Chef Kyohei Nishi, Bib Gourmand winner in the Michelin Guide, puts his heart into “Neki

Bringing French Cuisine Culture Closer to Home

Celeina (MC): You have a great career as a chef.

Nishi: Thank you (laughs). My father, grandfather, and great-grandfather were all chefs. My family is a family of cooks, so it was like a natural progression for me.

Celeina: Have you been cooking since you were little?

Nishi: No, I didn’t want to be a chef or anything from the beginning, but when I was thinking about my career path, I kept seeing such dishes, so I thought this is what I wanted to do too.

Takano (MC): Was your father French as well?

Nishi: French or ……. A hotel. I do a lot of things in general in hotels.

Celeina: Wow. We cook at home too. However, there is a difference between cooking as a professional chef and cooking at home. Nishi-san, do you cook your own meals at home?

Nishi: I don’t cook much at home. I prefer to eat what others cook for me (laughs).

Takano: (laughs). That’s what happens, doesn’t it?

Celeina: So you cook a lot for work. And Neki is called “Innovative French,” but again, what kind of genre is this Innovative French?

Nishi: I don’t really remember myself calling it innovative, but I think it is probably innovative because it incorporates Japanese cooking methods such as dashi (Japanese soup stock) into French cuisine, which did not exist in French cuisine in the past.

Takano: Like alternative.

Nishi: I don’t know, but I think it is like being outside the box.

Celeina: By the way, what is the origin of the name of your store?

Nishi: I am from Kyoto, and “neki” means “near” or “beside” in the San-in region or in Kansai. Like “neighbor. My grandmother and grandfather used to use this word, and it reminded me a little of them, so I created this song in the hope that it would be like that kind of neighbor.

Celeina: French cuisine is more like a special than a neighborhood.

Nishi: Yes. I didn’t want to make the restaurant too expensive. I wanted people to feel more familiar with French cuisine and restaurant culture.

Celeina: I see. By the way, what kind of cuisine do you serve?

Nishi: It is based on French cuisine, but we get ingredients from farmers and producers in Japan, so it is not too much of a mess. We try to focus on the ingredients as much as possible.

Celeina: It sounds like gathering ingredients is also quite important.

Nishi: Yes, it is. That’s why I visit various people. I visit farmers, listen to their stories, and harvest their vegetables. After doing these kinds of things, there are many places that ask us to do business with them.

Celeina: Mr. Nishi himself?

Nishi: I go there, or I go there with my staff.

Celeina: : Where did you go most recently?　What was the most memorable place you visited?

Nishi: Just before we opened, I went to a place called Nakazato Nature Farm in Kochi Prefecture.

Takano: Is there anything on the menu that you would recommend people to try when they visit Neki?

Nishi: The menu changes every two months or so. It changes depending on the season, so it’s just a recommendation at that time.

Celeina: So you can taste new dishes every time you go.

Takano: How about this season?

Nishi: It is the end of summer. I think mushrooms, potatoes, kikurage mushrooms, and so on will be available. I think the food will be abundant and delicious.

Celeina: I feel like going there.

Newly opened “songbook” in Setagaya-Daita

Celeina: Neki is located in Kabuto-cho, and many interesting restaurants have been opening in Kabuto-cho recently.

Nishi: Originally, I was approached by an acquaintance, but I quit the restaurant I was working at and was thinking about going independent when I heard about Kabuto-cho. I went to see the town and found that there was really nothing there, so I thought it would be interesting to see people from all walks of life get together in such a place and create a new scene.

Takano: That sounds great. Creating a culture from scratch.

Celeina: And last year, you opened a new store called “songbook” in Setagaya Daita. What kind of store is it?

Nishi: This is a more compact store. It seats fewer people and has a pizza oven, so you can cook over a wood fire.

Takano: Sounds great.

Celeina: Sounds really delicious. And the name of the restaurant, songbook, has a bit of a musical element to it.

Nishi: I named it after a photo book by one of my favorite artists, and the concept of the book was something like reconstruction and editing, so I thought it would be great if I could express that in the form of food and a restaurant. I hope to combine various elements and offer them to everyone through my filter.

Takano: Are you particular about the music in the restaurant?

Nishi: I’m not that familiar with music, but I like it, so I buy records and play them.

Celeina: Records!　Classy. ……

Takano: With records, isn’t it hard to change them?

Nishi: Everyone on the staff does it for me.

Celeina: That’s nice!　You are also particular about music, Mr. Nishi, and I would like to send you a song here, which you have chosen for us. What song is it?

Nishi: It’s by a London artist named Duval Timothy. He is a pianist with African roots, and he works with a London music producer/DJ named vegyn.

Celeina: Please introduce the song.

Nishi: “LIKE” by Duval timothy , vegyn.

Korean fusion and Middle Eastern modern music is on the rise in France

Celeina: Mr. Nishi, did you go to France recently for business as well?

Nishi: For about a week.

Celeina: I am curious about the latest food situation in France.

Nishi: In the past, I used to go to expensive restaurants, but nowadays, there are many casual restaurants like in Japan. I think it is not only French cuisine, but also Korean fusion. Also, there were many restaurants that served Lebanese and Middle Eastern cuisine in a modern style, so it was a lot of fun.

Takano: I don’t really have an image of Korean food in France.

Celeina: Is there a strong emphasis on diversity in food culture?

Nishi: I think it’s great to see that young people also enjoy this kind of thing and use restaurants.

Takano: Personally, when you go to a restaurant like that, do you try to get ideas from them, not as input?

Nishi: As much as possible, I try to enjoy myself without thinking about it. I do think about how to interpret what I remember in my own way.

Takano: Do ideas sometimes come to you?

Nishi: Yes, I do.

Celeina: Also, today’s program is based on the keyword “Aota-buy,” is there anything else you think we should pay attention to?

Nishi: I don’t know if it’s “aota-buying” or not, but recently I’ve been thinking that shochu is a bit tasty, and I wanted to introduce a shochu called “Tengu Zakura” made by Shiraishi Shuzo.

Celeina: The packaging is very stylish.

Nishi: Yes, it is.

Celeina: But the price is quite expensive (……?).

Nishi: It is a Japanese domestic product, so it is not that expensive. But it is like a natural wine, expressing the goodness of the land. Of course, it is made without pesticides or additives, and it is produced in small quantities, not in mass production, so it is not something you can buy anywhere, but when I drank it, I really enjoyed it.

Celeina: What does it taste like?

Nishi: It’s a potato shochu, but it’s very fruity and a bit floral.

Celeina: I think it might be my type!

Nishi: If it’s watered down, I could drink it forever.

Celeina: “Tengu Sakura”.

Takano: I hope listeners will check it out if they know it or are curious about it.

Celeina: “FIST BUMP” today we welcome chef Kyohei Nishi of the innovative French restaurant “Neki” in Kabuto-cho. Thank you very much.

Nishi: Thank you very much.