In this article, I am introducing you to several Parisian restaurants from the same group, led by Xu Ceqian. They all share the common trait of offering high-level gastronomic French-Japanese fusion cuisine, each with a Japanese chef in the kitchen. I haven’t tested every restaurant in this group, but below I invite you to discover To Restaurant and Sphère; I also spoke about the restaurant Ao Izakaya, which is also part of this group, in another article.
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To Restaurant
In 2020, along with my favorite photographer, we had a high-end gastronomic experience at To Restaurant, which opened its doors in early August 2020 in Paris, not far from the Place de la République and a few steps from the Canal Saint-Martin. At the helm of this gastronomic restaurant is an extremely talented young Japanese chef, Ryo Miyazaki, who offers delicate and gourmet French cuisine with Japanese notes. By going down a few steps, you can even see him at work with his team behind the counter that opens onto the kitchens.
The restaurant is divided into three rooms with distinct ambiances: a lounge with blue velvet banquettes overlooking the street (where we dined), a more botanical and Scandinavian section with wooden furniture, and finally, a more intimate (and private) space at the back of the establishment for a more private meal. For sunny days, a small green terrace rounds out the space.
The establishment also has a small, very cozy speakeasy bar in the basement and a bartender who makes delicious cocktails, again with Japanese notes… If you want to discover the place without going directly to the restaurant, you can certainly test just the bar at first because it is in a way accessible independently from the restaurant. And the cocktails offered are of a very high standard—we approve! We tested two cocktails from the menu: the To signature cocktail, which is made with whisky, miso, and fig (€15), and as a long drink, the Nihon Fizu with rum, umeshu (that Japanese plum liqueur), ginger, lime, and soda (€15).
During our dinner, we discovered the chef’s Omakase tasting menu (€69 per person and served for a minimum of 2 people), which is a true delight for the senses! It is also possible to enhance the experience with food and wine pairings chosen with care by the restaurant director, Ken Nanaumi.
Overall, all the meats and fish were cooked absolutely perfectly (incredible, even, for the octopus, which was without a doubt the best I have ever eaten), the pairings of flavors are precise and balanced, the quality of the products is more than undeniable, the service is impeccable, and the setting is polished and intimate… Speaking of the chef’s cooking techniques, he specifically uses the chi-nuki method, a preparation technique that helps preserve the quality of the fish’s flesh and comes from ancestral Japanese traditions. It yields an incredible result, and I admit it had been a very long time since I had eaten salmon or tuna of this quality!
This 7-step Omakase menu (one amuse-bouche, 3 starters, 2 main courses, and 1 dessert) applies the Japanese tradition of putting yourself in the chef’s hands so he chooses what you will taste. Obviously, before the meal, you are just asked if you have any allergies or intolerances to one or more products.
On the menu that evening: chilled corn soup with pea mousse; squid, Atlantic pollock, and turbot ceviche; veal tartare and Utah Beach oyster with parsley espuma; chinuki-style sea bass Chirashi; pollock fillet with soy beurre blanc sauce; rack of lamb with meat jus and seasonal vegetables; all-chocolate dessert.
In addition to the menu, we were also lucky enough to taste a few dishes à la carte: the red tuna aburi, Chimichurri sauce scented with shiso (€26); the plancha-grilled octopus with piquillo puree and black olive crumble (€23), which I repeat was just exceptional, and I think I could go back to To just to eat that again… The chef offers French tapas with a Japanese twist on the à la carte menu, divided into hot or cold recipes, rather than the classic “starter and main” of more traditional French restaurants.
As for desserts, once again, we were not disappointed. I was afraid that they might fall below the rest of the meal, given the standard, but that was absolutely not the case! In addition to the delicious chocolate dessert from the menu, we also tasted the summer dessert with yuzu and mascarpone with a browned Chiboust cream (€10). It was light, and the mix of textures and flavors was divine.
In short, as you will have gathered, we had a huge crush on this gastronomic restaurant, which naturally has a cost, but one that is very much worth it in my opinion! I can only highly recommend that you go there soon, because I think the establishment is aiming for recognition for next year, and prices might perhaps increase a little bit as a result…
My Top Tip: for smaller budgets, there is also a menu for €38 that is more accessible for lunch!
Thanks to To Restaurant for this invitation and this delicious moment of culinary poetry.
TO Restaurant
34, rue Beaurepaire, 75010 ParisOpen every day – 12pm-2:30pm & 7pm-10:30pm
The Omakase Menu is served every evening and every lunchtime (only 3 or 4 steps) for 2 people minimum in 3 steps for €38 / 4 steps €75 / 6 steps €95 / Prestige €125
Food and wine pairing: 2 glasses of wine and/or sake €35 – 3 glasses of wine and/or sake €47 – 5 glasses of wine and/or sake €70
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Sphère
In 2023, we tested this new restaurant in the group, located on Rue de la Boétie in the 8th arrondissement: Sphère restaurant in Paris. The address is chic, spacious, and the designer decor is very polished. In the kitchen, we find Japanese chef Tetsuya Yoshida who, once again, offers high-level French-Japanese fusion cuisine at this establishment. On the plates, we find quality ingredients and perfectly mastered flavor combinations. The cooking of the meats and fish is perfect, and we had a huge crush on the dish with Wagyu beef (literally “Japanese beef,” referring to several Japanese cattle breeds), which was just exceptional (the quality of the meat was well above everything I had been able to eat up to now, even from my previous experiences with Wagyu beef, with incredible marbling).
We tested the 6-step carte blanche menu (served for the entire table): Brittany sea bass ceviche marinated with fresh blood orange, dill oil, and Japanese Kabu turnip cream; scallop carpaccio with cauliflower and passion fruit; steamed low-temperature cooked pollock fillet with beurre blanc, spinach, and cabbage; Wagyu beef fillet (A5 for a €30 supplement), candied salsify, and Radicchio; for dessert, grapefruit and bergamot jelly, and dark chocolate cream and crumble with almonds and pistachio.
Sphère
18 Rue La Boétie, 75008 Paris
Price: carte blanche menus in 4 steps €79 / in 6 steps €98 / Prestige €128
Food and wine pairing: 2 glasses of wine and/or sake €39 – 3 glasses of wine and/or sake €59 – 5 glasses of wine and/or sake €79
The top tip: the weekday lunch menu with starter + main or main + dessert for €35 and starter + main + dessert for €42
Photo credits: Nicolas Diolez Photos are not royalty-free; the photographer's authorization is mandatory before any use
