Aïda

A whitewashed Left Bank façade so understated you walk past it. Inside, nine seats face Koji Aida's teppanyaki griddle and a tiny tatami room sits behind a sliding door. Chef Aida arrived from rural Japan two decades ago and has run the same restaurant, single tasting menu, daily-changing, since 2008, the year Michelin first starred him. The cooking reads Japan with a French eye: Brittany langoustine seared on iron, A5 wagyu cut to nine grams, sansho-pepper jus from the Loire. The cellar leans Burgundy and grand-cru sake. Ninety minutes, no rush, no music. The 7e address Istanbul collectors send each other when the Japanese cuisine question comes up.