Tanimoto

Simplicity and delicacy. These are the two hallmarks that define Tanimoto Seiji’s cuisine — hallmarks that have landed him a Michelin Star twice. His childhood love for history first introduced him to Japanese tea ceremony, where he immersed himself in its traditions and intricacies. But it was only after his teacher took him to a cha-kaiseki restaurant that he became enthralled with the intersection between tea ceremony and Japanese cuisine, starting him out on an eight-year journey training in various Japanese restaurants (ryotei) throughout Shiga, Osaka and Tokyo. After serving in a Shiga cha-kaiseki restaurant for eight years and becoming head chef for a Minami-aoyama kaiseki restaurant for another three, he started Tanimoto in April 2017, earning his first Michelin Star just two years later. The restaurant relocated to its current Kagurazaka location in September 2023, where he repeated the feat, entering a vaunted hall of fame where few others have set foot. The foundation of all Japanese cuisine is dashi, and Chef Tanimoto’s kaiseki is no exception. Sourcing the ingredients from all over Japan, he combines them together to present a gustatory picture of the mountains, the sea, and Japan’s four seasons, all through the myriad flavors of a single seasonal dish. "Soups are the flower of Japanese cuisine," he says, which is why his menus place so much emphasis on them. But equally important to Japanese cuisine is rice, and Tanimoto’s Koshihikari comes solely from Minami-konuma in the rice capital of Japan, Niigata Prefecture. Freshly cooked each day in a traditional earthenware pot, donabe-style, it is lovingly doled out and served up either ochazuke-style (steeped in tea) or with seasonal side dishes. To Chef Tanimoto, each meal presents the opportunity for guests to discover the sweetness and flavor particular to Japanese rice. Koshihikari, in particular, possesses a characteristic sweetness that is not easily overshadowed by other flavors, persisting even when rice vinegar or other condiments are added. Every meal’s end is also an opportunity for guests to get acquainted with Chef Tanimoto's initial passion: tea. The head chef himself serves up a bowl of matcha at the end of each kaiseki session, fulfilling the initial spirit of the culinary tradition. Michelin Guide: 2019 - 1 Michelin Star