Kazuyuki Tanaka's good addresses
Kazuyuki Tanaka, chef at Racine restaurant in Reims, reveals his five top tips for buying good champagne, quality flour and rare vegetables.
Grand de Demain according to Gault&Millau 2018 and awarded three toques for his restaurant Racine in Reims, Kazuyuki Tanaka is a chef who pays close attention to his sourcing. Originally from Japan and trained with Emmanuel Renaut, Régis and Jacques Marcon and Benoît Vidal, he has learned to carefully select his raw materials to offer the best possible product to his customers. Here are a few of Kazuyuki Tanaka's favorite addresses in and around Reims.
Vegetables at Jardin des Vieux Copains, Rosnay
Vegetables play an important role in Kazuyuki Tanaka's cooking. To find the best possible produce, the chef relies on Mathias, "a market gardener who works with varieties of fruit and vegetables not found elsewhere, such as salad shoots, tomatillo and okra. "I love his passion, his desire to always do better, and his respect for the living world," explains the chef.
- Where to eat? Jardin des Vieux Copains, 9 rue Henri Primault, 51390 Rosnay, France
- www.lejardindesvieuxcopains.com
Flour from Oasis Ardennaise, Houdilcourt
To find quality flour, Kazuyuki Tanaka buys from L'Oasis Ardennaise, "a biodynamic farm located north of Reims, which produces stone-ground organic flours", explains the chef. "I use their T80 flour, their buckwheat and spelt flour, whose high quality is guaranteed by the perpetuation of milling know-how", he adds.
- Where to buy? L'Oasis Ardennaise, 11 rue Principale, 08190 Houdilcourt, France
- www.oasisardennaise.fr
Les volailles de Miéral, Montrevel-en-Bresse
If Bresse poultry has such a good reputation, it's thanks in no small part to Miéral, "the sole holders of the know-how" that has been passed down for four generations. The quality of the meat is consistent and the products are very pleasant to work with. Their consistency is important to me, because the poultry is incomparable", Kazuyuki Tanaka assures us.
- Where to find us? Miéral, rue Bresse Cocagne, 01340 Montrevel-en-Bresse
- www.mieral.com
Champagne at Au Bon Manger, Reims
Finally, for good champagne and foreign wines, Kazuyuki Tanaka recommends Épicerie Au Bon Manger, in Reims. "It's a friendly local shop run by Aline and Eric," says the chef.
- Where to go? Au Bon Manger, 7 rue Courmeaux, 51100 Reims
- www.aubonmanger.fr
Seafood from Sous le Pav, in Rungis
"I'm very demanding when it comes to product quality, to be able to offer the best to the customer, but also when it comes to the support and human qualities of the suppliers. For seafood, such as mussels or carabinero(editor's note: a large red shrimp, considered the best in the world), Ourida listens to me and her products are superior," explains Kazuyuki Tanaka.
► Where? Sous le Pav, Quai de Lorient, 94150 Rungis
