The Theme: "Casual Chic"

This place, connecting food to the future, is "Pirouette." The name refers to the turn on one foot in ballet and jazz dance. A pirouette creates new air with each rotation, transforming the space as it draws in its surroundings. Pirouette, evoking such an image, is a multifaceted culinary space combining a bistro, café, and épicerie.

The overarching theme is casual chic. A place that is relaxed, comfortable, and accessible daily. Furthermore, everything within—from ingredients to cuisine, interior design, and service—is of the highest quality and authenticity. The aim is to make authentic food, experienced through dining, feel closer and more present in everyday life. So, how will this be realized in concrete terms? To understand this, we must first begin with the story of "CONTRAIL," the company behind Pirouette.

CONTRAIL is a collective formed by specialists, each with their own expertise. Leading the group is Kenichi Mori, who manages three restaurants and a private reservation-only space in Ginza, and also provides catering for luxury brands through "GROVE DISH." Alongside him are "KUSHINADA," a design studio that supports corporate promotion activities, primarily online, with its visual expertise, and Minako Saito, who handles consulting and communication strategies for the entire lifestyle spectrum, with a focus on fashion.



All members are in their 30s and 40s, peers who, while active in their respective fields, share the same values and goals. They came together to create something they themselves desired and a place they wished to visit. The core of CONTRAIL lies in the authentic proposals that these like-minded adults strive to embody.

Yo Ito, art director at KUSHINADA, recalls intuitively feeling, "The owner of this restaurant truly knows quality," upon entering one of Mori's establishments by chance. Conversely, Mori, after seeing a website designed by KUSHINADA, immediately felt they could create something interesting together.



Within this new landmark poised to significantly reshape Tokyo, they found a location that fulfilled their desire to "open on a significant scale, and crucially, on the ground floor." This timing was no mere coincidence. Colleagues, location, and timing—all are drawn together by a person's strong will and energy.

CONTRAIL's strong intention is to bring to Tokyo the authentic food culture they witnessed in Paris, a culture seamlessly integrated into daily life. When proposing this way of interacting with, savoring, and enjoying ingredients to Tokyo, they envision a space like the following:

A Place Where People Connect Joyfully and Naturally Through Food

An épicerie featuring ingredients from producers with traceable origins will be attached, where chefs will prepare dishes right before your eyes. The space will house a restaurant and café, with a fully open kitchen bridging the two. The chefs' actions will be visible from all areas, allowing guests to enjoy their meals while listening to explanations from the creators. Guests can even purchase ingredients that catch their eye. With both a restaurant and café, it caters to every occasion, from special anniversary dinners to a casual solo stop for a cup of tea or a glass of wine. Of course, simply stopping by to purchase ingredients is also warmly welcomed.

Furthermore, to expose children to healthy and high-quality food, cooking classes focused on food education workshops are planned for the future. The distance between producers, chefs, and guests is literally minimal, with no sense of formality. It's not just the proximity between those who provide and those who consume. Pirouette aims to be a community space where guests can also connect joyfully and naturally with each other, centered around food. It is what Paris has that Tokyo lacks—an embodiment of the "casual chic in food" theme.

Simple, Unadorned Design

How will KUSHINADA translate Mori's vision for transforming Tokyo's—and by extension, Japan's—food future into design?



A place we desire right now. It exists in Paris, but not yet in Tokyo. The will and purpose of CONTRAIL's members are shared intuitively, without needing many words. This is also true for Mori, Trochon, and even Naoya Kobayashi, who will be the chef.

In Chapter 2, we will introduce the specific cuisine Pirouette aims to offer, incorporating insights from Trochon and Kobayashi. With the opening just about a month away, this discussion has covered Pirouette's past. Next time, we will bring you Pirouette in its current, unfolding state.