TESSERA, a course-meal restaurant, opened in Kami-Meguro, Meguro City, Tokyo, on November 11, 2026 (Wednesday). It is the first restaurant of owner-chef Hiroki Morokata, who trained at restaurants in Japan and abroad, including Ikoyi in London and Astrance and Le Doyenné in Paris.
A Young Chef's New Challenge After Training in Japan and Abroad
Hiroki Morokata began his culinary career at 17 and, after working at "caveman" in Nihonbashi, went to Europe. In London, he gained experience at two-Michelin-star Ikoyi, which has earned international acclaim for fusing West African spices with British ingredients, and at one-star Kol, which reinterprets the Mexican restaurant. Both are among the restaurants leading London's current food scene. In Paris, he trained at Astrance and at Le Doyenné, an auberge with its own vegetable garden and farm, and he returned to Japan in the autumn of 2025.
TESSERA, which opened on November 11, 2026, is his first restaurant. Based on French technique and aesthetics, the cuisine brings together cultures and techniques he encountered in different countries within a single plate.
Cooking by Subtraction
TESSERA's cooking is described as "subtraction": it uses a minimum of steps to bring out the natural flavor of each ingredient. With a deep understanding of and affection for the ingredients, the kitchen draws out their appeal to the fullest and highlights the flavors that ingredients from that place and that season naturally have. Piping-hot meat and fish, freshly baked bread, and a vivid fruit salad are among the dishes. Beneath the free, lively ideas runs a refined beauty and delicacy.
The Joy at the Heart of Eating
TESSERA aims to be a place that reminds guests of the original joy of eating. A plate moves the heart, an unfamiliar flavor brings a surprise, and conversation between people arises naturally. The restaurant says it will offer this basic joy of eating with care.
Concept
TESSERA is a word of Latin origin that refers to each of the small pieces that make up a mosaic. A single piece is only a small fragment, but when different fragments gather and overlap, a new landscape emerges. At TESSERA, producers, ingredients, land, seasons, sea and mountains, technique, tableware, music, and the guests themselves are all regarded as indispensable fragments. Each plate expresses the ingredients and atmosphere that can be encountered only on that day, at that moment.
Chef Hiroki Morokata
Hiroki Morokata was born in Tokyo in 1996. At 17, he stood in the kitchen of an Italian restaurant run by a friend's father, which led him into the culinary world. After training in Japan, he gained experience at Ikoyi in London and at Astrance and Le Doyenné in Paris. Through his encounters with gastronomy in different places, he developed his own approach to cooking that connects ingredients, land, and culture. Based on French cuisine and centered on Japanese ingredients, he creates dishes that are not bound by existing frameworks.
Partners
Together with partners active around the world, the restaurant edits each of the fragments that shape it, with the aim of offering an experience special to that day.
Staff Uniforms: OMAR AFRIDI
The staff uniforms are designed by OMAR AFRIDI, a London-based fashion brand run by 市森天颯 and 菊田潤. Under the concept of "primitive mode," the brand combines opposing elements to draw out new possibilities. This approach echoes TESSERA's idea of layering different fragments to create a single experience. The uniforms are planned to be sold as made-to-order items.
Space Design: MILESTONE
The restaurant's interior was designed by architect 長田篤 of MILESTONE, a design office established in 2018 that has designed many restaurant and shop spaces and much furniture. The space features walnut tables and chairs, a beige stone counter, and plastered walls, creating a stylish interior with a natural warmth.
TESSERA (テッセラ)
- Opening: November 11, 2026 (Wednesday)
- Address: 1F, 5-16-11 Kami-Meguro, Meguro City, Tokyo 153-0051
- Access: 15-minute walk from Nakameguro Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line; 14-minute walk from Ikejiri-Ohashi Station on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line
- Hours: Lunch 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM (Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays only); Dinner 5:00 PM to 11:00 PM
- Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays
- Seats: 17 (12 table seats, 5 counter seats)
- Prices: Dinner course ¥16,000; Lunch course ¥8,000 (10% service charge extra)
- Reservations: Via the TableCheck reservation page at https://tessera.tokyo/
- Official Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tessera.tokyo/
