Born in Aichi in 1974, Shuzo Kishida opened Quintessence in Tokyo in 2006 after years as sous-chef at L’Astrance in Paris. The Michelin Guide has awarded him three uninterrupted stars since 2008 thanks to a philosophy focused on stellar produce, millimetre-perfect cooking and precision seasoning.
Raised among citrus groves and fish markets, Shuzo Kishida graduated from culinary school in Nagoya and, at 26, moved to France: first Taillevent, then five years at L’Astrance, where Pascal Barbot made him sous-chef and instilled the idea of a perpetually evolving menu.
Back in Japan, he opened Quintessence in Shirokane in April 2006; twelve months later Michelin granted three stars, reconfirming them for 18 consecutive editions through 2025. The restaurant, now in Shinagawa, seats 22 and releases reservations only one month at a time.
His manifesto rests on three pillars: product, cooking, and seasoning/ageing. Daily deliveries include raw Hokkaido milk for the famed goat-cheese bavarois, Challans duck and Aomori seafood; every item meets probes, embers or steam controlled to a tenth of a degree.
Iconic dishes include “Fresh goat-cheese bavarois with extra-virgin olive oil,” 16-hour braised lamb shoulder and “Boudin noir glacé with hibiscus.” The menu is rewritten daily; the one constant is butter whipped with fleurette and served at 20 °C, emblem of his thermal obsession.
Kishida filters French aesthetics through a Japanese lens: monochrome plates, chiselled acidity, restrained sweetness. In 2021 Quintessence ranked 53rd on Asia’s 50 Best (51–100 list), proof of global respect that he maintains deliberately outside TV spotlights.
Beyond the restaurant he designs JAL First Class menus and teaches courses on heat management and lactic ageing, insisting that “excellence balances nature with the human hand.”
