Milpa

Meet José Juan Monroy Rangel (known to everyone as Willy), the history-making chef behind Milpa, Osaka, the first Mexican restaurant in Japan to be awarded a Michelin star.

At Milpa – Nahuatl for the ancient agricultural system that enriches the earth – Willy tells two stories at once; one of his Mexican heritage, and one of his life in Japan, which began with the Noma team in 2023 at their legendary Kyoto pop-up. It was there that a new way of thinking opened up, and never quite closed again.

At its heart, Milipa is a Mexican restaurant that uses Japanese ingredients with Mexican techniques. With just four tables, the menu is centred around wood-fired cooking, with corn and other Mesoamerican staples sourced from Mexico. Among the many highlights are Willy’s ‘Avocado Tostada, Dry-cured Ham, Sea Urchin Croquette’, his ‘Japanese Amberjack Carpaccio, Fish Sauce, Cornmeal Tlayuda, Chilli Pepper Paste’ and his showstopping ‘Arroz with Ise Shrimp’, but the truth is, every single dish is pinch-yourself good.

Milpa promises to be one of the highlights of our 2026 calendar. Completely unmissable.