Fumiko Kono

Fumiko Kono is a culinary producer. In 1997, she graduated at the top of her class from Le Cordon Bleu Paris, one of the world’s most prestigious culinary schools. She subsequently served as Sous Chef at the three-Michelin-starred restaurant L’Arpège in Paris.

Since 2001, she has been based in Paris, working as a private chef for VIP clients around the world. Her distinguished clientele has included Mrs. Bernadette Chirac, former First Lady of France, and Mrs. Suzanne Mubarak, former First Lady of Egypt. She has created exceptional dining experiences for prominent figures from a wide range of fields, further expanding her work internationally.

She later served as Executive Chef at the renowned Parisian gourmet institution FAUCHON. Today, alongside her role as an instructor at the culinary school founded by Alain Ducasse, she is actively engaged in a wide range of food-related production and consulting activities in Japan. As General Producer of JAL’s Meal Service, she develops concepts and provides strategic advice aimed at creating new value in in-flight dining.

In New York, she is also involved in planning and developing café menus that incorporate local lifestyles and food trends. Working across Paris, Japan, and New York, she continues to explore new possibilities in food and propose unprecedented, enriching culinary experiences, with a strong commitment to sustainability.

A Dialogue with Ingredients

Cooking begins the very moment I touch an ingredient.
What is the ingredient before me trying to tell me? As I listen closely to its voice, I bring each dish to life. This dialogue with ingredients is at the heart of my approach to cooking.

Take the vegetables of early spring that we have eagerly awaited. It would be a pity to peel them unnecessarily. Instead, I cook them gently and slowly, taking care not to subject them to undue stress. In doing so, I can preserve their natural aromas, flavors, and freshness while bringing out their true deliciousness.

These vegetables have endured the long, harsh winter and finally emerged with the arrival of spring. Through cooking, we can take in not only their flavors, but also the vitality they have gained from nature. I believe that cooking is also an act of connecting people with nature.

The French word assaisonner, meaning “to season,” contains the word saison, meaning “season.”

In other words, just as we allow ourselves to be immersed in the richness of the changing seasons, we should season each ingredient in harmony with the season in which it naturally belongs. When we do so, food that is gentle on the body and naturally delicious comes to life.

When I continue to create food in this way, day after day, I find myself looking forward more and more to the smiles of those gathered around the table.

Positive Healthy Living

At the heart of my philosophy is what I call Positive Healthy Living.

Rather than imposing restrictions or calorie limitations, I seek to bring out the fullest flavor of fresh vegetables and create healthy culinary experiences that leave both body and mind feeling truly nourished—allowing the body to relax and the mind to feel calm and at ease.

Sharpening the Senses

Cooking cannot be completed by following a manual alone.

I engage all five senses—observing an ingredient’s color, aroma, texture, sound, and taste—to understand its condition on that particular day and determine the appropriate cooking method and level of heat.

Even the same ingredient can vary in character depending on the season, climate, and conditions on the day it was harvested. That is why I value taking the time to engage with each ingredient individually and finding the method best suited to it in that particular moment.

Sustainability: Making the Most of Every Part of an Ingredient

I believe sustainability is not simply about “not throwing things away,” but about recognizing and exploring the full potential of every ingredient.

Parts that are commonly discarded—such as vegetable peels, seeds, and pith—each have their own unique aromas, textures, and flavors.

By looking at these parts anew as ingredients in their own right, I transform them into new and unexpected forms of deliciousness. By balancing the reduction of food waste with the creativity of a chef, I strive to make the fullest possible use of every part of an ingredient and honor the life it holds.

Crafting Stories Through Cuisine

Every dish has a story behind it.

The land and climate in which an ingredient was grown, the passion and dedication of the producer, and the culture and history passed down through generations—all of this context is an essential part of cooking.

I believe that a chef’s role is not simply to prepare and cook ingredients, but also to receive the stories behind them and pass those stories on to others through each dish. In this sense, a chef is also a storyteller, weaving together the stories that connect ingredients, people, and places.

Designing Meaningful Culinary Experiences

What I seek to create is not simply “deliciousness” that ends on the plate.

It is the design of a complete culinary experience—one that encompasses not only the taste and aroma of the food, but also the space, the passage of time, the people gathered around the table, the story behind each ingredient, and the thoughts and dedication of those who produce it.

I believe that deliciousness is shaped not only by what we eat, but also by where we eat, who we share it with, and how we feel as we experience it. Understanding the story behind our food is also an essential part of what makes it delicious.

When we eat with empathy for the people involved in bringing food to our table, food becomes more than nourishment or personal enjoyment. It gains the power to connect people with nature, people with society, and people with one another.

Beginning with the simple joy of saying, “This is delicious,” I seek to create culinary experiences that enrich both body and mind, ultimately leading toward a greater sense of well-being.

This is what cooking means to me, and what I believe food can make possible.

Japan

France