The porcelain painter meets the culinary master chef

By on September 28, 2010
Fueled by her passion for tableware, ceramics, and jewelry design as a child,  Fleur d’Huytesa pursued her studies at Sevre, a renowned French porcelain manufacturer where she received her first tutelage in the art.  Fleur had always taken interest in Japanese ceramics, watching most films and reading books she could ever get her hands on in France, her native country.Her curiosity for Japanese art and culture did not end there.  When her husband announced that they were moving to Japan on assignment in the year 2000, her wish of exploring the art and taking her skill to the next level became a dream come true.  The ability to paint and tell a story about Japan’s  history and culture in a porcelain plate is what she has learned to do skillfully over the years.

Fleur d’Huytesa loves playing with a melange of colors and has been painting on porcelain for over a decade.  Most of her works have been exhibited in numerous places in Japan such as the Tokyo American Club, the Orchids Salon in Suidobashi, etc.  Occasionally, she is also commissioned by individuals and establishments, such as the work she did for the Hotel New Otani’s La Tour d’Argent that has been published in December 2005 in Kateigaho magazine.  This year, from Dec 1 to 3, she is again scheduled to paint for porcelain at the Iki Iki Plaza in Chiyoda-ku.

Starting on November 1, to last for a month, Fleur joins Olivier Oddos, an equally talented French chef of haute cuisine and owner of Chez Olivier restaurant in Ichigaya, to  showcase to epicurians in Tokyo,  their common passion for artistry.

Like Fleur, Olivier Oddos is a long-timer in Japan.   A native of Bordeaux, he started his apprenticeship in 1987, worked for two years at  Relais & Chateaux, a famous restaurant in Paris, and later moved on to Drouant, an equally famous family restaurant known for its inventive cuisine.

After having been an all-around chef for five years followed by a brief stint at the internationally renowned Hotel Meurice, Olivier’s first big break came when he was offered a job as a sous chef at La Tour d’Argent, working with Chef Bernard Guilhaudin.  His last title before he opened his own restaurant was executive chef cuisine for Japan and technical director for Cordon Bleu.

November’s menu will be a four-course gourmet delight and will include as entrée, foie gras de canard confit, bouillon des champignon parfumé au yuzu, fish (dos de bar cuit à la vapeur, risotto a l’encre de seiche, emulsion de roquette et gingembre), meat, dessert, and the rest is a surprise!

Restaurant Français
Chez Olivier

Lunch 11:30am-2pm
Dinner 6:30-10pm
Closed Saturday lunch,
Sundays and holidays
4-1-10 Kudan Minami,
Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Tel: (03) 6268-9933

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