FINE DINING DISHWARE
product design
H150 x W150 x D90
porcelain
Internship at Secca
Mentors: Tatsuya Uemachi, Yuichi Yanai
Japan 2022
task
Create a plate for a dish made by two-time Michelin star holder Chef Takagi, which references Japanese culture and cuisine. The plate also needs to set a challenge for the chef.
result
At first, the circular plate baffled the chef, but after studying it for a while, Chef Takagi figured out three dishes to plate on it. The plate is in now in use at the two-star Michelin restaurant Zeniya in Kanazawa, Japan
CONTEXT
In Kanazawa, Japan, there is a small restaurant Zeniya, led by a second-generation Chef Takagi - a two-star Michelin chef. The restaurant has not changed since his father opened it in 1970, meaning the atmosphere still exudes a sense of nostalgia.
Eating at Zeniya is always a highly personalized experience as Chef Takagi cooks directly across the attendees while engaging in conversation. He explains the ingredients' origin, the ways he cooks, and how his vision of a certain dish looks like.
While the decor is minimal, the restaurant does have a collection of dishware from various origin. My task was to add to that collection - a plate that is inspired by Japanese culture, while also being a new challenge for Chef Takagi himself.
Restaurant Zeniya, photo: Tableall
CREATIVE PROCESS
I started by researching Japanese culture and cuisine - got familiar with literature, sketched a lot and did a case study on the plates in everyday use in Japan. After finding traditions that I wanted to display with my plate, I started exploring shapes that would complement my vision. After doing a final sketch, I made it into a 3D-model and then created multiple prototypes of it using different ceramic methods. Having found the best production method — using clay, cutting out the layout, moulding it and attaching legs — I created the final version of the dishware and presented it to chef Takagi.
THE DISH
Presenting the plate to Chef Takagi, he at first spent 10 minutes studying it. After familiarizing himself with the characteristics of the plate, he put together three dishes that could be presented on the plate. Besides seafood, Chef Takagi also made sure to have a special place for water as well, adding it with a syringe.
"Make sure to tell everyone that water is just as important of an ingredient as any other food." - Chef Takagi
The plate is now a part of the Zeniya restaurant dishware.
