Chef
Shinobu Namae
Chef-Owner, L’Effervescence
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Tokyo, Japan
Known for
- Signature dish 'Fixed Point' (slow-cooked turnip in butter)
- Sustainable fine dining with Japanese terroir and French techniques
- Icon Award 2023 from Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants
i. Biography
Born in Yokohama on February 16, 1973, the Japanese chef studied at Keio University and the University of Tokyo, worked as sous chef at Michel Bras TOYA Japon in Hokkaido, worked as sous chef / pastry at The Fat Duck in England, and built a cuisine that combines French culinary techniques with Japanese ingredients. “I was cutting three kilos a day and five kilos of garlic. My curiosity lit up. I felt so privileged to be holding a knife instead of a sponge.” Shinobu has said.
Coming Up
Kitchen discipline often starts in repetition before it reaches authorship: washing dishes, cutting onions, holding station, and learning how speed and accuracy survive service. Shinobu Namae’s early work followed that order at Keio University, with dishwasher and onion-chopper duties at a pasta joint near campus, then cook roles at a respected Italian restaurant in Tokyo and a fusion restaurant project. Cross-border technique entered the work through French and British kitchens, with the craft moving between savory structure and pastry precision. Namae’s path ran through chef work at Michel Bras in Hokkaido, Japan; Laguiole, France, and then the pastry section at The Fat Duck in Bray, England (from 2008). The restaurant as a long-form workshop is the current frame for that training. Since 2010, Shinobu is chef and founder of L’Effervescence, where French culinary techniques and Japanese ingredients are the working grammar.
Now
Bread, supervision, and restaurant-building sit alongside the main dining room as part of the same practice. Shinobu is supervisor of Bricolage and cofounder of Bricolage Bread & Co. In Roppongi, Tokyo, Japan.
Honors
Shinobu Namae has received Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants Icon Award (2023). Recognition has attached to the restaurant work rather than to spectacle: Three Michelin stars for L’Effervescence (2021) and Icon Award (2023).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Shinobu
What is Shinobu Namae's current role?
Shinobu Namae is executive chef.
Where did Shinobu Namae train or study?
Shinobu Namae trained at Keio University.
What recognition has Shinobu Namae received?
Three Michelin stars for L’Effervescence (2021).
