Olivier Derenne - Founder of Nishikidori
For nearly 30 years, Olivier Derenne has been travelling Japan in search of rare and sincere flavours. Every discovery is born from an encounter and an emotion to be shared. From this quest, Nishikidori was born: an exacting selection of raw products, faithful to the artisan's craft, to enrich your cooking.
Far more than a fine-food shop, Nishikidôri is the privileged link between French gastronomy and Japanese craftsmanship. Our house defines itself as a curator of exceptional products, guided by a clear mission: to make the hidden treasures of the Japanese archipelago accessible to the most discerning chefs and passionate food lovers.
Nishikidôri is today the reference for all those who seek to bring the very essence of Japan into their kitchen, with the assurance of professional quality and rigorous selection ethics.
"For more than thirteen years, I exported the finest of French gastronomy to Japan. Walking through the kitchens of Japanese chefs, I discovered a world of unexpected flavours and terroirs, completely unknown to our Western palates.
The turning point came in the spring of 2008, in a small piano bar in Kyoto. My Japanese partner placed a simple tin of sardines on the piano. As a true Breton, I smiled: what could anyone teach me about sardines? But when it was opened, it was an absolute sensory shock. Tiny sardines from the Sea of Japan, strikingly fresh, bathing in an oil of extraordinary purity. The tenderness, the juiciness, the fruity aromas... Artisanal perfection.
The irony of the story? Technical requirements and European standards prevented the import of this marvel. A frustration that became a driving force. What began as a hobby to satisfy my own greed transformed into an absolute quest: to travel through all 47 prefectures of Japan in search of the unprecedented, the pure, the authentic.
In December 2008, I imported my first gems to France. The interest from consumers — whether demanding professionals or everyday enthusiasts — was immediate. Nishikidôri was born, driven by a deep conviction: Japanese excellence deserves to be shared at every table."
- Olivier Derenne, CEO Nishikidôri
The Legacy of Nishiki Street
It all begins beneath the colourful arcades of the "Nishiki Market", in the heart of Kyoto. At the time, Olivier Derenne walks these aisles not to import, but to bring the finest of French terroir to Japanese chefs. Yet in this labyrinth nicknamed "the kitchen of Japan", his gaze gradually shifts.
Amid the aromas of dried bonito and the gleam of tsukemono, he discovers a world where the precision of artisanal craft is elevated to an art form. It is in this organised tumult, in contact with wholesalers and masters of taste, that the revelation strikes: there exists here a culinary poetry unknown in the West.
Nishikidôri is not born in an office, but in the wake of these artisans. The name itself becomes a tribute: the "Nishiki street", that path of bricks and flavours that transformed a simple curiosity into an absolute quest for excellence. The brand's DNA is here, in this passing of the torch between two cultures that share the same love of the authentic product.
The truth lies in the field
Excellence cannot be selected from a catalogue; it is discovered at the source, at the heart of Japan's most unspoilt terroirs. We favour direct encounters with the artisan and immersion in their expertise. For Nishikidori, every product is the fruit of an exacting quest conducted as close as possible to the raw material and the traditional craft.
It is this constant search for the unprecedented that defines our role as "Sourceurs de Goûts". For us, this title is a responsibility: never to compromise on the quality of a product, to respect the artisan who devotes their life to excellence, and to pass that emotion on to you, intact.
We do not deliver mere ingredients; we bring you Japan in its rawest form so that you, in turn, can offer new accents to your cooking.
