At the northern part of Ishikawa Prefecture, Wajima City is located in Okunoto on the Noto Peninsula, which protrudes into the Sea of Japan. A one-star restaurant “L'Atelier de NOTO” is located in the center of this town, rich in nature, known for its Wajima-nuri lacquerware and morning market. Chef Toshiya Ikehata, who fell in love with the ingredients of Noto, brings out the charm of Noto to its fullest.
Chef Ikehata was born in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture. He graduated from Tsuji Culinary School in Osaka and trained at the French restaurant “Calendrier”. He went to France in 2006 and studied at a starred restaurant for about 5 years. After returning to Japan, he thought of opening a restaurant in Osaka, a place he was familiar with, but while mastering cooking, he rediscovered the wonderful ingredients of his home town of Noto. He then decided to set up his own business in his hometown instead. In 2014, he opened “L'Atelier de NOTO” and it became a popular restaurant listed in the world famous gourmet guidebook.
Chef Ikehata said, "The more I live in Noto, the more I realize the charm of Noto", "Noto's treasures include its lively vegetables, fresh and beautiful seafood, and the wonderful products and crafts that its people produce. We want customers to feel it." In addition, because it is a production area of high-quality natural mushrooms and also because of the vertical topography of the inland sea, even if the sea is rough, it is possible to go out for fishing, so it has many advantages as a treasure house of ingredients. Chef Ikehata's specialty is "Noto 115 confit with the charcoal scent," which uses the Noto shiitake mushroom "Noto 115", also known as "mountain abalone". This is a dish where you can feel the season when the flavor of the shiitake mushroom and the texture of the confit are mixed with the charcoal scent on the table. The restaurant is particular about Japanese sake. They have around 12 to 13 types, focusing on Japanese sake from Noto, including famous sake made with super soft water. There are 200 varieties of wine, mainly from Burgundy, which chef Ikehata has been familiar with since his training in France.
The tasteful building is a renovated building that used to be a Wajima-nuriya. The doors and ceiling of the storehouse are left as they were, and you can feel the glory of the past. The dinnerware is made of lacquer, tin ware, glass, etc. The dining room has 14 seats, and there are private rooms (4-6 people) and semi-private rooms (4 -6 people). “L'Atelier de NOTO” is where you can relax and enjoy your meal around the courtyard, is recommended for various occasions, such as with family, friends, dates, and overseas guests. Please enjoy the gastronomy that is unique to chef Ikehata, who is full of love for Noto.
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* The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
Access
Take the JR Hokuriku Main Line to “Kanazawa Station”, then take a limited express bus to “Wajima Marintown Station” and walk for 7 minutes or take the Noto Railway Nanao Line to “Anamizu Station” and then take a route bus to “Wajima Station” (Maibara - Toyama) and walk for 10 minutes.
