Passion Nippone

Geneva, my love

At a time when the world of catering is in a state of flux and the fallout from the health crisis leaves many uncertainties, the Kakinuma clan steps out of its comfort zone for the first time under the impetus of Yoss and his brother Kohei: in the middle of the Covid year, two Temaki Bars are opened and a pharaonic project at Place de Neuve is launched in association with the M3 group. Discover a culinary epic that’s only just begun.

A passionate traveler, Sho Kakinuma was the first to arrive on the shores of Lake Geneva to learn the language of Molière. As for Shinya Kakinuma, he began his gastronomic education by learning French cuisine, before mastering the cuisine of his native country. After several years behind the stoves of various French establishments, it was at the Uchino restaurant in Versoix that he chose to sharpen his knives.

A thousand miles from Japan, the couple met in Switzerland and married six months later. “They quickly felt at home in Geneva,” says their son. And so began the first steps of a couple who are building a solid reputation in Geneva’s culinary world. With its impeccable quality in product selection, unfailing consistency in execution and sober, elegant service, the Kakinuma restaurant is all the rage.

Youthful enthusiasm

Yoss Kakinuma is far from the “son of” image that his name and profession might suggest. A graduate of the prestigious École Hôtelière de Lausanne, he spends all his vacations working in his parents’ restaurant with his brother. Raised the hard way but in a loving environment, he became aware of the difficulty of the profession and its impact on family life. “We had to get our hands dirty” recalls Yoss, before continuing. “This involvement was never an obligation, and very quickly turned into a passion, giving way to a vocation. I never envisaged any other future, and in the end it all came together quite naturally.

Before joining the family structure, in 2018 he landed a position at Noma, the world-renowned restaurant orchestrated by chef René Redzepi. An experience that left a lasting impression on the young apprentice. He returns to Geneva galvanized by this formative experience. There was no doubt that it was high time to take the Kakinuma brand to the next level. After a short collaboration in a Crans-Montana hotel, the family opened their first Temaki Bar on Geneva’s Right Bank. “My father had the idea for this concept and we made it a reality”, he admits. A second followed a few months later on the top floor of the Bon Génie.

But it’s a real thunderclap that the official launch of a monumental project in collaboration with the M3 Group. In place of the former arcade of the aborted Restaurant Duchessa, the Kakinuma family is thinking big and going big. In a single location, four different styles of Japanese restaurant will be created over the course of 2022: a bistro, a teppanyaki area (a type of cooking around a hot plate), a tea room and a gourmet restaurant. The name? Gaku! Looking forward to next year…