Kei

Kei for Kei Kobayashi, a chef born in Nagano, Japan, who trained with the likes of Gilles Goujon and Alain Ducasse. His father was a cook in a traditional kaiseki restaurant (where high-flying meals are served in small courses – akin to Western haute cuisine), but it was while watching a documentary on French cuisine that he found his vocation. Today, his work verges on perfection: in a virtuoso blend of flavours and exquisite plating, he allows high-quality ingredients to shout their name simply and stunningly. For example, binchotan lobster with sweet pepper seasoning or aged Galician beef paired with a sabayon-like gravy-cum-bearnaise extravaganza. Each dish is flawlessly crafted and supremely legible.