Japan Eats!

Our guest is Daniel Bennett who is the sake sommelier at Sushi-san www.sushisanrestaurant.com and The Omakase Room at Sushi-san www.theomakaseroom.com in Chicago. Both are a part of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants, which is an independent, family-owned restaurant group that owns, manages and licenses more than 110 restaurants nationwide with over 60 concepts ranging from fast casual to fine dining. Daniel is a certified sake sommelier and has approximately 15 years of deep experience working in Japanese food and sake. In this episode, we will discuss how he built his career in sake, what types of sake people are drinking in America now, his collaboration with a 200-year-old sake brewery to make a private label for his guests, how he trains his staff to get certified as sake sommeliers and much, much more!!!

Our guests are Régis Camus and Carl Hirschmann, co-founders of Heavensake https://www.heavensake.com/, which was founded in 2016. Heavensake is truly unique. It is the first sake producer that introduced the blending (assemblage) technique to the traditional sake-making process. The mastermind behind Heavensake is Régis Camus who led the renowned Champagne House Piper-Heidsieck as the Chef de Cave for 28 years. Another key point of Heavensake is that Régis and Carl and their team work closely with traditional sake brewers. In this episode, we will discuss how the blending techniques that are used in Champagne production work in sake brewing, how its collaborations with top traditional sake breweries inspire the sake industry overall, and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Hilo Mahelona who is the chef and founder of Hilo Beverly Hills https://www.hilobh.com/ in Los Angeles, California. Growing up in Hawaii under Japanese and Hawaiian parents, Hilo has a unique yet authentic sushi-making philosophy. And the moment you step into his restaurant, you will feel his bright, warm hospitality. The combination of the two makes the restaurant very popular among sushi lovers and Hollywood celebrities alike. In this episode, we will discuss how Chef Hilo got into sushi at a very young age, his earnest efforts to pursue deliciousness such as controlling the pH of his water for sushi rice, his principle of pairing sushi and wine and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Thomas Frebel who is the creative director at Noma https://noma.dk/. Noma is the famed restaurant in Copenhagen with numerous accolades, including three Michelin stars and The World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ No.1 spot. Since its opening in 2003, Noma’s chef/owner René Redzepi has been inspiring the world through his strong philosophy of cooking with Nordic traditions and his never-ending pursuit of creativity. Noma’s landscape has reached far beyond Nordic countries and Redzepi and his team have been actively exploring various food cultures in the world, including Japan. Since Thomas joined Noma in 2009, he has been working closely with Chef Redzepi and served as the executive chef at Noma’s restaurant project in Tokyo called INUA. He joined us in Episode #338 and discussed his experience at INUA, Noma’s pop-up dinners in Kyoto in spring 2023 and many other topics. In this episode, Thomas is back to talk about Noma’s latest pop-up dinner in Kyoto that ran for 10 weeks from September to December 2024. He will share with us the new discoveries and flavor development by the Noma team in Kyoto, this time in the fall, and also what is the future of Noma going to be after the pop-up up and much, much more!!!

Our guest today is Tim Anderson who is a chef and food writer based in London. Tim’s early interest in Japanese food led him to global adventures in L.A., Japan and the U.K. A bowl of ramen he encountered in L.A. fueled his passion for studying it and he moved to Fukuoka, Japan. Then he opened his ramen restaurants in the U.K. after winning the popular MasterChef competition on BBC One. Now he writes and communicates his insight into various aspects of Japanese food culture. It is remarkable and inspiring to see how Tim’s life unfolded into consecutive, unexpected lucky events through his interest in Japanese food. In this episode, we will discuss how Tim got into Japanese food, his life in Japan studying ramen and Japanese food culture, how he won the MasterChef competition with his Japanese food knowledge and skills, his excellent books that cover a variety of topics, including Nanban dishes and Hokkaido food culture and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Kumiko Hashimoto who grew up in the family of the 200-year-old sake brewery in Osaka. She now plays a key role at Dojima Sake Brewery https://fordhamabbey.co.uk/ near Cambridge in the U.K., which the family founded in 2018. Dojima Sake Brewery is the first sake brewery in the U.K. It is known not just for the quality of sake it produces but the scale of the project. The property is set in a historic, approximately 75-acre garden and pastureland. And its sake is priced far above the regular premium sake for a good reason. In this episode, we will discuss why the traditional sake brewery family decided to undertake such a huge, ambitious project, the joy and challenges of producing sake in Britain, the important mission of Dojima Sake Brewery for the entire sake industry and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Alexander Nicolau who is the founder of Mandaracha https://www.mandaracha.com/ in Kyoto, which opened in 2019. Originally from France, Alex fell in love with Japanese tea while he was working in the fields of food technology and open innovation. Mandaracha is a very special place where you can find a variety of Japanese tea, which Alex selected by visiting and meeting with each producer. You can also enjoy a tea ceremony and have other cultural experiences, such as a Shamisen guitar performance and a Rakugo comedy show. In this episode, we will discuss how Alex got into Japanese tea, why he loves Japanese tea so much, the classic and new types of Japanese tea Alex recommends, the rapidly changing tea market, the future of the Japanese tea industry and much, much more!!! Social Handles: IG kyoto_mandaracha https://www.facebook.com/MANDARACHA https://www.linkedin.com/company/mandaracha/

And my guest today is Toshio Shinko who is the fifth-generation owner of Marushin Honke in Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. The company was founded in 1881 and since then, it has produced high-quality traditional Japanese food products, such as miso and soy sauce. In 2002, in addition to managing Marushin Honke, Toshio founded the new company Yuasa Shoyu, or Yuasa Soy Sauce https://www.yuasasyouyu.co.jp/yuasa_gb_front.html in English to pursue the highest quality of soy sauce that reflects the family tradition. Preserving tradition is hard and even harder is to keep it fresh in response to the fast-changing environments. Toshio has been very successful in doing so and a great example is his innovative idea of making soy sauce in Bordeaux, France https://www.yuasasyouyu.co.jp/yuasa_gb.html in collaboration with the well-established Grand Cru winery Chateau Coutet in Saint Emilion. In this episode, we will discuss how Toshio’s company produces premium soy sauce with wood barrels, which is rare these days, how he came up with the idea of making soy sauce in the French wine country, why the French winery wants to make soy sauce with Toshio, how his Bordeaux-made soy sauce is different, why French chefs love using it and much, much more!!! Here is a fabulous YouTube video, that captures how Toshio makes soy sauce with the French partner Adrien David Beaulieu, the owner of Chateau Coutet and his team. https://www.marushinhonke.com/f/marushin (Scroll further down and click on “We want to spread Yuasa soy sauce to France!”) Here are some of the restaurants that uses Toshi’s Bordeaux-made soy sauce: · Maison nouvelle, Etchebest https://maison-nouvelle.fr/ · Lalique, Lafaurie Peyraguey Schilling https://www.lafauriepeyragueylalique.com/en/michelin-starred-chef-jerome-schilling-unveils-his-autumn-menu/ · Skiff Club, Stéphane Carrade https://haaitza.com/les-restaurants-cafe-bar-brasserie-restaurant-etoile-arcachon/ · Le Prince Noir, Vivien Durand https://leprincenoir-restaurant.fr/ · L opidom etoilé Fondette https://www.lopidom.fr/fr/

Our guest is Emily Yuen who is the executive chef at Lingo https://www.lingobk.com/, a unique Japanese American restaurant in Brooklyn, New York. Emily has an impressive culinary background. She worked at top French restaurants in the world, including Le Gavroche in London, DB Bistro in Singapore and Boulud Sud in New York. She also studied Japanese cuisine at the legendary Shojin restaurant Kajitsu and served as the executive chef at Bessou in New York. At Lingo, with her global knowledge and experience, Emily offers original dishes, such as Hokkaido-style braised beef curry pie and Donabe hotpot with wild mushroom and koji butter. In this episode, we will discuss how Emily’s culinary focus shifted from French to Japanese, the essence of Japanese cuisine that she wants to share with her guests, how she naturally merges French techniques and Japanese flavors, the importance of Japanese home cooking in her menu development and much, much more!!!

Our guest today is Yoshihiko Shida who is the chief Instructor of Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku London www.sushicollege.uk, which opened in September 2024. The opening is exciting since the school is the first major Japanese culinary school in Europe. Chef Shida has worked as an educator and instructor in Japanese culinary institutes for over 32 years. Before that, he gained over 10 years of practical experience in a variety of restaurant and hotel kitchens in Japan and abroad. In this episode, we will discuss the growing demand for sushi and Japanese cuisine chefs, what programs Tokyo College of Sushi & Washoku London offers, who is studying at the school, the joy and challenges Chef Shida faces in teaching his students and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Rafal Maslankiewicz who is the chef at Ikigai www.ikigai.nyc in New York, which opened in July 2024. Ikigai is a very unique concept. First of all, it is a not-for-profit organization, which is highly unusual for a restaurant. Secondly, beyond covering the fundamental costs of running a business, all proceeds are donated to a food bank. In fact, 80 days after the opening, Ikigai donated over $12,000, which funds 63 tons of food. And what makes Ikigai popular and enables such donations possible is Rafal and his team’s excellent food menu and service. With his impressive culinary training at top restaurants under his belt, such as Masa and Eleven Madison Park in New York, he offers creative dishes inspired by Japanese traditions. In this episode, we will discuss the unique concept of Ikigai, how Rafal got into Japanese cuisine after working at serious French kitchens, the meaning of the term Ikigai and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Kakuho Aoe https://www.instagram.com/kakuhoaoe_nakamichi0316/ who is the chief Buddhist priest of the Ryokusenji Temple in Asakusa, Tokyo. Kakuho Aoe joins me to discuss why food is important in the Buddhist practice and beyond, why the Buddhist diet called Shojin Ryori is great diet for vegan, vegetarian and sustainable-minded people regardless of their religion, the eye-opening dinner events “Kuayami Gohan” (Dining in the Dark) and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Jun Mattison who is the assistant manager at The Rice Factory New York https://trf-ny.com/. The Rice Factory New York is an importer, wholesaler and retailer of premium rice. The company offers the best taste and flavor possible by fully controlling the quality of rice from farming, storing, milling and transporting. Rice is eaten all over the world but for Japanese people, it has particularly a special place in their hearts. In Japan, rice is treated not as a side dish but as the main character of the meal. Also, it is a symbol of love. For example, people make rice balls for someone to express care and affection. In this episode, we will discuss the unique Japanese mindset about rice, why Japanese rice is unique and can offer outstanding taste, texture and flavor, how to cook rice to maximize its deliciousness and much, much more!!! IG: @junrainfall @the_rice_factory_NY

Our guest is Phillip Frankland Lee who is the chef/owner of Sushi by Scratch. Sushi by Scratch Restaurants began in Los Angeles and New York marks its tenth location, which opened in September 2024. Phillip is known for innovative omakase-style sushi preparations, while still respecting the values set by sushi masters. For example, he uses premium seafood mostly from the Toyosu Market in Japan and he imports rice from Toyoama Prefecture and mills it in-house. On the other hand, he pays homage to his American upbringing by flavoring hamachi yellowtail with sweet corn pudding and topped with a sprinkle of sourdough breadcrumbs. Sushi has come a long way in the U.S. since the 1960s when it was introduced to the general public for the first time. Sushi is now one of the most popular foods in the U.S. and great talents like Phillip seem to be making it uniquely American.

Our guest is George Kao who is the head of sales at Boken Sake https://www.drinkboken.com/ based in New York. Boken Sake is a unique concept. The company collaborates with authentic Japanese sake breweries and produces sake under the Boken brand. Many sake breweries consider expanding to overseas markets, but a lot of them are family-owned small businesses without enough resources to make it happen. Boken can effectively create a path for them to get into the American market and American consumers can have opportunities to taste their precious craft sake. George is an ideal talent to execute Boken’s mission with his rich and unique background in Japanese food, in particular Japanese sake. In this episode, we will discuss the unique concept of Boken Sake, the sake Boken has produced with a 540-year-old brewery, great ways to enjoy sake with non-Japanese food and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Ririko Tatsumi who is the founder of Annn based in New York. Annn is truly a unique concept. Traditional Japanese sweets are called Wagashi. One of Wagashi’s key ingredients is An, or Anko, a bean paste made with different kinds of beans from red, and white to green. Not just colors, their flavors are diverse and it is fun to discover how simple beans can create rich flavors in Japanese sweets. That is why Ririko decided to introduce the charm of An to a global audience in the modern American context. In this episode, we will discuss what An is, what types of An you can enjoy, how traditional An can be creative in the context of global sweet recipes and much, much more!!!

Our guest is John Gauntner who is one of the world’s leading non-Japanese sake experts and educators. He has been writing and lecturing about sake since 1994, in various newspapers and magazines in Japan and overseas. He has published six books on sake across two languages, and hundreds of articles on the topic. Several times each year, he runs the Sake Professional Course, a week-long intensive sake study course, held both in and outside of Japan, as well as the advanced level of that course. John joined us in Episode 25 in December 2015 and discussed his intriguing path to becoming a sake expert, why sake was gaining popularity in the world, how to get to know more about sake and many other topics. Sake has become popular globally over the last decades but we tend to think that sake is something to drink only at Japanese restaurants. However, more non-Japanese restaurants are serving sake, including new American restaurants Michelin-starred Per Se, Blue Hill At Stone Barns and Eleven Madison Park in New York. In this episode, we will discuss food pairings, in particular sake and non-Japanese food!!!

Our guest is Nobu Yamanashi who is the president of Yama Seafood based in New Jersey. Founded in 1980 by his father Kengo Yamanashi, Yama Seafood has been one of the most reliable sources of high-quality seafood in the U.S. for almost 45 years. Nobu joined us in Episode #245 in November 2021 to discuss why he decided to succeed the highly demanding job in the seafood business, the changing needs for seafood at New York City restaurants, why Yama Seafood had many employees who had worked for the company over 30 years and many other topics. Since then, plenty of new things have happened at Yama Seafood, reflecting the ever-changing demand for quality seafood and the environmental issues that affect the oceans. In this episode, we will discuss how Nobu is proactively dealing with the increasingly challenging issues caused by climate change, his efforts to educate consumers about seafood through social media, what seafood has potential for the future and much, much more!!!

Our guest today Xander Soren who is the founder of Xander Soren Wines https://xandersorenwines.com/ . Xander Soren Wines is a unique boutique California Pinot Noir producer whose mission is to create wines that pair exceptionally well with sushi and other Japanese foods without overpowering them. Equally unique is Xander’s background. He spent 20 years at Apple where he played a pivotal role in helping to develop digital music products like GarageBand, iTunes, and iPod. Since the winery launched in Japan in 2023, top restaurants like 3-Michelin-starred Sushi Saito, NO CODE and KOKE have included Xander’s wine on their lists. Also here in the U.S., his wine became available in the summer of 2024 and is on the lists of notable restaurants on the West Coast such as n/naka, Single Thread and Nisei. In this episode, we will discuss how Xander’s love for Japanese food started, why he decided to make his own wine to pair with Japanese food, why Pinot Noir goes very well with Japanese food, tips to pair Japanese food with wine and much, much more!!!

Our guest is Stuart Turner who is the Founder & CEO of SushiSushi https://www.sushisushi.co.uk/ based in Sheffield in the United Kingdom. Stu founded SushiSushi in 2007 and since then, the company has grown to become a leading supplier of high-end Japanese food ingredients. Many of his clients are fine-dining non-Japanese restaurants, including The Fat Duck Group, Gordon Ramsay Group, The Savoy and Mandarin Oriental Group. In this episode, we will discuss how the young British man started a business of selling Japanese traditional items, how he keeps discovering great ingredients that have been unknown outside of Japan, the popular Japanese ingredients top chefs are using right now and much, much more!!!