i. Biography
Born in Oita, Japan, in 1987, Michihiro Haruta has built a kitchen language that sits between French structure and Japanese restraint. The work is shaped by sustainability, seasonality, and exacting attention to product, with each plate reduced to what the ingredients can carry on their own.
The Path
Technique and discipline were set early at Hotel New Otani in Fukuoka in 2006, where Haruta entered the pace and standards of a major kitchen. In 2008, Regions of France in Alsace, Midi-Pyrénées extended that foundation and widened his understanding of ingredients, service, and method. The result is a style assembled step by step, then pared back to essentials. Since 2016, he has been Owner Chef of Crony.
The Work Today
At Crony, French-Japanese cooking is framed through sustainability and clarity rather than accumulation. Haruta’s signature approach is subtraction: a short list of ingredients, handled so their own flavors remain legible. The plate is built to register detail without noise. Haruta describes that discipline as respect for the product: “I want to express respect and gratitude for these ingredients by creating seasonal dishes using the experience and skills I’ve gained by working in kitchens around the world.”
Career - Owner Chef — Crony (2016–present) - Chef — Hotel New Otani, Fukuoka (from 2006) - Chef — Regions of France, Alsace, Midi-Pyrénées (from 2008)
In Their Words “I want to express respect and gratitude for these ingredients by creating seasonal dishes using the experience and skills I’ve gained by working in kitchens around the world.” “I’m inspired by ingredients that I’ve seen with my own eyes and touched with my own hands by visiting producers in each region – ingredients that are kind to the environment.”
Acclaim
Guest experience is part of the same framework: the table is treated as a place to carry ideas as well as serve food. Haruta’s hope is that the dining room leaves people thinking about the environment after they go, with “cronies” as the term he uses for that long relationship. At Crony, flavor, memory, and responsibility are meant to sit in balance, without one crowding out the others.
FAQ What is Michihiro Haruta's current role? Michihiro Haruta is Owner Chef. Where did Michihiro Haruta work before? Earlier in their career, Michihiro Haruta worked at Hotel New Otani and Regions of France. What is Michihiro Haruta known for? French-Japanese cuisine with a sustainability focus.
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