Ace Hotel Kyoto announces Noma residency

Ace Hotel Kyoto has announced a 10-week residency with the legendary Copenhagen restaurant Noma. The venue, which is helmed by chef René Redzepi, will be serving up a tasting menu inspired by the distinct ingredients and culinary history of the Kyoto region from March 15 through to May 20, 2023. There will be one lunch seating and one dinner seating per day.

The move marks Noma’s second residency in Japan, following a 2015 collaboration in Tokyo, and subsequent residencies in Sydney, Australia and Tulum, Mexico. Highlighting the spring season and the restaurant’s connection to Japanese cuisine, the Noma team will source ingredients from local farmers, hunters, fishmongers and foragers.

“I believe Kyoto to be the birthplace of the western tasting menu, and it remains one of the most important cities through which to understand the fine dining scene today,” says owner-chef Redzepi. “Much of my own journey and inspiration can be boiled down to a handful of important moments, and going to Japan and Kyoto for the first time is one of them. We have always wanted to return and explore this region as a team.”

He continues: “We have been working on this specific project for the past two years, and we have had a team on the ground since late spring, foraging and researching what will form the foundation of our Kyoto menu. Our main inspiration comes from the very heart of Kyoto, the kaiseki cuisine, while not at all being a Japanese restaurant. We come to be inspired, to learn, to absorb new creative processes and to hopefully bring back new perspectives and a clearer vision for how to be Noma.”

“We feel incredibly honoured to partner with René and the entire noma team for their fourth global residency,” adds Brad Wilson, CEO, Atelier Ace / Ace Hotel Group.  “Built upon a shared reverence for craft and artistry, as well as a deep respect for culinary traditions long practised in Japan, the collaboration will bring an incomparable gastronomic experience to the city over its 10 week span. In Noma, we recognize a kindred spirit of innovation and risk-taking. We look forward to hosting them and inviting guests to experience their visionary approach to food and fine dining.”

Image: Yoshihiro Makino