Michel Bras TOYA Japon

Our verdict

From the eleventh floor of the Windsor Hotel Toya, the dining room at Michel Bras TOYA Japon looks out over Lake Toya and the volcanic peaks that ring it — a setting that frames the meal before a single dish arrives. The room itself mirrors the original Michel Bras in Laguiole, France: wooden floors, generously spaced tables, and a spare aesthetic that keeps attention on the plate and the panorama in equal measure. The kitchen operates in the tradition of the Bras family's haute cuisine, applying the same philosophy of botanical precision and controlled technique that made the Laguiole original a reference point in French gastronomy. Here, that framework is rebuilt around Hokkaido's larder — local crab, regional beef, and the foraged plants and vegetables that Hokkaido's northern climate produces. The gargouillou, the Bras house dish of composed vegetables and herbs that has been part of the family's repertoire for decades, appears in adapted form, redrawn around what the island's seasons offer.