Record 4th Michelin Star for IHG’s hotels in Japan

Denham, United Kingdom, 2017-Dec-07 — /Travel PR News/ — The Stars are shining brightly for IHG’s hotels in Japan with the addition of a record 4th Michelin Star to its restaurant trophy cabinet, recognising the exceptional culinary pleasures available to guests at its hotels.

ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka is the latest hotel in the group to earn a prestigious Michelin Star for ‘Maison Tateru Yoshino’, impressively taking the accolade in its first year of opening, and making it the first Crowne Plaza branded hotel in the world to earn a Star.

It joins InterContinental Osaka’s ‘Pierre’ restaurant, headed by IHG’s home grown Chef de Cuisine Susumu Okubo, which earned One Star for a second consecutive year, and legendary chef Pierre Gagnaire’s self-named restaurant at ANA InterContinental Tokyo, which has earned Two Michelin Stars for the seventh year in a row since it opened in 2010.

Earning a Michelin Star is no easy task, it means consistently creating innovative food, providing the highest standards of service, and being truly passionate about the guest experience. These three restaurants exemplify the best in dining experience, drawing on the latest gastronomic techniques and trends, as well as adding Chefs’ own personal flair to the food, service and ambience.

Chef Tateru Yoshino from ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka, who is famous for preparing traditional French cuisine incorporating an array of select vegetables to artistically accent each course, said:“It is a huge honour to earn a coveted Michelin Star in our restaurant’s first year. Our service team’s attention to detail provides each guest with a memorable dining experience for lunch or dinner, and the striking white and gold interior by designer Toshio Nagao creates an elegant and sophisticated space inspired by my native Kikai Island.”

Chef de Cuisine Susumu Okubo from InterContinental Osaka’s Pierre restaurant said: “I would like to thank all our guests and the team at Pierre for their continuous support. Getting our second consecutive Star embeds Pierre’s reputation as one of the best restaurants in Osaka. We will continue to work hard to offer innovative dishes using carefully selected seasonal ingredients, which are sourced without compromise, while also delivering a luxurious and highly personalised service experience.”

ANA InterContinental Tokyo’s iconic chef Pierre Gagnaire added:  “Anyone who has visited the restaurant knows to expect something unforgettable – contemporary French cuisine in elegant surrounds with the breath-taking 36th floor view of the Tokyo metropolis and Tokyo Tower as a backdrop. Creating that touch of magic has been our goal for the past 7 years and we are excited to continue it for many years to come.”

IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan, the Joint Venture between IHG and Japanese largest airline ANA, currently has 33 hotels operating under five brands in Japan, including InterContinental, ANA InterContinental and ANA Crowne Plaza. Hans Heijligers, CEO of IHG ANA Hotels Group Japan reflected on the achievements, saying “This is truly brilliant recognition for the amazing culinary talent we have in our hotels. There is good reason why so many Japanese guests and visitors, including myself, count these restaurants amongst their favourites.”

 

About IHG’s Michelin Star Restaurants & Chefs in Japan

“Maison Tateru Yoshino” at ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka
Maison Tateru Yoshino is the award-winning French restaurant nestled on the second floor of ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka.

Its “white balance” theme is designed to accentuate fine elegance, combining elegant cream white and gold walls, gentle curved surfaces, glass screens surrounding individual circular booth seats, and soft carpets with discreet patterns based on the huge coral reefs and flowers that are found in Tateru Yoshino’s native Kikai Island.

The private room creates a deep sense relaxation with soft fabrics, and the waiting bar surprises with bright marble in shades of Bordeaux Red and gold.

Chef Tateru Yoshino travelled  to France in 1979, training at a number of French restaurants including Paris’ “Jaman”, led by Joel Robuchon.

In September 2016 he opened “Maison Tateru Yoshino” at ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka, embracing tradition, culture and nostalgic new cuisine, quickly winning guests’ hearts and stomachs. This was recently recognised when he earned One Michelin Star only 1 year after opening.

“Pierre” at InterContinental Osaka
Since opening in June 2013, Pierre has been offering a contemporary French dining experience where the change of seasons can be felt. Drawing from his experience of working in various three-starred restaurants in Japan and overseas, and under the supervision of Executive Chef Tobias Gensheimer, Chef de Cuisine Susumu Okubo uses his creativity to combine Japanese ingredients with French cooking techniques. In doing so, he creates menus which are intrinsically seasonal yet executed with the accuracy of modern French cuisine.

 

Positioned on the 20th floor overlooking Osaka city, Pierre is InterContinental Osaka’s signature restaurant. Serving seasonal ingredients prepared with elements of Japanese and French techniques, highly skilled Pierre kitchen team led by Chef de Cuisine Susumu Okubo creates a memorable dining experience producing original dishes that are striking to the eye. Pierre also boasts over 400 types of wine including rare wines, a range of champagnes and a special boutique house wine.

It earned one star yet again in the Michelin Guide Kyoto Osaka 2018 which was published on November 10, 2017.

Chef Okubo is the Head Chef of our French restaurant “Pierre”. He has worked in several three-star Michelin restaurants. He blends French cooking techniques with the best produce of Japan’s seasonal ingredients to create a truly exciting dining experience. Chef Okubo is a creative master that gets inspired by nature and the season. He uses every opportunity to learn and express himself in each dish with unique flavours, textures and presentation by always respecting French cooking techniques.

“Pierre Gagnaire” at ANA InterContinental Tokyo
ANA InterContinental Tokyo is home to three Michelin starred Chef Pierre Gagnaire’s highest restaurant in the world. Discover his award winning contemporary French cuisine in elegant surrounds with the stunning Tokyo metropolis and Tokyo Tower as a backdrop. Experience a unique culinary journey of passionate dedication to the best quality produce and the creation of unprecedented tastes that reflect this world-renowned chef’s philosophy of using food to communicate and incite emotion.

 

Contemporary décor with fireworks motif and colour scheme of Edo purple provides the elegant setting for Gagnaire’s hallmark modern French cuisine.

Chef Pierre’s other signature is to serve multiple dishes within each course and he has been introduced his new menu, inspired by Japanese “KAISEKI style”; where guests can choose from a multitude of intricately prepared dishes, each expressing their own story and flavour.

Pierre Gagnaire was born in 1950 in Apinac, France, the oldest of four siblings born to chef parents. He built his career as a chef working in both Paris and Lyon. In order to be able to work with his father, himself a Michelin-starred chef, Pierre went to hone his craft in the United States.

After returning to Saint-Etienne, he took over his family’s restaurant. In 1981, he set off on his own, opening restaurants in Saint Etienne that quickly garnered two and then three Michelin stars. He closed those restaurants in 1996, and six months later opened a new restaurant in Paris. In 1997 he earned two stars, and the following year he was once again regained the title of three-star Michelin chef. His artistic sense and delicious cooking has won him a continually growing fan base.

In 2005 Chef Gagnaire opened his first restaurant in Tokyo, which was located in Aoyama until the autumn of 2009. In March 2010, his restaurant relaunched inside the ANA InterContinental Tokyo. He currently has a total of 13 restaurants around the world, with two in Paris and one each in Courchevel (France), Gordes (France), Chateillon (France), London, Dubai, Hong Kong, Seoul, Las Vegas, Shanghai, Danang and Tokyo. In 2015, after a poll of over 500 Michelin-starred chefs from around the world, he was named ‘best chef’ by France’s authoritative ‘Le Chef’ magazine.

SOURCE: InterContinental Hotels Group

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