When the World’s 50 Best Restaurants announced this year’s list of winners, one recipient was recognized for not one, but two, award-winning achievements.
Narisawa, first ever recipient of Sustainable Restaurant Award
In addition to being recognized as among the 50 best restaurants in the world, Narisawa, located in Tokyo, is the first recipient of the Sustainable Restaurant Award, sponsored by Zacapa. The award was introduced this year in an effort to encourage restaurants to consider the environment impacts of serving world-class cuisine.
In an article found on Sustainable Brands, Narisawa is quoted as saying: “We are committed to operating sustainably every day at Narisawa and are proud to communicate this globally. We operate sustainably because it is the right thing to do, as eating and gastronomy go hand-in-hand with sustainability and it comes naturally to me as a person as well as a chef to take care of nature.”
What is the Sustainable Restaurant Award?
The Sustainable Restaurant Award is presented to the restaurant with the highest environmental and social responsibility rating, determined with reference to the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s Global Rating System that takes into account sourcing, environment and society.
Chef and owner, Yoshijiro Narisawa, is undoubtedly the reason for the restaurant’s claim to fame. An exquisite chef and avid environmentalist, Narisawa is known for the creation of dishes that blend sustainability and gastronomy. He is a supporter of nature conservation and pays tribute to the earth by creating dishes aptly named “Soil” soup, “Water” salad, and the “Forest” dish, although the restaurant’s specialty is Wagyu rump roast marinated in leek, basted in olive oil and carbonised on the outside.
According to Fine Dining Lovers, Chef Narisawa uses local and seasonal foods to make elegant cuisine with a Japanese twist and was chosen as one of the world’s most influential chefs by the international press in 2011.
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image credit: petebeck
