La façon Koga

The story

La façon Koga – Michelin Recommended French Restaurant in Tokyo, Japan

La façon Koga

In the quiet residential district of Yoyogi-Uehara, Tokyo, Chef Yoshihide Koga runs a French restaurant that feels both personal and refined. La façon Koga — the name translates to “the Koga way” — is the culmination of a career spent in some of France and Japan’s most respected kitchens.

Chef Koga began his training in Tokyo in the early 1980s, working at celebrated restaurants such as Deux L’Ours and Chez Ino. A formative stint in France followed, where he cooked at the three-Michelin-starred Troisgros and Côte d’Or. After returning to Japan, he held head chef positions at Bon Appétit, L’Ours, and Maison de Pierre before opening his own restaurant, Comme Chez Vous, in Yoyogi-Uehara in 2001. In 2013, he relocated and launched La façon Koga in the same neighbourhood he has long called home.

The restaurant’s design reflects the chef’s vision. An open kitchen is the heart of the space, with a counter where guests can watch Koga and his team work. The counter is made of warm wood, set against black tile and diatomaceous earth walls; white ceramic blocks create a sense of separation while keeping the room airy. For larger groups, table seating is arranged in front of a large mirror, intended to feel as comfortable as a home dining room.

The cooking is French, yet shaped by Japanese seasonality and a chef’s instinct. Koga describes his approach as taking the finest seasonal ingredients and preparing them in his own style — a phrase that is not marketing but a statement of craft. The menu changes regularly, and the kitchen’s signature “Sauce Currie” deserves special mention: a clear, richly flavoured curry sauce made by slowly removing excess fat and impurities from the broth, concentrating pure umami. It is served as a curry dish and speaks to the chef’s attention to detail.

La façon Koga received a Michelin Recommended distinction in 2026, a recognition that aligns with the restaurant’s quiet, consistent quality. Lunch and dinner are served by reservation, with a focus on letting the ingredients speak. The atmosphere is unhurried, the service attentive but not intrusive.

For anyone seeking a genuine expression of French cuisine in Tokyo — one that honours technique, season, and the personality of its chef — La façon Koga is a place worth knowing.