It Took Only a Year After Opening for This Restaurant to Earn a Michelin Star. Welcome to Chakaiseki Akiyoshi, a Japanese Restaurant Where You Can Experience the Finest Delights in an Almost Monastic Atmosphere. Nestled in Paris's 15th arrondissement, just a stone's throw from the Eiffel Tower, Chef Yuichiro Akiyoshi invites Parisians to discover the art of tea and kaiseki cuisine. Want to know more?
A Micro-Dinner Experience
Chakaiseki Akiyoshi offers a truly unique gastronomic experience, setting a serene scene reminiscent of the most exquisite addresses in Kyoto. As you settle into one of the 10 seats surrounding the chef, the evening begins at precisely 8 PM, with everyone served at the same time. The first thing you'll notice is the overwhelming sense of calm—it's so peaceful you might hesitate to take out your phone to snap a photo of your plate! Attentive staff offer a selection of delicate sakes and teas (like roasted rice genmaicha and buckwheat sobacha) while the chef wields his knives. And so the show begins.
A Parade of Beautiful Plates
The meal starts traditionally with white rice from Toyama, white miso soup from Kyoto, and tempura of green asparagus, along with sashimi of royal sea bream, spinach, and ponzu jelly. Next comes shrimp shinjyo (a gentle, surimi-like ball) and bamboo shoot (a delightful surprise), followed by udon noodles with abalone liver sauce, chives, and bottarga. Then, the grilled trout cooked over binchotan charcoal, served with tempura of butterbur flowers and topped with a generous spoonful of caviar.
The next two dishes are the stars of the menu. First, a broth with 15 different vegetables (“I spent a lot of time on this!” laughs the chef), as simple as grandma's soup yet bursting with enchanting flavors. This chef didn't move to Paris to joke around. Following is a showstopper sushi made with grilled mackerel, cooked before your eyes over binchotan charcoal, filling the air with a barbecue aroma. The sushi is hand-placed on crisp nori seaweed and simply melts in your mouth—an absolute delight. To conclude the savory part of the meal: white rice with peas and bamboo shoots.
For dessert, we fell in love with the daifuku, a small rice flour ball filled with red bean paste, topped with a juicy strawberry. The texture is "as soft as a baby's skin," bringing us close to tears!
The Tea Ceremony
Have you ever witnessed a real tea ceremony? This one takes place at the end of the meal, in complete silence, with the chef preparing the matcha with slow, precise movements that evoke a meditative state among diners. The hardest part? Returning to reality as you leave the restaurant.
Lunch menu: 160 €. Lunch and dinner menus: 240 €. Open from Tuesday to Sunday, closed on Mondays and the second and fourth Tuesday of each month. There's only one lunch service at 12 PM and one dinner service at 8 PM.
© Justin De Souza / Taisuke Yoshida / Nobu Hidetaka
Also, check out three Japanese experiences to try at least once in your life and the new Michelin-starred restaurants you should visit in 2024.
