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Tsutomu Nishimura / 西村 勉 Restaurant「MAVO∞」 Kyoto, Japan
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INFORMATION

  • Restaurant「MAVO∞」
  • Kyoto, Japan

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Profile

Restaurant "MAVO∞"
Media:chef outsider
Owner『 Tsutomu Nishimura 』

Born in Tokushima Prefecture in 1971. He was raised in a family who worked as a part-time farmer, cultivating seasonal vegetables and fruits in a pesticide-free home garden. Under the guidance of his grandparents, he learned about wild plant seeds, poisonous plants, and medicinal herbs, fostering a sense of harmony and a deep respect with nature. His father taught him the value of life through hunting and fishing in the mountains, rivers, and sea.

After graduating from "Osaka Abeno Tsuji Culinary School", he joined the "Moriguchi Prince Hotel", eventually rising to the position of head chef at the "main dining room, LE TRIANON". He later served as sous chef at the "Odawara Hilton Resort & Spa". In 2007, he became independent and opened the French restaurant “La Matière” in Odawara.

In 2014, upon opening 'Gion MAVO' in Kyoto's Gion district, he pioneered the concept of tea pairing, creating a unique beverage experience centered around Japanese tea. Since then, he has focused on crafting harmonious pairing experiences where each dish is perfectly matched with a cup of tea. In 2023, he founded "Tea Pairing Lab Co., Ltd.", and dedicated to developing non-alcoholic beverages based on tea and launching a Tea Pairing education business. This new brand seeks to expand the tea pairing culture globally, breaking the conventional boundaries of culinary arts. By exploring the potential of "〇〇 + Tea," which stimulates not only taste and smell but all five senses, he continues to propose new possibilities for tea.

【 Restaurant Information 】
Restaurant:「 MAVO∞ 」
Address:594-7, Komatsu-cho, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto-shi, Kyoto, 605-0811, JAPAN
Phone: +81-75-708-6988
Website:https://mavo.sobo.co.jp/

Tsutomu Nishimura / 西村 勉 × Ryusen Hamono

Selection
"Yosegi-Zaiku (traditional Japanese marquetry)"

The moment I saw this steak knife, it brought back fond memories and the initial enthusiasm when I started with my own business.

Hakone was a town where I often visited on my motorcycle "Harley-Davidson" (as a hobby) when I was running the French restaurant “La Matière” in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture from 2007 to 2013. One of the places I often visited was a Yosegi-Zaiku craftwork atelier.

The warm gradations of the overlapping layers of natural wood are very impressive, and I just had a flashback to some memories that I was fascinated by this traditional craft from Japan, a rich forest country.

It's already been 20 years since then.
When I came across the steak knife with a handle generously decorated with Yosegi marquetry craftwork from Ryusen Hamono, a representative of Echizen forged knife brand (called "Echizen uchihamono" in Japanese), I felt a lot of emotions coming in waves and remembered the past days I challenged myself to experience new things and grow with great passion as a chef.

These two sophisticated traditional crafts ("Echizen forged knives" and "Yosegi marquetry craftwork") are irreplaceable and precious items to me, Nishimura. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the craftsmen who integrated both techniques to create these masterpieces.

Representative of MAVO∞: Tsutomu Nishimura
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