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Feature: How to Make "Pirouette" | Chapter 2: From Production Site to Kitchen, From Kitchen to Table. Gallery

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Feature: How to Make "Pirouette" | Chapter 2: From Production Site to Kitchen, From Kitchen to Table. Gallery

The food complex "Pirouette" aims to create a rich culinary world where everyone can experience authenticity daily. Chapter 2 features the voices of Éric Trosson (left) and Chef Naoya Kobayashi, who express this through their cooking.

Éric Trosson, an M.O.F. (Meilleur Ouvrier de France) award-winning chef, serves as the advisory chef for "Pirouette." He states, "I want to focus on how to best use the ingredients that arrived today."

Chef Naoya Kobayashi, who heads the kitchen at "Pirouette," is recognized for his talent by Trosson (left). After working at several French restaurants in Japan, Chef Kobayashi moved to France. His perspective shifted entirely during his year-long stay before returning to Japan.

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Vegetables arrive daily at "Pirouette" from Sunaga Farm in Saitama.

Shinichiro Sunaga, representative of Sunaga Farm.

Sunaga Farm

Sunaga Farm

Visit to Sunaga Farm

Visit to Sunaga Farm

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Trosson praises the quality of Sunaga Farm's vegetables and the producer's philosophy.

Visit to Sunaga Farm

Freshly harvested tomatoes from Sunaga Farm

Also visiting were Trosson (center right), Kenichi Mori (right), representative of "Contrail" which operates "Pirouette," and Minako Saito (center left).

"While there are dishes where technique shines, those can be completed alone. Ingredients, however, are brought about through human connection. As producers, I sometimes feel a commonality with them, and listening to their stories is incredibly educational," says Kobayashi.

"I want to engage deeply with people and face the ingredients. Perhaps I place more importance on people than on ingredients. We source vegetables mainly from Sunaga Farm in Saitama, but I also want to strengthen our connections with producers and fishermen for meat and fish," says Kobayashi.

"I find the true joy of cooking in delivering the energy of freshly harvested ingredients as purely as possible. The producer, the cook, the diner – the essence of culinary delight is packed into the connections between them. New dishes are born every day using ingredients that arrived that same day, and the menu changes constantly. While it may be challenging operationally, I want to take on this challenge with this spirit," says Trosson.

Vegetables from Sunaga Farm

Vegetables from Sunaga Farm

"Pirouette" strives to create a system where they find ingredients themselves, visit producers, gather them, and deliver them to the recipients.

Carrots from Sunaga Farm, rich in color and flavor.

Radishes, fresh and mildly spicy.

"When I visited Sunaga Farm, I was struck by the high quality of the vegetables and how the producers, while having strong convictions, remain natural. For example, they practice organic farming as a matter of course, without making a show of it. Through the bistro, cafe, and épicerie, I want customers to clearly see which producers grew these ingredients and how," says Trosson.

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Tomatoes of various shapes and colors.

Corn, characterized by its gentle sweetness.

Colorful zucchini.

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A wide variety of herbs.

Trosson doing recipe testing in the kitchen.

Recipe testing.

Kobayashi doing recipe testing in the kitchen.

Trosson smiles, holding vegetables from Sunaga Farm.

Trosson (left) and Kobayashi doing recipe testing in the kitchen.

Recipe testing.

Recipe testing.

"For young chefs, it's important to innovate through various actions. While technique is crucial, I want them to constantly pursue new challenges and discoveries based on that foundation," says Trosson.

"This project is not just a job for me; it's a human business. I don't just want to teach techniques; I want to grow together with everyone as a unified team," says Trosson.

The menu at "Pirouette" was developed through close discussions between Trosson and Kobayashi.

Currently, a prix fixe course is planned, consisting of cold appetizers, hot appetizers, main course, coffee, and petit fours. The price is 5,000 yen (excluding tax). Desserts and cheese are extra. Under the concept of "casual," high-quality, fresh ingredients are offered at the most reasonable prices possible.

Sample menu: "Sunaga Farm Passion Tomato Ceviche" using freshly harvested tomatoes. This dish is based on the South American ceviche, with Trosson's unique arrangements, such as using lemon jelly instead of regular lemon and incorporating Basque-style chili peppers.

Trosson plating the sample menu: "Sunaga Farm's Exquisite Cauliflower with Aromatic Gremolata and Puree."

Sample menu: "Sunaga Farm's Exquisite Cauliflower with Aromatic Gremolata and Puree." This dish allows you to enjoy cauliflower in two ways: simmered in olive oil and as a puree. It uses the classic French combination of cauliflower and curry powder (in this case, turmeric).

Sample menu: "Goto Islands Suzuki Tartare" using fresh Suzuki (sea bass) from Nagasaki. The seasoning is very simple, with salt, high-quality olive oil, and aromatic organic lemon. This dish showcases "Pirouette's" commitment to ingredients.

Sample menu: "Sunaga Farm's Bounty: Courgette Flowers with Ricotta" using fresh, flowering zucchini. The zucchini is stuffed with ratatouille, and ricotta is used as a sauce for decoration.

Trosson's menu created with "Pirouette" in mind: "Sunaga Farm's Bounty: Courgette Flowers with Herbs from Their Garden."

"Sunaga Farm's Bounty: Courgette Flowers with Herbs from Their Garden." The zucchini is stuffed with a mixture of ratatouille and ricotta. It is served with zucchini puree and salicorn.

Sample menu: "Tasmanian Salmon Marinade with Sunaga Farm Morning-Picked Herbs (Dill)" recreating the classic French dish, salmon en papillote. This is a simple dish marinated with high-quality rock salt and morning-picked herbs, but it's cut into cubes instead of thin slices for a visual variation.

Sample menu: "Fresh Corn Soup" using freshly harvested corn. To highlight the ingredient's quality, the corn is simply simmered in milk and blended. Spices like curry powder are added to differentiate it from typical corn soups.

Sample menu: "Iwate Short-Horn Beef and Goto Islands Suzuki Roulade, Marinated with Smoked Egg Yolk." In some French regions, it's common to combine ingredients from the sea and land, such as chicken with shrimp, pork with clams, or beef with oysters. Here, inspired by tartare, the addition of smoked egg yolk creates a richer complexity.

Sample menu: "Goto Islands Black Rosy Seabass, Bouillabaisse Style, with Sunaga Farm Vegetables." This is an adaptation of the classic Provençal fish stew, bouillabaisse. Fennel, garlic, potatoes, and tomatoes, usually used as aromatics in the soup, are served as accompaniments, creating a restaurant-style dish. Beyond the accompaniments, the broth made from fresh fish is the key element.

Sample menu: "Roasted Nagasaki Suzuki and its Jus, with Mushrooms from Hasegawa Farm in Shizuoka Prefecture, Green Asparagus with Citron Vinaigrette." This is a refreshing dish featuring fragrant roasted sea bass with a lemon dressing.

Sample menu: "Roasted Iwate Short-Horn Beef and Sunaga Farm Vegetables." This dish, designed for two people, is intended to be served in a cast-iron cocotte.

The sample menu "Roasted Iwate Short-Horn Beef and Sunaga Farm Vegetables" allows the natural flavors of the ingredients to shine, embodying the spirit of "Pirouette."

Sample menu: "Sautéed Squid, Basque Style." This dish follows the spirit of Basque cuisine, using ingredients directly to maximize their flavor. Fresh squid is quickly sautéed with sage, thyme, garlic, lemon, and Basque-style chili peppers for a simple yet delicious result.

Sample menu: "Fresh Tomato Confit" using yellow tomatoes. This simple dish, flavored only with garlic, olive oil, and thyme, relies on the freshness of the tomatoes for its deliciousness.

Sample menu: "Organic Herb and Chioggia Beet Salad" featuring Chioggia beets from Sunaga Farm. This dish celebrates the harmony of herbs.

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Feature: How to Make "Pirouette" | Chapter 2: From Production Sites to Kitchen, From Kitchen to Table. Gallery

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