Kiyomi Mikuni on Why Tokyo Is So Delicious

Tokyo, where both international and regional culinary cultures intersect. Chefs like Kiyomi Mikuni have spent years at the forefront in their pursuit of culinary excellence. We will trace the depth and allure of Tokyo's food culture through his journey and words—from his formative experiences growing up in Hokkaido, to his challenges in the vibrant metropolis of Tokyo, and his desire to convey the essence of this city through dining.

Hokkaido to Tokyo: Kiyomi Mikuni’s Origins and Journey as a Chef

Kiyomi Mikuni was born and raised in Hokkaido to a family that lived partly as a farmer and partly as a fisherman. Surrounded by nature, ingredients were always within reach, yet he didn't dream of becoming a chef early on. However, when he was 15 and uncertain about his future, his mother's words—“If you become a chef, you'll never go hungry”—gave him the push he needed to enter the culinary world.

When Mikuni first entered the culinary world, it was less a dream than a practical choice. In Sapporo, he attended night school while working at a rice shop, spending his days in the kitchen just to make ends meet. Far removed from the glamorous world of fine dining, “working” and “continuing to cook” were directly linked. The attitude he developed during this time—to keep confronting cooking no matter the circumstances—became the foundation for his long career ahead.

He eventually got a job at the Sapporo Grand Hotel, and at the age of 18, he headed for Tokyo after hearing a rumor that “the god of cooking exists” there. What he witnessed at the Imperial Hotel, TOKYO was a culinary world far more expansive, unforgiving, and stimulating than he had ever imagined.

Depth of Food Culture in Tokyo: A City Where World Cuisine Converges

Mikuni believes the greatest appeal of Tokyo's food culture lies in its depth. Tokyo provides an environment where ingredients gathered from all over Japan naturally intersect with cuisines, techniques, and talent from around the world. At the same time, a locally rooted food culture thrives, exemplified by traditional Tokyo-born vegetables like Senju Negi and Nerima Daikon, known as Edo-Tokyo Vegetables, which have been passed down since the Edo period.

Japanese Spirit Infused in French Cuisine: The Tokyo Mindset Behind the Cooking

Mikuni’s cuisine centers on French culinary techniques while incorporating Japanese flavors and sensibilities in a natural way. Behind this lies the accumulation of food culture unique to the city of Tokyo. In Tokyo, where ingredients from all over Japan gather and world culinary cultures intersect on a daily basis, traditional Japanese seasonings are also given new roles as they engage with international food standards and diverse tastes. 

A deep understanding of Japanese fermented seasonings like miso and soy sauce symbolizes this. His practice of selecting specific soy sauces or miso for each dish stems directly from constantly re-examining the relationship between ingredients and cooking within Tokyo's environment, where domestic and international food cultures converge.

Each dish embodies a meaning: Respecting regional food cultures while reconstructing them in Tokyo as his vision of cuisine, ultimately connecting them to the world.

Challenges that Emerged from the Stage Called Tokyo: The Reason to Continue Cooking in an International City

His experience at the Imperial Hotel, TOKYO was a time for Mikuni to truly grasp the essence of the city. In the kitchen, information, techniques, and talent came together from all over Japan and abroad, constantly evolving day by day. The pace and the level of expectation exceeded anything he had ever imagined.

“In Tokyo, cuisine is already connected to the world.” That feeling Mikuni had in his youth remained unchanged even after his subsequent training in Switzerland and France. The more he broadened his horizons abroad, the clearer his reasons became for returning to Japan and choosing Tokyo as the place to express cutting-edge cuisine. 

The ability to consistently source high-quality ingredients, to engage with guests holding diverse values, and to operate in an environment where recognition spreads internationally—behind Mikuni’s statement about “unintentionally solidifying his position in Tokyo” lies the unique character of the city itself—a place that naturally embraces a chef's challenges.

Tokyo-style Hospitality: Experiences Gained Beyond Dining

Mikuni prioritizes the “culinary experience” that extends beyond the cooking itself. What he values is creating a space where guests can naturally engage with their meal, while carefully conveying the background of each dish and the origins of its ingredients. This stance has remained unchanged since he opened his new restaurant, “Mikuni”.

True Tokyo-style hospitality lies not in excessive presentation, but in the seamless presence of high-quality service. This is what Mikuni believes in, and the recently renovated restaurant “Mikuni” (above) is a perfect example of this belief.

Tokyo’s Ever-changing Food Scene: What the Future Holds for Mikuni

Tokyo’s food scene has changed constantly over the years, but Mikuni has remained at its center, a chef admired for adapting to the times without chasing trends. What he has always valued is building upon the flavors and ideas he believes in, day after day, through his cooking.

As he ages, there are moments when he feels his body doesn't move as freely as it did in his youth. Even so, Mikuni says the time spent standing in the kitchen, tending the stove, and checking the flavors remains indispensable to him, unchanged. The genuine feeling that “cooking itself is life and expression” is what sustains his strong commitment to remaining active.

He wants to keep cooking even into his 70s and 80s. These words don’t convey a determination to push himself relentlessly; rather, they paint a future that feels like a natural extension of a life lived alongside cooking. 

Mikuni says, within the ever-changing city of Tokyo, he intends to embrace change himself and never stop walking his path as a chef.

Cuisine Born from Reverence for Nature: An Approach to Sustainable Eating

Using locally sourced ingredients and devising ways to minimize waste is not a special endeavor for Kiyomi Mikuni. For instance, incorporating Edo-Tokyo vegetables—whose harvest varies seasonally—and using the freshest seafood available that day from head to tail are practices he has maintained for years. His experiences growing up alongside nature in Hokkaido continue to shape his approach to each ingredient, alive in his cooking today.

Precisely because Tokyo is a megacity where countless ingredients converge and are consumed, it becomes crucial for chefs to be mindful of producers and contemplate the story behind each ingredient. 

Mikuni asserts that, especially in Tokyo as an urban consumption hub, continuing to express reverence for ingredients through cuisine is indispensable for the future of food culture.

Grown in Tokyo, Savored in Tokyo: Three Signature Dishes that Reflect the Power of the Region

First of the three signature dishes is called “Grilled Terashima Eggplant with Black Pepper Flavor”. Terashima eggplant is one of the traditional vegetables known as “Edo-Tokyo vegetables”, which have been cultivated continuously from the Edo period to the present day. Approximately 50 varieties still exist today.

Terashima eggplant is characterized by its thin skin and tender flesh. Heating enhances its sweetness and richness, so grilling brings out the best qualities of the ingredient.

The second dish is called “Grilled Edo-style Conger Eel with the Aroma of Japanese Pepper Leaves and Powder, Genèvoise (Geneva-Style).” Featuring conger eel from Tokyo Bay, this dish employs cooking techniques and flavors inspired by the Geneva region of Switzerland, served with a sauce showcasing the acidity and depth of red wine.

Tokyo Bay maintains a rich ecosystem thanks to the inflow of major rivers. Even today, over 700 to 800 species of fish have been confirmed, which is a strength of Tokyo's ingredients.

The third and final dish is “Sorbet of Red Bell Peppers Slow-roasted at Low Temperature, Served with its Fritters and a Bouquet Garni.” Slow roasting the peppers at a low temperature over an extended period gently draws out moisture, bringing out their natural sweetness. This process also concentrates the flavor, preserves the beautiful color, and ultimately helps unlock the ingredient's full potential.

Another dish featuring vegetables harvested in Tokyo, showcasing Chef Mikuni's dedication to the “zero-mile movement” of sourcing ingredients as locally as possible.

The Desire to Share the Flavors of Tokyo with the World: Discovering the City's Charm Through its Cuisine

As one of the Tokyo Tourism Ambassadors, what Kiyomi Mikuni wants to convey to international travelers is that “Tokyo's cuisine goes beyond a single dish.” For instance, the daily habit of eating sashimi, or Japan's fermentation culture represented by miso and soy sauce, is deeply connected to the lifestyles and local memories behind the dishes.

Mikuni himself grew up in a fishing town, where the custom was to grill sea urchin over fire to bring out its aroma, rather than eating it raw. Understanding such locally rooted ways of eating can drastically change how you see and taste the same ingredients. Tokyo is a city where food cultures from all over Japan converge, allowing you to experience these backgrounds as part of the cuisine itself.

Discovering Tokyo through its food is also an experience that touches on the city's diversity, depth, and very essence.

What it Means to Share a Table: The Mindset for Enjoying Food in Tokyo

Kiyomi Mikuni repeatedly emphasizes the importance of “respect” at the dining table. Cooking is never a solitary endeavor; it exists through the interconnectedness of everyone involved—those who cultivate the ingredients, those who transport them, those who prepare the food, and finally, those who eat it. Mikuni believes that being mindful of this connection and approaching the meal with gratitude for the ingredients is the most fundamental form of etiquette. Tokyo is a city that has embraced diverse cultures and values, and in its culinary settings, a “spirit of mutual respect” is valued more than formal rules. Even when languages and nationalities differ, Mikuni quietly yet powerfully conveys that a shared attitude of savoring food with care naturally fosters a connection between individuals—a unique Tokyo way of embracing food.