Tableaux, a longtime presence in Daikanyama's restaurant scene, is revitalizing itself with American chef Rachel Dow at the helm, bringing a modern touch to the originally European-inspired restaurant.
Although Dow is new to Tokyo, she's hit the ground running by bringing what she calls "new American" cuisine to the restaurant. While so-called "American" food is far from difficult to find in Tokyo, with everything from fast food chains like Carl's Jr. to sit-down restaurants like TGI Friday's having carved a space for themselves, Dow aims to give people a more realistic taste of what makes American food, well, American.
The term "new American" is enigmatic enough to pique my curiosity, so I sit down with Dow in the restaurant to get a better understanding of who she is as a chef and where her inspiration for new American cuisine comes from.