We cook to keep our feet firmly on the ground, to feel the wind, taste the rain and know the seasons.
The Blind Donkey restaurant is dedicated to food producers in japan and everywhere, who farm with the living world in mind, by practicing natural, humane and sustainable agriculture and craftsmanship. We order most of our produce directly from a network of food producers we have visited and with whom we continue to nurture relationships. Knowing their work and telling their story is central to the way we cook and serve food.
We support this farming community by serving menus inspired by their produce. We also want to support the next generation of restaurateurs and asked Hiro, who has been with us for 3 years and to run the kitchen, working closely with Jérôme; and Aoba to manage the restaurant and be in charge of the dining room.
The Blind Donkey takes its name from the life of Ikkyu, the legendary 15th century zen teacher.
The restaurant is headed by Jerome Waag, an artist and the former chef of Chez Panisse restaurant in Berkeley, California, who moved to Tokyo in 2016 to open the Blind Donkey.