Crony｜RJ｜Japan’s First Luxury Beer

RESTAURANT INTERVIEWS

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Crony

Our exclusive interviews with ROCOCO partner restaurants, chefs and sommeliers offer insights into their cuisine and passions in their own words.

11｜CronyModern French (Higashi-Azabu)

An 18 dish modern french course accented with edible flowers and with a focus on sustainability

Crony is modern French restaurant that serves stunning, colorful dishes in an open and relaxed atmosphere. Crony has been awarded 2 Michelin Stars for its culinary experience, as well as a “Green Star” for its commitment towards sustainability. These awards largely reflect the dedication of Crony’s two co-owners, Chef Haruta Rihiro and Sommelier Ozawa Kazutaka. Chef Haruta, who says that he finds inspiration in ingredients, is known for his use of edible flowers to create beautiful and delicate dishes. He realized that "Flowers are similar to food, in the sense that each flower has its own season and flavor”. This insight came from an encounter with a passionate florist who was himself exploring the potential of flowers in cuisine. Flowers have become a key feature in Crony’s cuisine, helping to emphasize Chef Haruta's vision of "how beautiful, delicious, and thoughtful" modern French cuisine should be. Crony also selects and uses ingredients that align with their value of sustainability. You can expect a dinner course at Crony to begin with a cup of green tea and to end with a dessert made from the remaining tea leaves of your initial brew. During the course, Chef Haruta will use vegetables and fruits that have visual imperfections but impeccable flavor to make his delicious sauces. Guests enjoy the experience of having these carefully explained and theatrically poured over their dishes at the table.

Nordic culture has inspired and influenced Chef Haruta

There is a noticeable lack of pretension at Crony. After all, the meaning of Crony is “a close companion”. To Chef Haruta, a circle of friends (cronies) can only be complete when it includes customers, staff, producers, and vendors. Everyone needs to feel at ease. In addition to working in Japan, Chef Haruta also worked at renowned restaurants in France, the United States, as well as Norway and Denmark. During his time in Scandinavian kitchens he was particularly impressed by the attitude of "not sparing any effort to make something delicious, even if it is inefficient or requires tremendous effort". This mentality heavily influenced Crony's style and is evident in the complexity of the dishes they serve.

“Why did I choose to serve ROCOCO? Because it offers much more depth than beers that simply quench your thirst”.

Kazutaka Ozawa, owner and sommelier, structures the beverages that complement Crony's delicious food. As the sommelier, he selects the best drinks to pair with the dishes of the day and to move customers. He chose to offer ROCOCO at Crony because "ROCOCO offers much more depth than beers that simply quench your thirst. I see ROCOCO as an aperitif, no different from a champagne. In France, too, the potential of beer in fine cuisine is well established. The progression from ROCOCO to wine is very smooth and pleasant according to my customers”. We hope you have a chance to visit Crony and enjoy the wonderful experience they are famous for consistently delivering their guests.

INFORMATION

1-20-3 Higashi Azabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo
TEL : 03-6712-5085
@michi_crony