i. Biography
Executive Chef — DEN KUSHI FLORI in Tokyo — is the role that defines Susumu Shimizu’s current work. In a market where dining concepts often chase pace and novelty, his profile reads instead as a study in discipline: two traditions, held in balance, with technique used to clarify rather than decorate.
Coming Up
Training at L'Arpège, then moving on to work as chef at Anis in Tokyo, Japan, gave Susumu Shimizu a foundation built on rigor, detail, and close attention to ingredients. Those years established the habits that still shape his kitchen language today. He now serves as Executive Chef of DEN KUSHI FLORI. That progression is straightforward, but the craft lesson is clear: technique first, then interpretation. The path from training to practice, and from one distinguished kitchen to another, points to a chef who has learned how to turn precision into a defined point of view.
Where They Are Now
At DEN KUSHI FLORI in Tokyo, Shimizu holds the title of Executive Chef. He is also identified as Chef at DEN KUSHI FLORI, which places his work squarely inside the restaurant’s day-to-day identity. The role carries authority because it extends beyond supervision into authorship: the menu, timing, and tone sit within that remit. That authorship is expressed through creative Japanese technique applied alongside French culinary logic. The work is not presented as fusion for effect; it is a structured exchange between methods, with Japanese methods and French reasoning used as named parts of the same vocabulary. Shimizu’s kitchen depends on that balance, and on the restraint required to make the two systems read as one.
Signature
Susumu's signature dishes include fromage blanc with ponzu sauce and three-coloured seaweed, fried crab tofu with bisque and tempura persimmon, clay-pot rice with Japanese sweetcorn and wagyu beef carpaccio, tempura with sherry, and sweetfish set inside a baked custard tart. The list shows a cook working in contrast, but with control: cool creaminess against citrus brightness, crispness beside depth, and the weight of rice or custard broken by sharper accents. The plates also point to the structure of his style. French influence appears in the way components are arranged, while Japanese clarity remains visible in the legibility of each ingredient. Nothing reads as incidental; the dishes are built so that texture, temperature, and flavor arrive in measured sequence.
Honors
The clearest recognition attached to Shimizu’s career is his current post: Executive Chef of DEN KUSHI FLORI in Tokyo. No specific awards are named, so the title itself is the marker on the page, along with the work that supports it. His career profile stays direct: leadership in the kitchen at DEN KUSHI FLORI, and a signature grounded in French-Japanese fusion, Japanese-Western fusion, and the meeting of Japanese technique with French culinary logic. In that sense, the recognition is not an external prize but the trust implied by the role, and the disciplined cuisine that role makes possible.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Susumu
What is Susumu Shimizu's current role?
As of 2026, Susumu Shimizu is Executive Chef.
Where did Susumu Shimizu train or study?
Susumu Shimizu trained at L'Arpège.
What is Susumu Shimizu known for?
French-Japanese fusion.
