine in his hometown, he relocated to Tokyo to further his career, bringing his knowledge, experience and undying love for tea ceremony (sado) with him. In both cooking and self-development, greatness takes time. 13 years in Kozue at the Park Hyatt Tokyo brought him to the position of sous chef, whereupon Chef Tachibana decided to start his own restaurant, Ryoriya Tachibana, in November 2017. At Ryoriya Tachibana, the time-honored ways of making Japan’s representative dishes are upheld and perfected. All dishes are presented in beautiful, hand-picked serveware, as is every other course at Chef Tachibana’s table. Serveware aside, Chef Tachibana’s passion for tea ceremony also finds its way into his dishes. He serves traditional wagashi sweets like those that would be served at a tea ceremony, and premium gyokuro tea from his home prefecture of Fukuoka. The performative aspect of sado is also present in the way Chef Tachibana prepares the food before his guests — in particular, the preparation of the soup stock, which incorporates shavings from dried bluefin tuna and two different types of bonito. Even the interior has been tastefully designed in a clean, modern Japanese aesthetic, not unlike a space where a tea ceremony would be conducted, surrounding guests in a space that puts them immediately at ease.