June 1, 2020
My Favorite Menu Item is the Gluten-free Vegan Burger!
Mayumi Muroya
Representative Director, Beauty Food Association
I gather you are a regular patron of Gentle. What attracts you to Gentle?
Meeting chef Kato is a big reason. He’s highly ambitious, and we are very much in sympathy. I suppose it’s the same in any field, but space, quality, and service are all things that people make. I think the appeal of Gentle lies in its head chef himself.As the representative of the Beauty Food Association, director of the Japan Vegan Society, ambassador for the Ministry of the Environment, and more, you’re one of the most knowledgeable people about vegan cookery, so how do you rate the vegan menu at Gentle?
I rate it as vegan and gluten-free cuisine of an unprecedentedly high level. There are plenty of similar menus using the same ingredients, but the dishes that chef Kato prepares are a rank or two above the rest. He has the knowledge to understand everything, and his skills as a chef are at the highest level, so he can complete superb dishes that nobody else can.What about the choices of ingredients and elements? What’s your favorite item on the menu?
Chef Kato goes to the producers in person, and only uses ingredients that he has seen and touched directly, so the people eating his food can be completely confident. My favorite menu item is the gluten-free vegan burger.The concept of Gentle is that vegans and non-vegans can enjoy dining together. Are restaurants like that becoming more common in Tokyo?
Yes, there is a gradual but steady increase. There’s a diverse range of places where vegan and non-vegan people can enjoy dining together, ranging from cafes for casual occasions to restaurants for family outings, and places suitable for anniversaries, dates, and entertaining.Do you have any advice about how to dine at Gentle, or a message for people thinking of going to Gentle for the first time?
It feels classy, with superb space and presentation, but I hope people go there in a casual mood, without getting nervous. I’d like them to go there and understand why the place feels that way.
