‘VANKA’ takes its name from an archaic Japanese word for tomato. Just as vegetables once introduced from abroad have taken root in Japan, the cuisine builds on French foundations while expressing a distinctly Japanese sensibility, bringing the two traditions together. Drawing on ingredients from the beginning, peak and close of the season, the kitchen incorporates dried bonito flakes, miso and charcoal fire. Soup is served in lacquerware bowls, and traditional Japanese painting motifs feature in the open kitchen — throughout, the restaurant embodies the spirit of ‘wakon-yōsai’: Japanese spirit with Western technique.