Training at a restaurant in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Infusing even more refined sensibility into the cuisine.

Sapporo Grand Hotel has sent its chefs to a restaurant in Paris every two years, for a one-and-a-half to two-month training program. The program was suspended for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic but will be resumed in the fall of 2023. The chefs of Sapporo Park Hotel joined the program, and two staff members flew to Paris.

The training was held at the newly opened restaurant "Blanc" by Chef Shinichi Sato, the first Japanese chef to win two Michelin stars at "Passage 53". Located on rue Longchamp in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, the interior was　designed by Kengo Kuma.

Chef Shinichi Sato is now attracting worldwide attention. His spectacular culinary career began in Sapporo Grand Hotel. As a result, since his days at Passage 53, the hotel has been sending chefs to Paris every two years to train at Chef Shinichi Sato's restaurant.

Participating in the Paris training program from Sapporo Park Hotel this time was Kenichi Sato, who serves as head chef. He has 33 years of experience at the Park Hotel kitchen, but he said, "There are many things to learn no matter how old you are. In Paris, everything was new and fresh. I was also impressed by the chef's attention to each ingredient and his pursuit of excellence," he says.

He joined the training program one day before the grand opening of Blanc. He was blessed with the experience of being involved in the opening of a new restaurant that was attracting attention from around the world.

"I learned a lot about the chef's pursuit of making the most of every ingredient. On my days off, I visited starred restaurants and boulangerie, searched for ingredients at marchés and supermarkets, and cooked at the apartment where I was staying." Mr. Sato's cuisine, which has been refined by combining his experience in France with Hokkaido ingredients, will be served at the Tasting Event to be held from March 26 to 29 at Terrace Restaurant Piare in Sapporo Park Hotel.

"It is my role to pass on the experience I gained in Paris to the younger generation," he says.

"I learnt Chef Shinichi Sato's culinary philosophy, and everything about my five-week stay was very stimulating, from eating at starred restaurants, to working with chefs of different nationalities, to shopping at the marché. I am now more motivated to cook," said Sou Kitagaki, 13 years of cooking experience at Sapporo Grand Hotel, who participated in the training program.

"I heard that Chef Shinichi Sato fell in love with French ingredients and mastered cooking in Paris. It was a great learning experience for me to experience his philosophy," said Mr. Kitagaki. He actively interacted with the staff, including going out to eat with them, and developed his culinary sensibilities.

"We learnt many new techniques and ideas in France, but at the same time, it gave us confidence that what we have been building up at Sapporo Grand Hotel was right," he said.

"I will apply the essence I absorbed in Paris to Hokkaido's ingredients and deliver dishes that satisfy our customers." Until April 26, the Northern Terrace Diner restaurant at Sapporo Grand Hotel is offering a dinner course that includes dishes learned at Blanc.

Mr. Sato of Sapporo Park Hotel and Mr. Kitagaki of Sapporo Grand Hotel renewed their enthusiasm for further culinary possibilities they discovered in France after receiving a lot of stimulation. They are from different ages and backgrounds, but they have learnt in the same place and brought back the spirit from the French culinary world to Sapporo.

"I would like to pass on this experience to the younger generation," said Mr. Sato, thinking about the training of his successor. Mr. Kitagaki is enthusiastic, saying, "I want to combine the technology I learnt in Paris with the traditions of Sapporo Grand Hotel."