GRAND MAISON PARIS (グランメゾン・パリ) (2024)

Genre: Drama
Director: Ayuko Tsukahara
Cast: Takuya Kimura, Kyōka Suzuki, Ok Taec-yeon, Mitsuhiro Oikawa, Masakado Yoshinoriha, Ikki Sawamura, Ai Tominaga
Runtime: 1 hr 58 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Coarse Language)
Released By: Lighthouse Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day:  7 August 2025 (The Projector)

Synopsis: Famous Japanese chef Obana (Takuya Kimura) opens a new restaurant in Paris in the quest for his elusive third Michelin star. But Obana finds life as an outsider in the city of lights very difficult, and even has trouble sourcing ingredients. His pride and ambition causes tension with his team, including his headstrong patissier Yuan (Ok Taecyeon), and loyal sous chef Rinko (Kyoka Suzuki). When his menu for a gala dinner proves a disaster, Obana promises his former mentor that if he doesn’t get three Michelin stars he will quit the restaurant and leave Paris. Can he pull it off?

Movie Review:

Japanese superstar and former SMAP member Takuya Kimura has played virtually everything—from a public prosecutor to a pilot, a bodyguard, and even a Prime Minister. No matter the role, Kimura remains as charismatic as ever, with his characters often portrayed as the smartest person in the room.

In Grand Maison Paris, Kimura reprises his role as chef Natsuki Obana. This time, he’s on a mission to earn three Michelin stars for his high-end Parisian restaurant after failing to impress the Michelin committee. If he fails again, his former mentor Mr. Blancan (Patrick Descamps) plans to reclaim the restaurant space and hand it over to his own son.

Obana faces mounting pressure not only from suppliers who refuse to sell him top-quality ingredients but also from mounting tension between him and chef Rinko (Kyōka Suzuki). At his wit’s end, the question looms: Can Obana rise to the challenge and finally earn that elusive third star?

Grand Maison Paris is the cinematic continuation of the 2019 Japanese TV drama La Grande Maison Tokyo (available on Netflix in 11 episodes). As expected, the film plays like a condensed version of the beloved series. If you’ve seen the original, you may find the movie familiar to a fault. Still, director Ayuko Tsukahara brings some cinematic flair, with the picturesque streets of Paris offering a visual feast even if the plot feels reheated.

Kimura once again portrays a deeply flawed protagonist—his biggest flaw being his inability to work as part of a team. Fortunately, he’s not alone. He receives much-needed support from Rinko, the ever-patient hall manager Kyono (Ikki Sawamura), and chef Aizawa (Mitsuhiro Oikawa). While several key characters from the series like sous-chef Tamamori and pastry chef Matsui are absent, the film introduces a new face: Rick Yuan, a Korean patissier played by Ok Taec-yeon of K-pop group 2PM. Rick’s obsession with rare herbs and ingredients and the French loan sharks that follow adds a splash of excitement to the otherwise familiar kitchen drama.

Newcomers to the series won’t feel lost in the world of haute cuisine. Still, Grand Maison Paris only scratches the surface of the culinary world. Despite its international cast and setting, the dramatic tension between chefs, critics, and mentors never quite lives up to the tantalizing dishes that fill the screen.

As expected, Kimura takes center stage, portraying Obana’s evolution from a self-absorbed perfectionist to a chef who finally learns the value of teamwork. As the film suggests, it’s not the ingredients alone that make the dish—it’s the shared skill and collaboration behind it. Screenwriter Tsutomu Kuroiwa crafts a script that works both as a standalone film and a continuation of the series. And while it doesn’t break new ground, it offers a satisfying, if familiar, journey for fans.

Grand Maison Paris may not be a Michelin-starred movie experience but like a humble plate of neighborhood chicken rice, it’s comforting, familiar, and just enough to whet your appetite for more.

Movie Rating:

(Takuya Kimura as always looks good and so is the cuisine on display)

Review by Linus Tee