Shintaro AWA

Employee : 4 restaurants Sous Chef : Épicure - Le Bristol Paris Chef : L'Ambroisie Clear and refined, Shintaro Awa’s cuisine is the result of years spent working alongside renowned chefs. Since 2025, this enthusiast of French cuisine—who values attention to detail and simplicity—has been creating the dishes at L’Ambroisie on Place des Vosges.

Presentation

He describes himself as “a lover of French cuisine.” At age 40, Shintaro Awa has been at the helm of the kitchen at L’Ambroisie (5 Golden Toques) in Paris since 2025. A native of Tochigi, near Tokyo, he took over from Bernard Pacaud—then 78 years old and the longtime chef of this renowned restaurant on the Place des Vosges.

A Love Affair with France

The son and grandson of chefs, he discovered French cuisine during a month-long trip to Europe at age 15. “I thought it was amazing,” he says. A year later, his three-year program at a hospitality school in Japan allowed him to spend a month on an internship in Avignon. And there he was back on French soil. He settled there permanently at age 18.

In 2004, Shintaro Awa began his apprenticeship under Nicolas Le Bec. A tireless worker with a keen curiosity about his adopted country, he learned a great deal from the chefs he worked alongside and developed a deep interest in French ingredients. He takes pleasure in discovering traditional French recipes and doesn’t hesitate to travel to explore regional products and specialties.

Refined and meticulous cuisine

In 2005, he joined the Marcon restaurant (5 Golden Toques) for two years before spending a season at Paul Bocuse (4 Toques). Upon arriving in Paris, he spent a year and a half at the Bristol before joining the kitchens at the Plaza Athénée, then returned to work withÉric Frechon at Épicure (4 toques) at the Bristol, where he served as sous-chef for twelve years.

His Japanese roots are reflected in the composition of his dishes: very refined, simple, and unpretentious. “I don’t mix many flavors or ingredients on the plate,” he explains. “ I try to offer a cuisine that’s all about the details. I want diners to taste the main ingredient first, then the sauce, and finally the rest.” His cuisine is efficient, meticulous, and easy to understand.