Ro's Recz

Grand Maison Tokyo is a great Japanese drama about food and the high-end restaurant industry. Grand Maison Tokyo is about a former cooking prodigy (who fell from grace after a food poisoning incident) and his rise back up through the industry.

The main character in Grand Maison Tokyo is Obana (played by Kimura Takuya, one of Japan’s most famous actors), and the rest of the characters in the show are either former associates or people he meets as he tries to reenter the cooking industry.

Obana is an impressive main character and the show is worth watching just to see his flair and style in the kitchen; however, it is his relationships with other characters that really complete the show. Obana starts the show being portrayed as someone who can’t get along with others, and someone who has burned many bridges with colleagues from the past. By the end of the show though, your impression of Obana will change as you begin to see the better parts of Obana’s personality. The camaraderie of the entire kitchen as they work to become a 3-star Michelin restaurant is also inspiring (starting from a newly created restaurant all the way to the top of the food industry).

Grand Maison Tokyo is a fictional drama, so it doesn’t have the historical component that The Emperor’s Cook has. However, the characters in Grand Maison Tokyo are very good and the storyline is very interesting, making it a must watch for anyone who enjoyed watching The Emperor’s Cook (or food shows in general).

Grand Maison Tokyo Recommendation Rating: 4.5

1: Something worth checking out if you have time

2: Something that is a hit for some people, but not a must for everyone

3: Something worth prioritizing if interested

4: Something worth making time to check out

5: An absolute home run, worth going out of your way for