One of Tokyo’s most stellar dining destinations, Auberge TOKITO, located on the central outskirts Tokyo presents a world unto itself own. Helmed by Executive Chef Yoshinori Ishii — a one-of-a-kind culinary wunderkind — TOKITO holds an unparalleled atmosphere that stems from utmost dedication to every detail. From their exceptionally talented team on-site extending to equally important collaborators from across Japan.

These collaborators produce not only the culinary produce but the contemporary art and artisan-made works found throughout the vast property — from guest rooms to dining spaces — extending to the details of the exquisite tableware in Tokito’s dining areas. One particular collaborator that is found through the rich earthen brown and white bowls, cups and plates is young ceramic artist Kazuya Ishida hailing from Bizen in Okayama Prefecture, a ceramics region known as one of Japan’s six ancient kilns.

The unique relationship between chef Ishii and artisan Ishida traces back to the UK. Ishii, during his tenure at UMU in London, met Ishida when he visited the capital for a ceramic residency. Over time, the duo established a special bond — and notably the Oxford Anagama Kiln Project — together building and maintaining the brick climbing kiln for Oxford University students. Now both back in Japan, they come together to collaborate for Auberge TOKITO’s first artisan collaboration dining event — celebrating the beauty of textures, materiality and form through all the senses.

Artist Ishida uses the intuitive force of his body to smoothly warp and configure his vessels. Each is completely unique from the other. From his signature ‘Rahou’ spiral technique to scraped pots, Ishida’s work is filled with dramatic folds and undulating emotion. Crafted in earthen-brown clay which Bizen ceramics are renowned for, Ishida also uses white porcelain sourced from the region — both a colour and material not typically synonymous with Bizen ceramics yet which actually holds historical roots in. Ishida himself digs up his own clay on frequent visits at the Tsushihashi Mine, a famed clay mine in Okayama.

Although Ishida was born into a family of potters, he himself never thought he would enter the profession. His childhood friends in the area even started the profession before him. A turning point came when he connected with other craftspersons and creatives such as chef Ishii who inspired ‘a different approach to creativity’.

Through their collaboration, chef Ishii and artisan Ishida combine their irrepressible creativity to create truly original works and dishes. Chef Ishii, always one to recognise the value of things in the minutiae of details, presents the course meal’s first welcome drink served in Ishida’s beautifully rough and textured white Bizen porcelain. Inside, a single kaya happa leaf picked directly from a looming pine tree — located mere metres away from guests in the central courtyard — holds a gently sweet yet complex fragrance. It sets the tone for the journey and what can be anticipated at TOKITO — a pure and gentle approach to responsible dining where every ingredient has a story.

Beginning with ‘Gekko’ lily bulb with truffle served on a voluminous platformed Bizen porcelain sculpture plate crafted by chef Ishii himself, to an outstanding dish on Ishida’s textured rahou spiralled plate — akin to the natural patterns found in nature — for seasonal kinmeidai golden red eye snapper with hints of sansho pepper and shiso herb. To pair, a Sake Hundred Shinsei Celestial Sake — an effervescent sparkling sake with elegant depth.

One of the most surprising and playful dishes presented battered fugu blowfish on gen nouyaku rice. The batter was made with a classic Japanese snack kaki-no-hane, ground into powder. Typically known as a bar snack and spicy in flavour, the kaki-no-hane battered fugu paired excellently with Tsuji Honten’s Gozenshu Junmai sake brewed in the Bodaimoto method utilising pesticide-free omachi rice grain grown from 430-year-old Mame Farm in Okayama.

For the dessert series titled Abyss, an exquisite moon-shaped meringue — inspired by the bulbous round white ceramic sculpture located in TOKITO’s courtyard garden — featured on a stunning blue and white smooth and circular porcelain plate alongside a series of petit-fours served on a chunky, asymmetrical blue and white form. Each plate exampled the same materials yet each presented a contrasting creative approach and originality by artisan Ishida.

Following the course, we spoke with chef Ishii and artisan Ishida on their collaborative dining event and enduring, extraordinary creative bond.

Ishida-san, when creating a vessel or dish for dining, do you have any discussions about form with the chef or do you create from your own imagination?

Artisan Ishida: It depends on the restaurant as I make so many variations of work. With Auberge Tokito, I first spoke with chef Ishii to identify keywords as well as what the taste of the restaurant is and combine it with my technique for creating special work.

What is your personal philosophy about the importance of tableware influencing a memorable dining experience?

Artisan Ishida: When I make work I always try to put life in it. It can be by materialisation or my own technique like Rahou or scratching clay. It can be a spontaneous way of showing the character of clay. I believe chefs will be inspired if the work has its own voice.

Utilising primal shapes such as the Rahou ’spiral’ technique, how important is this rhythmic forms of nature in your practice?

Artisan Ishida: My unique technique Rahou that is not only showing the outfit of spiral mark, it’s showing a centrifugal force which in between to control and can not to control. The pattern has made by golden ratio that anyone can feel the natural beauty.

In what ways does Chef Yoshi inspire you?

Artisan Ishida: We both trained by Japanese shokunin artisan/craftsmanship background. To express myself and the Japanese spirit within myself to the new worlds that are so important because people want to see and feel, but not everyone can. We have to be very clear to see the world and trust oneself, and put so much energy for what I can do. It will make a new direction from the past to the future that I have inspired by him.

Ishii-san, the importance of tableware for a dining experience is as importance as the dishes themselves.

Can you please share more of your personal thoughts on this ethos?

Chef Ishii: We always respect nature in Japan. Before Buddhism came from overseas, Shinto was the main religion in Japan and  everyone believed “Everything in the earth has each god”. When we eat food — that has all come from nature — we respect all ingredients as a type of god. Even with just common local ingredients, we try to respect as much as possible when eating them. At that time, tableware was not only for vessels. It was also a costume for respecting food (Gods).’

The founder of Kitcho where I got trained and one of the historical chefs for kaiseki cuisine always said “Tableware is the costume of food.” When I decided to be a chef, I decided to work at Kitcho immediately because my goal was learning Japanese culture surrounding cuisine culture when I was a student. I spent 10years in Kyoto and 20 years overseas before returning to Tokyo. I continue to pursue the relationship of cuisine and tableware together. They are both connected and I don’t view them separately. When we decide on a menu for our guests, food can be a priority and tableware serves as a foil. Sometimes it can be the opposite without any gap. Our goal is simply to “make our guests happier”.

What is your aim / intention for this collaborative dining event together?

Chef Ishii: I have been really impressed by Kazuya’s work and passion since we met in the UK. I would like to share our creations with the guests and our staff while working together.

How did you first meet Ishida-san?

Chef Ishii: When I was working in Kyoto, I often visited Bizen to make some pots and understand Japanese culture. I became good friends with the Isezaki family, which is one of the well known pottery families in bizen. When I was Executive Chef at UMU London, Mr Isezaki called me and introduced Kazuya san. We worked together at the event in London, and he baked my pots at the Oxford Anagama project after he made the anagama kiln himself.

AUBERGE TOKITO
1 Chome-24-26 Nishikicho, Tachikawa,
Tokyo 190-0022

Images: Champ Creative © 
Text: Editor-in-Chief Joanna Kawecki