Keigo KIMURA

Chef : 2 restaurants

Presentation

Keigo Kimura grew up in his parents' inn in Japan. He entered the Tsuji cooking school in Osaka, specializing in French cuisine. After graduating top of his class, he spent four years in Tokyo, before flying to France at the age of 23.

On his arrival in 2000, he joined a hotel-restaurant in the South-West, just as his Japanese chef had done a decade earlier. Two years later, he landed a position with Marc Veyrat. "Insummer, we worked at the Auberge de l'Éridan, in Veyrier-du-Lac, and in winter, we moved to Megève, at La Ferme de mon Père."

After a spell at Richard Coutanceau's in La Rochelle, Marc Veyrat called him back. "His chef, Stéphane Froideveaux, had left, and he needed someone to strengthen the team."Keigo Kimura stayed for two years, then moved to Paris, to La Table de Joël Robuchon. "I wanted to work in a top-level restaurant, but with a more classic cuisine," he explains.

Jérémie Lobies then asked him to take charge of his father's kitchens at the Bons Enfants restaurant in Saint-Julien-du-Sault, Yonne. He worked there as chef for four years, until one day Éric Frechon called him and asked if he was available to work at the Sofitel Paris Le Faubourg. "I thought it was a scam," he confides.

After two years as executive chef, he launched himself in 2014 and opened his restaurant, L'Aspérule, in Auxerre, which he declined in 2018 in Dijon. Gault&Millau, which has been following him for a long time and elected him Jeune Talent 2015, awarded him 2 toques in his first season (they were quickly followed by a 3rd). A third table, L'Arôme, will be added to the list in 2019 (1 toque). In 2021, it's the turn of a Japanese fast-food restaurant and, in 2022, a new address in Dijon, Le Clos des Saveurs. Keigo Kimura is awarded the Cuisine de la Mer, des Lacs et des Rivières Bourgogne-Franche-Comté 2022 trophy.

I.B.