Chef
Jean-Baptiste Meusnier
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Paris, France
i. Biography
Jean-Baptiste Meusnier is chef of Kodawari Ramen (Tsukiji) in Paris, where ramen is not simply a dish on the menu but the defining craft around which the whole house seems to turn. His route to the kitchen has an unusual, almost cinematic arc: first a former life as a pilot, then a decisive immersion in the exacting world of noodles, broth, and precision, and finally the opening of a restaurant identity that he has made unmistakably his own.
The Climb
Jean-Baptiste Meusnier trained at Manufacturer of noodle machines before going on to work as Pilot de chasse et de ligne. That progression lends his story a particular tension: the disciplined mechanics of machinery, the rigor of flight, and then the concentrated patience required by ramen, where timing, texture, and temperature all matter in quiet but absolute ways. It is a trajectory that reads less like a conventional culinary apprenticeship than a steady narrowing of focus, as if every stage were drawing him closer to the bowl. Today, Jean-Baptiste is founder and chef of Kodawari Ramen Yokocho (since 2016), founder and chef of Kodawari Ramen Tsukiji (since 2019), and founder and chef of Kodawari UENO. Across these projects, the Kodawari name has become the clearest expression of his work: a world built with consistency and intent, and shaped by the same singular devotion to ramen. The dates attached to those openings mark not just moments on a timeline, but the gradual unfolding of a larger culinary statement.
Today
He is chef of Kodawari Ramen (Tsukiji) in Paris. He is also founder and chef at Kodawari Ramen in Paris. In practice, that means his present identity is rooted in the Parisian life of the restaurant while remaining the broader Kodawari vision. The work is defined by a focus that feels both intimate and exacting, with ramen standing at the center as the language through which he speaks most clearly.
Signature
Jean-Baptiste's signature dishes include Kurogoma Ramen. The name alone suggests the dark, aromatic depth associated with the dish, and within his repertoire it serves as a concise emblem of his approach: concentrated, polished, and built around the expressive possibilities of ramen.
Recognition
The clearest marker is his Paris role at Kodawari Ramen (Tsukiji), with the broader Kodawari Ramen project defining his work. Rather than a scatter of accolades, his profile is marked by continuity and authorship: the same name recurring across venues, the same chef-founder role carried from one address to another, and a body of work that has taken shape through the sustained development of Kodawari Ramen in Paris.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Jean-Baptiste
What is Jean-Baptiste Meusnier known for?
Ramen.
