On 26 September, IKIGAICHA had the privilege of welcoming Chef Yannick Alléno and his global team to its Japanese Tea Boutique in Dubai for an immersive exploration of the highest-quality Japanese tea, ahead of the opening of L’Abysse Dubai.
Welcoming Chef Yannick Alléno to IKIGAICHA.
A workshop ahead of L’Abysse Dubai
Chef Yannick Alléno, the multi-Michelin-starred French chef behind Alléno Paris at Pavillon Ledoyen, visited IKIGAICHA with members of his global team as they prepared to open L’Abysse Dubai at One&Only The Palm.
During the workshop, the team explored some of the finest teas in IKIGAICHA’s library, tasting and comparing them to understand how Japanese tea can accompany the L’Abysse dining experience.
Chef Alléno and his team during the tasting workshop.
A shared philosophy: Shu-Ha-Ri 守破離
At the heart of this collaboration is Shu-Ha-Ri, the Japanese path to mastery in three stages:
- Shu 守, to protect: a profound respect for tradition.
- Ha 破, to break: true mastery of the craft.
- Ri 離, to transcend: the pursuit of its highest expression.
From Japan’s finest producers
Through continuous exploration across Japan, IKIGAICHA works closely with exceptional producers, from award-winning tea masters to generations-old family estates. Its teas come from regions including Kyoto, Shizuoka, Yame, Ureshino and Miyazaki.
The aim is always the same: to preserve authenticity while revealing the extraordinary depth of Japanese tea.
Tea at L’Abysse Dubai
L’Abysse is Chef Alléno’s French-Japanese concept, where contemporary French cuisine is expressed through the Japanese art of sushi in an omakase guided by a Sushi Master. In Dubai, it brings his unique culinary vision together with IKIGAICHA’s Japanese tea expertise.
The result is a refined dialogue of terroir, precision and omotenashi, the Japanese spirit of wholehearted hospitality, carried throughout the omakase experience. We thank Chef Alléno and his team for a memorable visit, and look forward to seeing Japanese tea take its place at L’Abysse Dubai.
Raising a glass of Japanese tea, and Chef Alléno and his team with the IKIGAICHA team outside the boutique.