A marriage of French and Japanese flavours
Dubai’s dining scene is getting a taste of Tokyo as celebrated chef Natsuko Shoji heads to TakaHisa Japanese Restaurant for an exclusive two-day collaboration on 17 and 18 October.
Hosted at Banyan Tree Dubai on Bluewaters Island, the special event brings together Shoji and TakaHisa’s executive chefs Takashi Namekata and Hisao Ueda for a one-off omakase experience, created exclusively for the occasion.
Meet The Chef
Shoji is the owner-chef of été, an invitation-only restaurant in Tokyo’s Minami-Aoyama neighbourhood that serves just one party a day. Known for blending gastronomy with the worlds of fashion and contemporary art, she approaches each course as an individual work of art.
Her culinary career began with Fleurs d’été, a pâtisserie celebrated for its meticulously arranged seasonal fruit tarts. She went on to make history as the first Japanese woman to be named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef by Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2020, before receiving the title of Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2022.
She also oversees Blue Box Café by Natsuko Shoji at Tiffany & Co. in Tokyo’s Ginza district.
Japanese With a French Twist
The collaboration brings together Shoji’s French culinary training and artistic approach with TakaHisa’s focus on premium Japanese ingredients and traditional techniques.
Rather than presenting separate dishes from each chef, the trio is developing a single omakase menu designed specifically for the five services across the two days. Expect a meeting of Tokyo and Dubai, with the chefs combining their distinct styles into a dining experience that will not be repeated.
For Dubai diners, it is also a rare opportunity to experience Shoji’s cooking without securing an invitation to her famously exclusive Tokyo restaurant.
Image credit: Supplied
Curious, expressive, and always chasing new ideas, Zainab sees creativity as a way of life. She thrives on discovering new perspectives, connecting with people, and turning inspiration into something tangible. Her work and her world reflect a balance of intuition, imagination, and authenticity.
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