Autumn in Kyoto
Curation : Nessim Cohen
Invited Chef : Miguel Angel Pelayo
Invited Artist: Moe Iwata
Flowers: Ugotheflorist
November 22-24th 2025, at Bridge Studio, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto
Meals of nuts and fruits in autumn
This autumn, we turned toward the flora of Kyoto — with nuts and grasses foraged in nearby forests — and recipes that were once common in Japanese cuisine.
The leaves were reddening as we gathered herbs and nuts. The bright orange colours of the persimmon warmed our hearts. In three days, we served our guests the best foods and drinks to bring them this warmth. A dance of wild plants and suspended moments of art. Lunches to transform our perception of the plants around us, before they go into the long sleep of winter.
Artworks meant to be planted
Wild Astragalus Sinicus was our patron: this chrisantheme would regerenerate the soil under the snow. Artemisia Princeps (mugwort) matcha closed the event with its generous notes.
In a short ceremonial, Nessim Cohen planted a Mandala Seminis : a decorated clay ball charged with seeds of Astragalus Sinicus, that would contribute to the regeneration of the soils.
Planting what we eat
At the end, the participants went home with the seeds of what they ate: wild persimmon and nuts, and a Mandala Seminis : a clay ball charged with seeds of astragalus sinicus, designed and sculpted by Nessim Cohen.
Invited Chef: Miguel Angel Pelayo
Miguel Angel Pelayo has worked for 2 years in restaurants in Europe. He is now a researcher at Kyoto University on the history of disappearing wild ingredients and recipes from the Edo period.
Menu
Lotus root manju covered in Chrysanthemum
Corn miso glazed oyster/tofu, smoked in Manchurian wild rice
Nara Tea Rice with nuts and fish/tofu
Everything Persimmon: Mochi, Yokan, Raw
Drinks
Holy Basil from the farm of Masanobu Fukuoka (Ocimum tenuiflorum)
Wild teas from Vietnam (Camelia Crassicolumna)
Mugwort matcha (Artemisia Princeps)
