Kei Kobayashi
Affiliation
Restaurant Kei
First Japanese chef to earn three Michelin stars in France at Restaurant Kei
i. Biography
Kei Kobayashi, born August 29, 1977, in Nagano, Japan, trained under his father at a kaiseki restaurant and later in French techniques in Nagano and Tokyo before moving to France in 1998. He worked at prestigious restaurants including Auberge du Vieux Puits under Gilles Goujon, Le Prieuré, Michel Husser's restaurant in Marlenheim, and as sous-chef at Plaza Athénée under Jean-François Piège and Christophe Moret. In 2011, he opened Restaurant Kei in Paris with support from Gérard Besson, earning one Michelin star in 2012, two in 2017, and three in 2020, becoming the first Japanese chef to achieve three stars in France.
The Archive
Selected Works & Focus Areas
Focus 01
First Japanese chef to earn three Michelin stars in France at Restaurant Kei
Focus 02
Signature dish: le jardin de légumes croquants with seasonal vegetables, smoked salmon, lemon emulsion, and black olive crumble
Focus 03
Blending Japanese aesthetics with French cuisine