Pages: Cuisine That Straddles France and Japan

Behind a restaurant, there often lies a chef with their own vision of cuisine and a style that defines the aesthetic of the establishment. Pages, opened in Paris by Japanese chef Ryuji Teshima (nicknamed Teshi), close to the most beautiful avenue in the world, is the fruit of a vision of cuisine developed over a number of years.

Before opening Pages in 2014, the Japanese chef cut his teeth in kitchens across the globe, but particularly in France. On Saturdays, when most people would choose to recharge their batteries, he would wake at the crack of dawn to learn the basics of butchery and the art of cutting. Teshi soon joined Samuel Nahon and Alexandre Drouard when they opened their Terroirs d’Avenir shops on Paris’ Rue du Nil.

Fusion cuisine

He then met pastry chef and sommelier Naoko Oishi. Together they launched the project for Pages, an intimate setting with an open kitchen that offers a subtle fusion of French classics and Japanese influences. The establishment features white tablecloths, beige brick walls and black lamps to provide contrast, and this pared back aesthetic is also present in the dishes, from scallop carpaccio with binchotan (Japanese charcoal) to risotto with Bachès citrus fruits (bergamot, kabosu and sudachi). Teshi is not yet ready to turn the page on his venture.