Japanese television series “La Grande Maison Tokyo” aired on TBS Television in the “Sunday Theater” slot, from October to December 2019. Following its success, high viewer ratings, and several TV awards, the series has spawned a few sequels; a special television episode in 2024, “La Grande Maison Tokyo Special”, depicting the restaurant’s aftermath following the COVID-19 pandemic, and – soon after – the feature film “La Grande Maison Paris” produced by TBS Sparkle and distributed by Toho and Sony Pictures Entertainment Japan, and released at the end of 2024. Moreover, one of the original series’ characters, Chef Shohei Hirako, has his own spinoff series.
In 2015, Japanese chef Natsuki Obana (Takuya Kimura) was running the prestigious Michelin-starred restaurant Escoffille in Paris when his life was turned upside down by an accident. During an important lunch for the Japan-France summit, an allergenic ingredient slipped through unnoticed in the kitchen and ended up in the sea urchin starter for the VIPs, sending the allergic prime minister into critical condition. Obana took the blame and responsibility, not without a violent reaction to the accusations, and disappeared from the restaurant scene, leaving his brigade to pick up the pieces and find jobs elsewhere.
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Three years later, Obana is still in Paris, doing odd jobs and earning a reputation for his terrible temper and brusque personality. One day, he crosses paths with fellow Japanese chef Rinko Hayami (Kyoka Suzuki), who is obsessed with earning Michelin stars but lacks the right talent. She applyies for a position at the famous 3-starred (real) Restaurant L’Ambrosie and fails, but Obana, seeing an opportunity, proposes a partnership: combining his talent with her money and determination, they will open a French restaurant in Tokyo with the goal of achieving the coveted three Michelin stars.
Rinko accepts the offer, and once back in Paris, they start recruiting staff, mainly tracking down the members of Obana’s old brigade at Escoffille. It’s not an easy task, as Obana’s arrogance and tainted reputation have left a mark on his entourage. However, his unique and undeniable talent is a driving force, and a new team for the new restaurant, “La Grande Maison Tokyo,” begins to take shape. They set out to patiently overcome, one by one, all the obstacles presented by the ripples of the old incident and the enemies Obana has made throughout his career. Once the Maison opens, they will race against the rival restaurant Gaku and its chef, Tango (Onoe Kikunosuke V), for the highest award in the industry—the three stars of the Michelin Guide.
The film came out in 2029 at the apex of the popularity of cooking shows and food programs in general, but many of them failed to bring something new to the table (excuse the pun). One of the reasons why “La Grande Maison Tokyo” is so captivating and stands out in this often-boring mixed bag of food and cooking products is that it is essentially a sports movie in disguise for the way its narrative is structured. Director Ayuko Tsukahara claimed she was inspired by Kurosawa’s “Seven Samurai”, but the defining elements of a classic sports movie are all here: the disgraced champion who has fallen from grace and—when the time is right—assembles a new team, searches for his old teammates, convinces them to reunite, engages in intense teamwork to reach the top, and finally competes for the highest prize, putting the collective effort centre stage rather than his own name. In fact, despite Kimura’s histrionic role, the film avoids the cliché of the superstar chef who earns the big reward only through massive talent and consistent dedication. Instead, teamwork truly shines, showing how the dishes are the result of everyone’s efforts and mistakes.
In many cooking dramas, the chef’s profession is romanticised and depicted in a highly polished fashion, far from the reality. Thanks to the consultancy of real Michelin-awarded chefs, and the intense training that the actors (especially Kitamura) underwent, the representation of the kitchen feels authentic, and the performances are rather natural. Chef Shuzo Kishida of the French restaurant Quintessence in Shinagawa, Tokyo—an establishment that has three Michelin stars—oversaw the culinary supervision for La Grande Maison Tokyo, while Chef Thomas Frebel of INUA supervised the cooking at Gaku, La Grande Maison’s competing restaurant.
Takuya Kimura is so spot-on in the role of Chef Obana that it looks like the character was created around him. He has played that cocky, moody, idiosyncratic, rock ‘n’ roll character many times before, always with his signature smirk that gives him a cool and charismatic look. The grumpy, arrogant chef is a well-worn trope, but Kimura injects it with an odd charm and a bit of comedy, making him humanly vulnerable and relatable. His business partner, Rinko, is played by Kyoka Suzuki, who introduces a feminine touch to an otherwise male-dominated race for glory—without being overly sweet. She is stubborn, determined, and has both a refined palate and strong common sense. The secondary characters are all well-rounded, with standout performances from Yuta Tamamori as the reluctant Shohei, Ikki Sawamura as the reliable maître d’ Kyono, and Mitsuhiro Oikawa as Aizawa, who juggles career and family. Kabuki actor Onoe Kikunosuke V brings intensity to his role as Gaku’s head chef, Tango.
As in most Japanese dramas, the music is solemnly dramatic and cinematic, bordering on intrusive when it spoon-feeds the suspense. However, the theme track “Recipe”, written by Tatsuro Yamashita, is light and catchy, providing a positive balance to the score. Naoki Sakakibara‘s cinematography is also bright and luminous, with the interiors of La Grande Maison flooded with natural light to highlight its elegant, modern design. Additionally, lively real footage from the fish market and food festivals adds authenticity to the narrative.
To conclude, with its dynamic structure inspired by the tradition of sports movies, captivating characters, and engaging intertwining narratives, “La Grande Maison Tokyo” is binge-worthy—and a highly satisfying watch.
