Yoshitaka TAKAYANAGI

Chef : 1 restaurant

Presentation

Chef Yoshitaka Takayanagi, a native of Japan's Mount Fuji region, has been at the helm of La Scène Thélème, a renowned venue and restaurant in the French capital, for the past four years.

It all began in 2008. After studying at the prestigious Tsuji Culinary Institute and gaining initial experience at the French-style restaurant The Georgian Club, both in Tokyo, Yoshitaka Takayanagi followed his chef's advice and moved to Paris. With a desire to rub shoulders with excellence, he entered the world of gastronomy through the front door, that of Le Grand Véfour. He joined Guy Martin's brigade as demi-chef de partie. When the house didn't suit him, he continued his discovery of French gastronomy at Ze Kitchen Galerie, before joining the coveted brigade at Le Meurice, initially working alongside Yannick Alléno, then Alain Ducasse. In 2015, with the wind in his sails and feeling like he was growing wings, he entered the Taittinger competition. "I won the selections in France."

In 2016, strengthened by these experiences, Yoshitaka Takayanagi took up his first position as chef at the Agapé restaurant, then at La Scène Thélème, in 2019. "My cuisine is French but tinged with Japanese touches, seasoned with soy or miso sauces," he says, managing to maintain the establishment's 3 toques.

A competitor at heart, Yoshitaka Takayanagi passed the Meilleur ouvrier de France competition in 2022. I felt legitimate," he says, "and fell head over heels in love with the French terroir. "He finished as a finalist, but the story doesn't end there...

B. G.