The sky-high Tokyo Node complex, spanning several upper floors of Toranomon Hills Station Tower, gets another fine dining restaurant with the opening of Kei Collection Paris. This 49th-floor eatery has been conceived as a dramatic stage on which to present à la carte creations by owner-chef Kei Kobayashi, whose Parisian outpost Restaurant Kei earned him the distinction of being the very first Asian chef to be awarded three Michelin stars.
Kei Collection Paris’ luxurious interior sets the tone for the gourmet thrills to follow. Walls and ceiling come together in organically curved layers reminiscent of a theatre curtain’s drape, and dotted around are works by artists including photographer Mika Ninagawa. A panoramic city view unfolds below, and can be marvelled at from both the dining space and bar counter. Diners are also welcome to enjoy their drinks out on Tokyo Node’s rooftop terrace, which features an infinity pool some 250m above ground level.
Kobayashi’s dishes are noted for bringing the essence of Japanese-style sumibiyaki grilling to such French culinary techniques as sauté and poêle, and for their painstaking adjustment of cooking temperature to fully manifest the natural taste of the ingredients. Sample the fruits of this approach in meat, fish and vegetable dishes such as sazae (turban mollusk) grilled in seaweed butter and served with lemon confit (¥1,500), or perhaps the Akagi Beef roll sushi (¥1,500 per piece) in which this famed wagyu is wrapped in crispy nori seaweed sourced from Saga prefecture.