Restaurants are places where love gathers.
Sharing feelings through dishes and atmosphere.
Musashi-Koyama Station on the Tokyu Meguro Line has been revitalized by recent redevelopment, with new tower condominiums and a revamped station area.
Meanwhile, the traditional cityscape, featuring what is said to be Tokyo's longest arcade shopping street, remains intact, and this combination creates a new charm.
In 2018, the wine & bistro "Eme" opened its doors, just a two-minute walk from Musashi-Koyama Station.
We sat down with owner-chef Yasumichi Muto to discuss his journey from his training days to opening his own restaurant, his dedication to creating a unique space, his philosophy on cooking, and even his recipes.
An approach reminiscent of a French patio, through a green shop
Anyone brought here by a regular customer, unaware of what awaits them, would surely be puzzled at the entrance of the building. It looks, from every angle, like a stylish green shop. As you proceed down the central aisle, lined with rare ornamental plants on both sides, you'll find an iron-barred glass door and three steps, beyond which a spacious dining area and a curved counter appear.
It’s a truly unique setting, fittingly called a hidden gem. The industrial and vintage-inspired interior is exhilarating. "See, isn't it great?" you'd want to boast, knowing about it. "Eme" is that kind of place.
The reasons for its popularity aren't just limited to the interior. During lunch, in addition to courses starting from 3,850 yen, they offer a 1,980 yen one-plate meal featuring an assortment of French delicacies. Dinner courses start from 7,700 yen, and à la carte options are also available, which can be enjoyed with a wide selection of wines and low-alcohol cocktails, making its versatility another part of its appeal.
Owner-chef Yasumichi Muto is from Kikuna, Yokohama City. One might assume he chose Musashi-Koyama because it's relatively close along the Tokyu Toyoko Line, but that wasn't the case.
"I wanted a place that could be used for everyday dining as well as for special celebrations. Not just delicious, but a place that contributes to a rich lifestyle. I was looking for properties mainly in Yoyogi-Uehara, Shoto, and Hatagaya, where there seemed to be many discerning residents.
It was hard to find, but I didn't want to compromise, so I kept searching while working freelance catering jobs, and finally found this property in my third year."
"Originally, it was the office space for the green shop 'TRANSHIP' at the entrance, and they were looking for someone to turn it into a restaurant. Musashi-Koyama was unexpected for me, as I had only stopped by once during a station stamp rally in elementary school (laughs). However, it had many appealing aspects, such as the potential for both old-time residents and new generations from the redevelopment as customers, and the presence of several stylish individual restaurants. Above all, it was a rare property, like a French patio. I decided immediately."
While preserving the original interior, such as the concrete ceiling and gray floor, many warm wooden elements like paneled walls and vintage wooden tables & chairs were incorporated to avoid a cold impression.
The counter was also there from the beginning, but the part that was attached to the wall was separated so that guests could sit facing each other. The open kitchen at the back was equipped with a large work table in the center, anticipating the demand for catering and takeout. In fact, this proved useful during the pandemic.
The clientele primarily consists of local residents, including groups of women, couples, and families, with a majority being over 40. However, in recent times, perhaps due to the influence of social media, the number of younger generations has been increasing.
Judging by one's own experience, not by others' reputations
Though Muto was a basketball enthusiast as a boy, he harbored aspirations of becoming a craftsman abroad, inspired by European shoemakers and art restorers featured in documentaries. His dream was to "work overseas and become some kind of artisan." In high school, as he began to think more concretely about his career path, he decided to become a chef, viewing it as "the most accessible craft that directly brings happiness to people."
His grandfather, who had passed away, once told him, "You will surely be a businessman," and that phrase had lingered in his mind, leading him to pursue the path of an owner-chef.
"My elementary school only had a girls' basketball team, so I gathered members and started a boys' team myself, becoming the captain. Perhaps I have a personality that enjoys leading people in team competitions. That's why I'm glad I chose the profession of a chef, which requires teamwork."
His high school part-time job was at a pizza and pasta restaurant. Although he had little cooking experience before then, he was entrusted with making pizzas and discovered his passion for it.
After graduating, he planned to save up money for tuition, which he would have spent on culinary school, and instead use it to travel to Europe for exploration. He then joined "Tableaux" in Daikanyama.
"The seniors at Tableaux were all renowned figures in the industry, and I struggled to keep up. In fact, I probably barely kept up at all. Once, I spilled a sauce that a senior chef had made, and although I wasn't severely scolded, I was so ashamed of my incompetence that I burst into tears. That might have been the first and last time I cried at work."
"My seniors often told me things like, 'See the real thing,' 'Experience beautiful things,' 'Go eat at such-and-such restaurant, even if you have to stretch your budget.' Since I'm the type of person who believes in what I see and experience firsthand, rather than hearsay or others' reputations, and chose to travel for exposure instead of going to school, I readily accepted and implemented their advice."
To visit restaurants, he needed to dress up, so he got his first credit card and bought a Comme des Garçons jacket and shirts in installments. He still keeps them carefully and occasionally wears them.
The rich, savory cuisine and local love learned in Basque Country
After Tableaux, he worked at an organic restaurant in Yokohama, and in 2003, with 1.5 million yen saved, he embarked on his journey. For three months, he visited small towns in France and Italy, sampling regional dishes and exploring museums.
Although his resolve to become an owner-chef of a French restaurant was already firm, upon seeing travelers from various countries communicating in English at a youth hostel, Muto thought, "I want to live in an English-speaking country." So, with only a few tens of thousands of yen left, he boldly flew to New Zealand, where a friend was living.
"I used a working holiday visa and worked at a modern Japanese restaurant for a year. Before entering the world of French cuisine, I wondered how it would be to not know Japanese cuisine as a Japanese person. I started by buying a Japanese knife.
Here, I had a very stimulating experience, as Hideki Nishioka of Chinese restaurant "Renge," Kunihiko Kato of Japanese restaurant "Ubuka," and Shuhei Murakami of creative cuisine "LOOP" also worked there later. However, my English didn't improve much... "
After returning to Japan, he honed his confectionery skills at a patisserie before joining "Cogito," a French restaurant in Roppongi. Influenced by the wine-savvy owner, Muto also studied wine, and later served as chef at its sister restaurant, "Marché au Vin Yamada."
In 2009, he traveled to France again, working as a chef at a café in Lyon for about three weeks before heading to Basque Country. He worked at a seaside restaurant and under the charcutier (cured meat artisan), Pierre Oteiza, whom he had decided to visit even before his trip to France.
"By then, I was almost 30 and had a decent career, so my goal was less about culinary training and more about experiencing the traditions, culture, and spirit firsthand. I was deeply moved by the deliciousness of Oteiza's charcuterie, which I had tasted in Japan, and I really wanted to experience it in its homeland.
He and all the people I met in Basque Country were kind and welcomed me like family. That made me happier than anything else, and their deep pride in their homeland strongly resonated with me."
"Basque cuisine is simple yet deeply flavorful, and when I opened my own restaurant, I planned to procure Oteiza's salami and other products, making Basque cuisine one of its pillars. However, I never intended to simply copy recipes and reproduce the exact same taste.
Because even if you try to imitate it, as long as the climate, local conditions, and the people involved are different, the taste will never be exactly the same.
But I'm not pessimistic about it. Rather, I felt in Basque Country that it's important and perfectly fine to choose ingredients that suit the land I live in and the people of Japan, and to create my own recipes."
Finally, he gained four months of experience at the three-Michelin-starred "Lameloise" in Burgundy. During that time, he also mentioned that accompanying the sommelier to visit wineries was a valuable experience.
Part 2 -----
Chef Muto discussed his efforts to achieve his dream of opening his own business, his culinary philosophy as seen in his signature dishes and new creations, how he spends his private time, and his ideal restaurant.
Click here for Part 2
