UNE PINCÉE

The story

UNE PINCÉE Tokyo – French Cuisine by Chef Naoya Mahori in Higashiazabu

Chef and Philosophy

Chef-owner Naoya Mahori opened UNE PINCÉE in 2019 with a clear intention: a small French restaurant where anyone can relax and enjoy honest cooking. The name means “a pinch” in French — a nod to how a single pinch of salt transforms a dish, and to the subtle essence the restaurant aims to bring to each table. With just ten counter seats and four table seats, the space encourages a direct connection between chef and guest.

Mahori’s path to opening his own restaurant took him through kitchens in Japan, France, and the UK. He trained for five years at Petit Marché in Jiyugaoka, worked as a saucier at Les Anges in Ginza, and served as sous chef at Harmonie and Marché aux Vin Yamada in Hiroo. A formative stage was his time in France at Les Prémices in Fontainebleau and later in London at the two-Michelin-starred Hibiiscus, where he worked as a garde manger chef. Returning to Japan, he held head chef positions at Madame Toki in Daikanyama, Cocito in Roppongi, and Calapeit Batuba in Azabujuban before striking out on his own.

The Cuisine

The menu is predominantly à la carte, allowing guests to compose their own meal. Small snacks, called amuse, include duck smoked in-house, vegetable pickles, and a classic croque-monsieur. Entrées range from a red pepper mousse with lobster and consommé jelly to conger eel and eggplant croustillant. Mains feature seasonal fish with a scallop mousse, roasted Shizuoka Amagi shamo chicken with rosemary sauce, or braised Amagi black pork belly with lentils.

Mahori works with carefully sourced ingredients — bread from Seiji Asakura in Takanawa, aged cheese from Rammusu in Sangenjaya — and adjusts his menu daily based on what the market offers. In summer, sweetfish appears, gently grilled and served with potato purée atop a broth made from the fish itself. White asparagus from the Loire arrives in spring, paired with an onsen egg and truffle sauce. Desserts are made in-house, from a mango and cream cheese tart with basil yogurt sorbet to a chocolate pudding with caramel ice cream from Amami Ōshima.

Recognition

The restaurant’s dedication to balanced, respectful French cooking earned it a place among Tokyo’s dining listings and a Michelin Recommended distinction in 2026 — a quiet nod to the kind of sincere cooking Mahori has championed from the start.