Noboru Arai motivates his team with his boundless curiosity. His wife Mayuka’s hospitality and his fellow artisans’ service are a consummate match. The fare here is the product of deep inquiries into a variety of food cultures. Ningyo-yaki (sponge cakes filled with red bean paste) and kaminari-okoshi rice crackers are Asakusa favourites, while chickpea hummus is a Middle Eastern tradition. Mixing in a little local culture sends French cuisine in intriguing directions.