Tokyo

CHIUnE

チウネ

CHIUnE redefines your culinary perceptions with seemingly simple but stunningly presented dishes made by a chef who is often described as a prodigy. A look at his pedigree goes some way to explaining his talent, but there is something unique about his style that conveys both elegance and warmth.

CHIUnE has a new home in a complex called the Tokyo Garden Terrace Kioicho in an affluent neighborhood of Tokyo that was once home to nobles, feudal lords and imperial princes. The restaurant first emerged in December 2016 in Ginza Icchome and gained popularity in the blink of an eye. Having charmed local and overseas guests, CHIUne Chef Satoshi Furuta is ready for the next stage of his career with a more dignified feel and an even greater sense of originality.

The simple copper signboard beckons you inside to a luxurious waiting area. Designed by Yasumichi Morita in white tones, it features a Bernard Taillefer sofa and a Pierre Jeanneret table, among other antiques. As you move into the stylish dining space, you will find it minimalist to the extreme. The centerpiece is the counter – a single plank of hinoki cypress native to Mino City, Gifu Prefecture, where the chef hails from – at which guests sit in chairs by the Scandinavian designer Finn Juhl. As you look around, your eyes will be especially delighted with the flowers and vase works by floral artist Shiho Yokokawa. The keen observer will notice that the edges of the all-white ceiling are slightly turned up. The interior designer introduced this touch to signify Chef Furuta turning over a new leaf.

Not known to many, the restaurant name CHIUnE refers to the terraced fields of Furuta’s native Gifu. Stone walls lead to the top of the hill in a scene linked to the saying, “Through cultivation, one reaches the heavens“, recognizing the perseverance of those who farm diligently in the limited space. That beautiful landscape with water trickling from the upper terraces to below is very special to Chef Furuta, and it exemplifies the chef’s cuisine with its simultaneous elegance and warmth.

As you sit, you’ll notice the silence, for the chef is certain his cuisine needs no soundtrack. With all superfluous elements removed, diners will feel their senses being polished by the whole experience.

CUISINE

Savor each moment and every bite

CHIUnE has been referred to as innovative fusion, but it is a push to fit it into any genre. Within the simple style resides the chef’s truly unique sense and a consistent aesthetic and message from cuisine, space and tableware to sake and the people behind it all. Take your front-row seat and witness the creative genius of this chef.

The chef provides little explanation of the dishes, believing guests should enjoy the journey of imagination and discovery of flavors. In his course of twelve or so creations, he is devoted to maximizing the potential of every ingredient through minimal intervention, describing his cuisine as the “art of subtraction“. It begins with a seasonal amuse bouche followed by a starch-based dish like capellini, rice vermicelli, or risotto. Then, a vegetable dish, chorizo, consommé, fish dish, shiitake, meat dish, a meal-closing rice dish, and dessert. Some guests may feel the dishes are light on flavor, but it is all by design. The chef wants guests to appreciate each ingredient’s delicate aromas.

One dish symbolic of Chef Furura’s unique style is rice vermicelli in seasonal variations, such as maitake hen-of-the-woods mushrooms with sudachi citrus or asparagus with blue crab, snow crab, and porcini. Anticipation of the latest flavor profile is all part of the fun of each new visit to CHIUnE. The signature featuring meaty shiitake bursts with unforgettable flavor. Amagi Berkshire pork, not available on the general market, is marinated for two weeks (yes, two weeks!) and then chargrilled just before serving.

INGREDIENTS
Furuta uses the very best each season has to offer. Beyond that, he reveals very little about his suppliers or the ingredients’ origins, only to say that most are shipped direct from the producers. Some of the seafood is supplied from Toyosu Market, and Furuta shared that every day he receives seafood caught that morning and brought into Odawara Port in Kanagawa Prefecture. He loves ingredients from his native Gifu, including log-grown shiitake and a variety of mushrooms, ayu sweetfish, edamame, loach fish and duck.

CHEF

Satoshi Furuta

Satoshi Furuta was born in Gifu Prefecture in 1984 to a father who founded the famed Chinese restaurant Kaikatei and owns Ginza’s Restaurant Furuta. With an older brother, the current head of Kaikatei, Furuta grew up surrounded by incredibly talented chefs. Unbeknownst to the young Satoshi, Kaikatei was one of Japan’s best-loved restaurants; he realizes now how unique it is to have a restaurant where customers can enjoy an 800 yen set meal alongside others partaking in an elaborate 50,000 yen course. And he knows just how lucky he was to taste an array of exquisite ingredients from such a young age.

Furuta remembers starting work in the kitchen around fourth grade, washing dishes and helping with prep. He was so surrounded by chefs that it wasn’t until adulthood that he thought of it as a career. He recalls that his father never said anything in the kitchen; his style was very much that you had to observe, analyze, and learn for yourself. At 19, Furuta ventured to Tokyo to train at Italian and French restaurants. He returned to Gifu to open his own Restaurant, Satoshi.F, in 2009 but re-entered the Tokyo food scene in late 2016 with CHIUnE. Blessed with the highest-class chef DNA, Furuta’s talent is accentuated by an incredibly polished sensibility that enables him to showcase his genius. Like his cuisine, Furuta keeps chitchat to a minimum, and he never entertains the media, which adds to the appeal of CHIUnE. His holidays are often spent exploring the food scenes of nearby Shanghai or far-off France and Spain with restaurant guests.

VISION
Chef Furuta’s singular focus is on creating dishes that no one else is. It is all about competing on originality.

WINE

Wine lovers will be wowed by the chef’s collection of up to 800 bottles resting in an underground cellar, including Chateau Latour from 1961 and 2007 Gevrey Chambertin – both exquisite wines from exceptional vintages. Not to be missed is the chef’s pairing course. Excited anticipation for each new dish grows further as you imagine which wine might accompany it. The drinks line-up is not limited to wine, also including a wonderful selection of sake and Chinese teas.