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Whether it was my dream or not, I always thought from childhood that somehow I wanted to use my hands in work. At the same time, I always had an interest in cooking. I think that is because I loved eating delicious things. When I was in high school I somehow wound up with a copy of the magazine for professional chefs called Getsukan Senmon Ryori (Monthly Specialty Cuisine) and felt, “the food is so delicious...so pretty...what if I made dishes like that” when looking at the cover. And inside, I was mesmerized by the beautiful Japanese dishes.
Then right after graduating from high school, I entered into culinary training at a Hot Springs resort in Yamanashi prefecture. I call it training, but I at first I was not even allowed to hold a knife. Everyday I washed dishes and cleaned. Perhaps now one cannot believe that culinary training starts in such a way, but then that was how the road to a Japanese culinary career began almost.
For two years, I did that kind of work. Then fortune smiled on me and I headed out to Tokyo and at the restaurant Katase in Kanda I started work in grilling. The head chef who I affectionately call Oyaji which means something like 'Old Man', my senior who did the steamed food, and I on grilling were the only three in the kitchen. It was a small restaurant that you could call a second home. It was to me and to our customers a warm and homely kaiseki restaurant.
I worked there for quite while, but then Oyaji said to me, “at least once, to be on the same footing with me, go out of here and study” and so to see the outside world, I left to go to a different restaurant. It was a great amount of love I received in that command. From there, I worked at the ryotei (Japanese restaurant) Fukizumi in Akasaka for 5 or 6 years. Then I went to the restaurant Akashi in Nihonbashi and then the restaurant Hyoutei in Nagatacho for about 3 years. I polished my skills as a chef in Japanese cuisine.
After that, I went for the opening of the shabu-shabu restaurant Kissyo in Hibiya where I was called by Oyaji. “Come back as the number two in my kitchen”, he said. It was different from the first restaurant Katase because restaurant Kissyo had 15 people in the kitchen. With my Oyaji again, I am proud of how I grew working with him as number two chef. I am very grateful to him for all he has done for me.
This time, here at Kinryu, like Oyaji as a chef to respect using all my talents, I want to create incredibly delicious dishes in a wonderful space.
Premios, Reconocimientos, y Sociedades
Tokyo Meister Award 2007
Nihon Ryori Kenkyukai
Chef Japon
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