Have you heard? There¡¯s a Michelin two-star chef running a two-month pop-up in central Tokyo. But this one is not inside a plush, high-rise hotel. It¡¯s a food truck ¡ª or kicchin k¨¡ (kitchen car), as they¡¯re known here ¡ª and it¡¯s the brainchild of one of Japan¡¯s most renowned chefs, Yoshihiro Narisawa.
The project, named One of Japan, has the perfect wintertime location, by the entrance to the skating rink behind Tokyo Midtown. It also boasts a great menu of hearty cold-weather food.
One of Japan is a play on the word wan, meaning ¡°soup bowl.¡± Every day three different kinds of stews are prepared, based on local Japanese specialties. The initial lineup includes ´Ç³ú¨²Ô¾±, a Kyoto-style white-miso soup with grilled mochi (pounded rice) cakes; ishikari nabe, the classic Hokkaido fishermen¡¯s hotpot; and Hakata motsu nikomi, simmered tripe and vegetables in a rich, spicy miso-based broth.
For extra heft, they have sandwiches of freshly grilled pork or chicken in 18-grain rolls. And as a nibble on the side, there are kaki-furai, breaded deep-fried Hiroshima oysters.
For those who only know Narisawa through his eponymous modern-French restaurant in Aoyama, this venture may seem surprising. But there¡¯s one thing you can depend on: Anything he does is going to be top quality.
Narisawa Kitchen Car One of Japan at the ice rink in Tokyo Midtown is open daily 12-8 p.m. through March 8. For more information, visit
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.