Chef Thomson

I visited Japanese Knife Company in Paris (Rue de Cotte location) and what I thought would be a brief visit, turned into a wonderful 1 hour 40 minute experience.

While in France I’ve purchased several souvenirs including a knife made by a French blade smith. But when it comes to handmade knives, every piece is technically unique. While many follow a similar form factor and utilize consistent techniques, each retailer has different batches of knives from different producers.

I ended up speaking with the shop owner for quite some time and thought it was amazing the wealth of knowledge he has. Thank you for your willingness to share.

Of course, I couldn’t leave empty handed. I purchased a brass handled Aogami steel Higonokami from Nagao Kanekoma.

A pair of Misuzu “Choki Choki” Nigiri Hasami (Japanese Thread Snips).

Mini Slide Scissors from Nihonbashi Kiya.

A Tojiro Classic Petty Knife, VG10 steel, western style laminated composite wood handle.

Triangle GmbH (Solingen, Germany) stainless steel (black finish) tweezer and tasting spoon combination.

And finally several Bisbell Magnetic Knife Guards.

Really looking forward to integrating these into parts of my workflow, and with the sentimental value of my first ever visit to France.

And I’m only getting started

Our visit to Paris for the weekend is coming to a close. Two days is no where near enough time to explore everything, but it was enough to visit a few staples, and have some fun. Now we return to Rouen for our final week of the French in Normandy program.

I am beyond excited to say that I had the opportunity to stage at L’Odas Restaurant which I believe is the only Michelin star restaurant in Rouen, Normandie. I’m very grateful for the chef’s and the team here welcoming me for an evening of service.

Everything was incredible. From the mise en place, to the cuisine, every detail was calculated and intentional. I am so thankful for the experience and it has inspired me to continue learning and improving my craft.

This level of gastronomy is something I’ve always aspired to be a part of. Being able to help (in a small way) to create an amazing experience for the guests at L’Odas is an experience I will never forget.

Étretat, Normandie 🇫🇷 is the most beautiful coastline I’ve ever seen. There’s no tickets to visit unlike in Canada, it’s just a public area that locals and tourists can enjoy. It’s an absolutely stunning region of France.

Yes chef