Gert De Mangeleer’s Foodies Tour Japan is a personal culinary love letter to his second home, crafted for seven guests from 20-24 March 2026 in Kansais Osaka and Kyoto. With Japan expert Bernard Catrysse, it channels Hertog Jans omakase philosophy “I leave it to you” for an intimate surrender to hidden flavors and rituals. This exclusive journey blends Gerts artisan friendships, exclusive chef collabs, and authentic markets into transformative gastronomic poetry.
Kansai’s Hidden Soul
The Kansai region serves as the pulsating epicenter, where Osaka’s raw, street infused gastronomy seamlessly merges with Kyoto’s refined, ritual bound elegance. Guests dive into Nishiki Market’s vibrant stalls in Kyoto, savor a rare intimate lunch at Tsukioka, partake in a traditional tea ceremony, and relish teppanyaki in Gion’s historic heart. Osaka delivers unfiltered intensity through dawn markets alongside a Japanese chef, humble shokudo kitchens, depachika food halls, and exalted dinners at Michelin recognized venues.
Exquisite Dining Highlights
Culinary pinnacles include an exclusive collab dinner between Gert De Mangeleer and one Michelin star chef Oya at SUI, alongside an immersive evening at two star La Cime. These bespoke experiences, born from Gert’s deep rooted friendships, transcend standard fine dining, offering profound dialogues between Belgian precision and Japanese mastery. Every bite honors seasonality, technique, and the unspoken poetry of ingredients.
Omakase Surrender
Mirroring Hertog Jan at Botanic’s acclaimed omakase menus, this tour demands elegant capitulation to Japan’s rhythms, Gert and Bernard’s intuition, and flavors that defy translation. The intimate group of seven fosters genuine connections with space to query, linger, and truly inhabit kitchens and narratives. Far from consumable itineraries, it becomes a lived immersion, reshaping palates and perspectives.
Seamless Gourmet Itinerary
Experience Gert De Mangeleer’s acclaimed omakase dishes firsthand at Hertog Jan at Botanic, the Antwerp sanctuary boasting two Michelin stars from its pinnacle, the 2014 European Chef of the Year title, and enduring praise for boundary-pushing Belgian gastronomy.
From March 20 to 24, 2026, this tour unfolds at the lavish five-star The St. Regis Osaka, featuring four overnights with breakfast.
All meticulously curated meals pair with premium wines and drinks; effortless private buses, taxis, and first-class trains ensure seamless transitions, complemented by Gert and Bernard’s personal guidance.
