In the quiet, rain-slicked streets of Kanazawa—a city where craft is not a hobby but a centuries-old inheritance—a culinary alignment is taking place that feels less like a promotional event and more like a shared monastic vow. Simon Rogan’s Roganic Hong Kong is migrating north to join forces with Respiración for a two-day residency, a collaboration defined by a mutual, almost ascetic devotion to the "voice of the ingredients".
The Roganic narrative is one of disciplined speed and environmental conscience. Since its 2019 opening in Hong Kong, the restaurant secured its first Michelin star within a mere ten months, followed by a Green Star in 2021. It serves as a sophisticated urban vessel for Rogan’s "Farm to Table" ideology, which originated in the damp, fertile soil of the English Lake District. Simon Rogan’s flagship, L’Enclume, holds three Michelin stars and is famous for "Our Farm," a twelve-acre plot that dictates the rhythm of his menus—a philosophy Roganic has meticulously adapted for the high-density landscape of Hong Kong.
At Respiración, the approach is rooted in what is termed "Kanazawa Spanish". This is not the flamboyant, saffron-heavy Spanish cuisine of the Mediterranean, but a translation of Iberian soul through the lens of Ishikawa’s rugged terroir. The restaurant is famously led by three childhood friends—Shogo Kawahari, Yoshiyuki Yagi, and Takanori Kitagawa—who returned to their hometown to showcase the bounty of the Noto Peninsula. Their kitchen, housed in a renovated 140-year-old traditional machiya, operates on the principle of minimalism, stripping away "excessive decoration" to reveal the raw vitality of the product.
The collaboration promises a menu where these two distinct worldviews intersect. Rogan’s precision honed by the seasonal volatility of the British countryside meets the "Kanazawa Spanish" ethos of listening to the ingredient rather than shouting over it. The resulting plates are expected to balance strength within delicacy, focusing on the "quiet yet memorable aftertaste" that characterises both houses.
This is a rare dialogue between two kitchens that view the earth not as a pantry, but as a primary collaborator. For the discerning diner, it offers an exploration of the changing seasons through the eyes of masters who understand that the most profound culinary statements are often the most whispered.
Practicalities
Date: 4-5.04.2026
Location: Kanazawa, Japan
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