13:30) Dinner: 18:00~23:00 (L.O.Hey you! I haven't updated this book in a while, so I decided to show off the only digital art stuff I have right now: Shimejis! If you’re a foodie that thinks “vegan haute cuisine” is an oxymoron, it will surely get you to change your mind.
The vegan menu with nonalcoholic drink pairing is perfect for when an occasion calls for fine dining but you have an important event the following day and want to look and feel your best, or just want to try a healthy alternative to the typical fancy dinner. Chef Shimomura makes the rounds every night to chat to guests at each table, so try asking him about his vegan menu and his philosophy of food when you meet him, and think about trying the vegan course the next time. This dessert is actually the same as the regular course, with just one difference the vegan version has crispbread instead of crispy meringue.Įven though the vegan menu at EdiTion is exceptional, if you’re not a strict vegan, you’d probably want to discover the gastronomical world of EdiTion Koji Shimomura with their regular menu first. Hence, his goal became to create vegan cuisine that is as good as his regular offering a vegan menu not just for vegans, but for all to enjoy.ĭessert was also a highlight a "Montblanc" plate of creamy chestnut puree, topped with a huge gorgeous chestnut, with passion fruit mousse on the side. He says there wasn’t a single restaurant where he thought the vegetarian menu was as good as the regular menu. Five years ago, Chef Shimomura visited cities in Italy, Germany, England and France, and at each location, he tried Michelin-starred restaurants that offered a vegetarian, if not vegan, menu. The chef often travels internationally for his various culinary work, and during his travels had been made aware of veganism, which today is still not a widely known concept in Japan. The motivation was partly the culinary challenge of cooking with only plant-based ingredients, but even more was the desire to include everyone, even vegans, in the world of fine dining. “Otherwise, what’s the point of a three-hour meal?”Ī few years ago, Chef Shimomura became interested in creating a vegan menu that is on par with his regular cuisine. “You’re going to feel completely different when you leave the restaurant from when you arrive,” he says. In fact, Chef Shimomura sees the fine dining experience as a whole as needing to be meaningful. There is a thoughtful, almost philosophical quality that takes the chef’s culinary creations beyond just delicious and beautiful it is a story told through food, a work of art. One of his signature dishes for example, is seaweed-flavored oysters lightly cooked in seawater with citrus and seawater gelee.
It’s refined but never stuffy, with a playfulness in everything from the tableware and setting, which seem to reflect the colorful - and somewhat mischievous - personality of the chef.Ĭhef Shimomura is world renowned for his exceptionally light and sophisticated French cuisine, which hardly uses butter and cream and such heavy ingredients. Chef Shimomura handpicks the decorations and often adds final touches himself, which imbue EdiTion with a warm and personal feel. Inside EdiTion, the interior is understated elegance with little details of whimsical charm curious metal animal objects (which are actually music boxes) sit atop crisp white tablecloth, a little red robin perches under a miniature wire tree, a dash of colored glassware here, a twirl of an organza ribbon there. The window to the private dining room faces Roppongi-dori street, so at night from the outside you can see the warm glow of its perfect lighting and silhouettes of the lucky diners through sheer lace curtains.