Rimpei Yoshikawa

11th –  22nd October

No neon lights, no robot waiters… Rimpei Yoshikawa’s laid-back bohemian bistro, Pignon, sticks out like a sore thumb in Tokyo’s bustling Shibuya district. But that’s how he likes it.

It all started sixteen years ago when Rimpei bid adieu to Tokyo’s fine dining scene and took himself to Bordeaux for a change of scenery. It was there that he found his true calling, abandoning haute cuisine for simpler home-cooked pleasures. He then travelled through Italy, Spain, Thailand, Mexico and beyond, collecting ideas like a culinary magpie; the recipe for Pignon’s famous Merguez sausage, for example, is the result of a fortuitous mistranslation in a remote Moroccan village. Now, Rimpei’s signature style draws mostly on soulful, everyday French and North African dishes, expertly recreated using seasonal, local ingredients. 

Following an unforgettable residency way back in 2016, we’re thrilled that Rimpei is swapping the bright lights of Tokyo for the twinkling ones of Charlotte Street for a second time. His menu features more of the imaginative, French-Moroccan dishes that have made Pignon one of Tokyo’s most enduringly popular neighbourhood bistros, including his signature house-made merguez with heritage carrots and harissa; scallop, sea urchin & chimichurri ceviche; and apple & almond tart with Calvados ice cream.