Yusuke Takada of the highly awarded La Cime in Osaka is opening his first overseas restaurant in Singapore next month called Hanazen.
The Japanese chef will unveil his a duo-concept establishment at CHIJMES on 12 March consisting of an indoor dining area serving charcoal-grilled omakase dishes, and an outdoor French brasserie.
Takada is known for combining Japanese and French culinary techniques. After working in Japan for 10 years, he moved to Lyon, France to attend the cooking school Ecole Hôtelière Tsuji, followed by a stint under French chef Yannick Alléno at three-Michelin-starred Le Meurice in Paris.
Takada moved to Osaka to set up La Cime, which is named after the French word for “peak.” Combining inspiration from his hometown in Amami Oshima with French flair, the restaurant received its first Michelin star two years after its debut. In 2016, it was awarded a second star, which it maintains today. The restaurant also placed 6th on the 2022 Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, and 41st on the World’s 50 Best.
Dishes at Hanazen will feature some La Cime signatures recreated with Singapore in mind. The Osaka restaurant’s iconic boudin dog (blood sausage), for instance, becomes the Singa dog here: different parts of chicken in a fried battered ball, blackened by edible bamboo charcoal, and filled with chicken floss.
Another dish is Coconut Flan, a savoury and creamy rendition with pandan, seasonal hamaguri clams, layers of bread tuile and nanohana buds from the rapeseed plant, and topped with caviar.
(Image credit: Hanazen)
The food will also showcase Japanese cooking methods with a French approach to flavouring. Skewers come with a specific sauce, like chicken liver with white wine raisin sauce, and awabi with garlic chive butter.
Hanazen will open progressively, with the charcoal-grilled omakase dinner menu introduced first. The lunch and brasserie menu will follow later.
Hanazen by Yusuke Takada is located at 30 Victoria St, #01-21/22 CHIJMES, Singapore 187996. Book here.
(Image credit: Hanazen)
