With a heady mix of creativity and conflict, the drama of professional kitchens makes for good television. Japan’s noteworthy addition to this genre is the binge-worthy 2017 drama series, “La Grande Maison Tokyo,” now available on Netflix. (A follow-up movie, “La Grande Maison Paris,” was released in cinemas at the end of December 2024.)
Featuring Takuya Kimura and Kyoka Suzuki in lead roles as chefs, the series is remarkable for its meticulous depiction of high-end cuisine and cooking techniques. The dishes were supervised by renowned Tokyo-based chefs, namely Shuzo Kishida of the three-Michelin-starred Quintessence, and Thomas Frebel of (the now-defunct) Inua.
As always, what catches my eye in such a show is simple fare rather than complicated dishes: In episode five, a young chef in the kitchen of the famed L’Ambroisie restaurant in Paris makes a parmentier (a culinary term for a dish prepared with potatoes; in this case, a French shepherd’s pie) as a staff meal.
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