Kyoto
Before you start reading this, let me ask you one question:
Have you read the first part?
If not, please go back and read it first. Because the chefs in that initial piece were among those who started my Paris. The chefs in this one are the ones who shaped it, refined it, fine-tuned it.
It’s not easy to shake off the Tokyo and Kyoto effect.
So while the inspiration is still fresh, I feel like I need to keep writing.
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Épopée – Yurika Kitano
Just like in almost every field, there are fewer female chefs in Paris’s food scene — but that certainly doesn’t mean less success. The first names that come to my mind are: the chef’s chef Raquel Carena (Le Baratin), Tatiana Levha (Le Servan), Julia Sedefdjian (Baieta), Olive Davoux (Sur Mer), Alcidia Vulbeau (Bonne Aventure), Delphine Zampetti (Chez Aline), Erica Paredes (Mischief & Reyna), Priscilla Trâm (Tram 130), Paola Vialetto (Le Comptoir Canaille), Lucie Boursier-Mougeot (Pétrelle)… And of course, two of my absolute favorite pastry chefs: Claire Damon (Des Gâteaux et du Pain) and our neighborhood’s daily source of happiness, Belén Gowland (Belén).
If you find yourself at any of these addresses, you’re in very good hands. Just let go and enjoy the ride.
Yurika Kitano is among the chefs creating the most elegant plates in this group. Her new chapter is Épopée. After her background in Japan, she worked in Paris at Margo, Clamato, and Pilgrim. In 2019, she received the San Pellegrino Award for Social Responsibility.
I’m sure I must have eaten her food at Clamato, but the dishes that truly stayed with me were at Pilgrim. She probably doesn’t know this, but she’s the only chef who has ever made me enjoy cod. Normally, it’s a fish I find painfully bland — the kind I cross off the menu the second I see it. But with Chef Kitano’s sauce, I remember being genuinely happy that day, feeling like I was eating a completely different fish.
What matters most to her is working with local, seasonal ingredients.
And once that’s the case, she’s already won my heart.
My bet? You’ll be hearing her name a lot more in 2026. Just saying.
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Mokonuts – Moko Hirayama
Chef Hirayama & Merve
World famous cookies
Chef Hirayama is the most recent Japanese chef to enter my Paris life — and honestly, that’s on me. Why did it take me so long to go? Anyway, better late than never.
She immediately joined the list of all the chefs mentioned above in my head. Her approach to guests is incredibly warm and genuine. Even while ordering, she’ll say things like,
“You already have this ingredient in the starter — choose this for the main so you can try something different.”
That kind of guidance only comes from someone who truly knows their kitchen and their food.
Her main expertise is pastry. Many places boldly claim she makes the best cookies in Paris. Yes, I’ve tried them — they’re incredible. But I’m not really a cookie person, so I can’t make a serious comparison. I’ll need to consult my daughter on that one. 🥰
That said, I trust Merve — she says they’re among the very best.
And honestly, when a chef does so many things this well, there’s no need to focus on just one product anyway.
Born in Tokyo, she studied law in the US, then worked in London before saying “enough” and turning toward food. In an interview I read, she mentioned that her mother’s habit of baking French pastries at home played a big role in that shift.
She moved to Paris with her husband and found herself working in Michelin-starred kitchens. Then, at some point, they must have thought: enough working for others. In 2015, she and her husband Omar Koreitem opened this small but powerful spot.
You could describe the food as a mix of Lebanese, Japanese, French, and American influences. It may sound complicated, but the plates are incredibly clear — and delicious.
Their cookbooks are on everyone’s lips. The place is always full. Reservations are recommended, but you can still poke your head in and ask if there’s a table.
Sometimes miracles happen.
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Aux Plumes – Kazuhiro Fujieda
I proudly call this one of my best discoveries in Paris.
Why? Ask yourself: who goes to the 14th arrondissement? Who walks into a tiny, completely understated restaurant with zero façade drama?
Me.
Okay, confession: I went because Nurdane told me to. Otherwise, I probably wouldn’t have noticed it while walking by. It’s that quiet, that focused — a true chef’s restaurant.
It’s now one of my two go-to options at the end of my 14th arrondissement tour. Lunch and dinner menus are different, and the lunch menu (a fixed menu with choices) might be one of the best quality-to-price deals in the city.
Chef Fujieda’s career starts in culinary school in Japan, passes through L’Arpège in 2002, then continues around Montmartre at Moulin de la Galette, Chamarré (now closed), and Au Clocher (also closed).
I guess he got tired of the crowds and tourists, because he eventually opened his own place on this quiet street. 😁
Whenever I hear “L’Arpège background,” I automatically assume uncompromising ingredient quality — especially if the chef knows how to use it properly.
Another place whose seasonal menus consistently make me very happy.
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Le Gentil – Fumitoshi Kumagai
I had confessions in the first piece; here we go again.
For some reason, I always end up at Le Gentil on days when I’m not in the best mood — feeling a bit lonely, a bit grumpy. Pure coincidence. But by now, I’m convinced this place and its food have healing powers. 😁
I usually go for lunch, and when the meal ends, I genuinely feel lighter and happier heading back into my day. The delicacy of the plates, the calmness of the food, the harmony between ingredients and sauces — it all does something to me.
A glass of white wine probably helps too.
Chef Kumagai and his wife opened Le Gentil in 2024. The simplicity of the space and the light instantly remind me of the small, intimate restaurants we saw in Tokyo and Kyoto.
Just because I sometimes go without a reservation doesn’t mean you should. One lunchtime in early December, Ceren couldn’t find a table at all. 😬
And one more warning: don’t get confused when you arrive on Rue Surcouf! Tommy & Co., David Toutain, Au Petit Tonneau… they’re all right there. A street full of temptations. 🤭
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Chakaiseki Akiyoshi – Yuichiro Akiyoshi
I’d already shared this special place when we celebrated our wedding anniversary, but after Tokyo and Kyoto, it absolutely deserved a spot on this list again.
Why? The food, the atmosphere — especially how much it reminds us of places we loved in Kyoto — and the tea ceremony at the end of the meal.
Only after our trip did we fully understand the Kyoto connection: Chef Akiyoshi worked in a hotel in Kyoto for nearly ten years.
Like Le Gentil, this is a couple-run restaurant. The chef is in the kitchen, his wife in the dining room. They welcome you in traditional attire, service begins once everyone is seated. No rush. Just calm, maturity, and a beautifully paced experience.
“Chakaiseki” refers to cuisine served alongside a traditional tea ceremony. You can choose the fixed menu with tea pairing. We celebrated with wine, but next time, I’m definitely going for the tea pairing.
They earned their Michelin star in their first year. Reservation required.
And one last note: even after Tokyo and Kyoto, Akiyoshi’s shime saba (mackerel sushi) is still etched in my mind. Outstanding.
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Magma – Ryuya Ona
After culinary schools in Osaka and Lyon, Chef Ona began his professional career at L’As in Tokyo — opened in 2012 and known for serving French cuisine in an omakase style. He then moved to Paris, working with Bruno Verjus at La Table, followed by Chef Sota Atsumi at Maison. Before opening his own place, he completed his final preparations at L’Attache.
He opened Magma in July 2022. We went the very next month. Clearly very curious people we are ! 😁
Back then, there was an à la carte menu, and we basically ordered everything. Later, they switched to a fixed menu — and yes, we went back for that too.
The menus are seasonal and constantly evolving. In one interview, he mentioned that his suppliers sometimes force him to be extra creative (!!!) , sending ingredients that he didn’t ask for or in different quantities — sometimes more, sometimes less than expected. 😁
Even if he objects, I imagine the answer is always the same: C’est la vie! 😂
Oh, and the wine list is excellent too — just so you know.
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Ojii – Yuji Mikuriya
Don’t be fooled by its popularity during Paris Fashion Week. Ojii isn’t just a chic place to be seen — it’s a place where you eat genuinely excellent Japanese food.
Chef Mikuriya is highly experienced, with New York and Paris both on his résumé. More recently, he left a strong mark on the Paris scene with Guilo Guilo.
The sashimi was among the freshest fish I’ve had in Paris. The tempura is top-tier.
It’s one of our favorite places to celebrate special occasions. And one of Paris’s coolest sommeliers is part of the team.
Once again: you’re in very good hands. Just enjoy.
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Bistro S – Shimpei Oie
Another chef from Osaka. His story resembles many European chef biographies: early inspiration from his mother and grandmother.
He completed an internship in Paris with another Japanese chef, but returned to Osaka to attend Tsuji Culinary School in order to better understand the foundations of international cuisine. Then Tokyo, then back to Paris.
In 2019, feeling ready, he opened this elegant restaurant with this gentleman Antonio Arnes Spinoza. My first visit was with April; later, I returned with a group of five for dinner. Both times, I clearly saw how Japanese elegance translates onto the plate.
Chef Oie once again confirms one of my core beliefs: there’s no such thing as bad ingredients — only chefs who don’t know how to use them.
On our last visit, he managed to make my chestnut-hating wife love chestnut soup, and convinced Furkan — who dislikes duck — to happily eat duck breast. 😁
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So yes, inspired by Tokyo and Kyoto, I jumped into 2026 at full speed. I hope I can keep this rhythm going.
The topic of the third piece is already clear — even the fourth one. Just a little patience…
For now, stay tuned on Instagram.
With love.