What are your earliest memories of being interested in food?
Back in my childhood, when I delighted in having been complemented for having made tamagoyaki, a Japanese-style omelette.
What would you say has inspired your cooking the most?
I think the greatest inspiraton for my cooking has been my mother’s homemade dishes.
Describe how you see your own culinary style and how it has evolved over the years…
I like to create menus that bring about opposing, yet complementary sensations on the palate by pairing, in the same dish, flavours, textures and temperatures which seemingly contrast each other – such as sweet vs. tangy, grainy vs. silky, hot vs. chilled.
Tell us a bit about what you are currently doing…
I am continually experimenting with how best to introduce distinctly Japanese flavours into the style of French cooking that we present here at Crown.
What kind of experience do you aim to give guests at your restaurant?
I would like guests to be able to really soak in the entire experience – from the ambiance of the restaurant’s setting to the beautiful views outside and the dishes meticulously prepared for them – in a very relaxed, very enjoyable manner that makes them feel at home yet pleasantly surprises at the same time.
What would you say has been the most memorable moment in your culinary career so far?
The new discoveries that I inevitably come across every day at work – whether they are learnings shared amongst colleagues or something we uncover together from trying new things in the kitchen. No two days are ever exactly the same and this is what makes every day memorable to me.
If you could go back in time, what advice would you give your younger self, starting out a career in the world of food?
If I could go back in time and give myself some advice it would be to be proud of being Japanese!
What restaurant is currently at the top of your list to dine at?
Restaurant de l’Hôtel-de-Ville in Geneva, Switzerland!
Palace Hotel Tokyo
1 Chome-1-1 Marunouchi
Chiyoda
Tokyo 100-0005
Japan
+81 3-3211-5211