Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on August 2013
An addition to the roster of French chefs already practicing their craft here in the metropolis has arrived in the form of Nicolas Boujéma, new Chef de Cuisine at Signature in Nihonbashi’s Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo.
At almost two meters tall, the 32-year-old Boujéma maintains a boyish look. He says he rides his bicycle to work, and one can only wonder where he found a bike big enough for his long legs in Tokyo.
About his impressive resume, he says his classical training is “based in a triangle of three kitchens: Pierre Gagnaire in Hong Kong, L’Auberge de l’Ill in Alsace, and of La Réserve de Beaulieu on the French Riviera. I am starting to go out of the triangle and add my personal touch.”
Chef Boujéma visits Tsukiji Market regularly and is having fun as he comes across new seafood and produce. “The Japanese are very knowledgeable about seasonal ingredients,” he says. “I love squid, firefly squid, asari, and hamaguri clams. The sea bass, turbot and sole is very different from the French.” He talks excitedly about the variety of citrus fruits that he has come across, like the sour yuzu and the sweet, seedless dekopon. A fan of sashimi and soba, he laughs when he says, “Soba for breakfast almost every day”. Also a fan of umeshu, he is already cooking with it in his kitchen.
Boujéma is currently working on a vegetarian menu for the restaurant and says that he likes to source local Tokyo products when possible.
On his days off he is busy visiting French restaurants in town. He enjoys reading cookbooks and his favorite is by turn-of-the-century chef Edouard Nignon: “A poet in the kitchen,” he says.
Signature has an impressive selection of wines and the sommeliers on staff are happy to pair each course with a new one. At lunch, pockets of warm waffles are filled with shallots braised in a Port wine and topped with truffle-studded whipped cream and more truffles. Coupled with a Jubilee Hugel Riesling from Alsace, it’s a lovely match. It’s not hard to see his affinity for acidity reflected in some of his dishes. His dinner main course was reminiscent of a bouillabaisse of braised cod, but served over amadai (tilefish) sashimi with an eggplant puree that had bursts of lemon hidden inside. “This is my message to the diners, a surprise explosion, the power of acidity.”
Metropolis asks if he has any tips for the home cook. “Always try to give a signature to the dish. If you like bitter flavors, next time you are roasting a chicken, add to the gravy some Angostura Extra Bitter. If you like sour, then add grapefruit.” This is Boujéma’s first year in Japan and he invites all Tokyoites to visit Signature. “Try the food of a happy chef and to eat the cuisine of someone who is discovering Japan.”
Signature in the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo. 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku; Reservations: 0120-806-823. www.mandarinoriental.com/tokyo/fine-dining/signature
