Our guest is Shinji Sakamoto, a seafood expert based in Tokyo. Shinji’s background is unique and impressive. He trained himself as a buyer in the world's biggest seafood market called Tsukiji, and worked in Japan, Singapore and the U.S. to support operations of the seafood departments at major corporations. He also received a formal culinary education at one of the top culinary programs in Japan. You may have heard about the Tsukiji Market, which was relocated in 2018 and is now called the Toyosu Market. It is the Central Wholesale Market in Tokyo and every high-end sushi restaurant in the wor ..read more

Our guest is Steven Pursley, the chef/owner of Menya Rui in St. Louis, Missouri. Menya Rui opened in 2022, and since, Steven has received numerous accolades for his job at the ramen shop, such as Food & Wine magazine’s Best New Chef in 2023. Steven has the right reasons to be recognized as a great ramen chef. He grew up both in Japan and the U.S. as a child under his American and Japanese parents, so he has lots of fond memories of Japanese food and in particular, ramen. His soul search led him to study ramen in Japan, and his 24-seat ramen shop Menya Rui represents who he is now. For exam ..read more

Our guest is Dr. Arielle Johnson. Arielle is a flavor scientist who advises some of the top chefs, restaurants, and bars in the world. For example, she co-founded the fermentation lab at the restaurant Noma in Copenhagen, which has been named the best restaurant in the world multiple times by the World’s 50 Best Restaurants. Arielle is currently the Science Director of Noma Projects and co-founder of Retronasal Industries among other important roles.  Arielle is also the author of “Flavorama: A Guide To Unlocking The Art And Science Of Flavor”, which came out in March 2024. The book is a ..read more

Our guest is Takuma Inagawa who is the founder and CEO of WAKAZE. WAKAZE is a unique and forward-minded producer of Japanese sake based in Paris, France.  The Japanese sake industry has been facing challenges domestically due to various reasons, such as the decrease in the drinking population and the increase in competitive products in the market like wine and shochu. Compared to the peak of sake consumption in the 1970s, Japanese people drink only a quarter of sake now.  Ironically, the government regulations are not helping to stop the decline as they restrict licensing new sake bu ..read more

Our guest is Morgan Adamson, the chef at Hoseki, a six-seat omakase sushi bar located at Saks Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. In previous episodes, we had several non-Japanese sushi chefs who proved that America has a distinctive pool of talent, and that the American sushi culture is on healthy ground. Morgan is definitely one of these talents, and being female, she is particularly unique as the traditional sushi industry has been notorious for not welcoming females to lead the sushi counter. In this episode, we will discuss how a young woman from Michigan got into sushi, how she studied sushi-maki ..read more

Our guest is Elizabeth Andoh, who already joined us 13 times and shared her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, and she has lived in Japan for over 50 years. She runs the culinary arts program called A Taste of Culture, which offers a great opportunity for non-Japanese people to explore Japanese culture through its food. Elizabeth is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Washoku: Recipes from the Japanese Kitchen” and “Kansha: Celebrating Japan's Vegan and Vegetarian Traditi ..read more

Our guest is Megumi Hwang, the co-founder of KANKITSU LABO based in New York. She started KANKITSU LABO with the goal to revive the declining citrus farming industry in Japan and spread unique flavors of Japanese citrus to the world. You may have heard of yuzu, or tasted it at a Japanese restaurant and enjoyed its distinctively refreshing flavor. Citrus fruits are very popular in Japan, and there are numerous original varieties in the country other than yuzu. On this episode, we will discover the world of Japanese citrus fruits and how you can use them, and Megumi’s mission and activities to s ..read more

Our guest today is Robby Cook, who is the chef at Coral. Coral opened in October 2023 and is located next to Grand Central Station in Manhattan. Robby’s path to becoming a successful sushi chef is unique and impressive. He joined us on Episode 37 in 2016, when he was the executive chef at Morimoto, and talked about his intriguing journey to becomimg a successful sushi chef. Inspired by the world of sushi and its tradition, Robby studied at the California Sushi Academy. After graduation, he proved his talent at notable restaurants in New York, including BondST and Morimoto. There used to be a b ..read more

Our guest is Tashi Gyamtso, the chef at Enowa. Enowa is a beautiful new restaurant and hotel in Yufuin, a remote town in the southern part of Japan. Enowa represents Tashi’s unique culinary philosophy, which he has developed through his diverse experiences in the U.S. and abroad, including his career as a sous chef at the Michelin-starred Blue Hill at Stone Barns in New York. On this episode, we will discuss how Tashi, who is originally from Tibet, got into cooking, his idea of the desirable food supply system and how he practices it at Enowa, the joy and the challenges of running a restaurant ..read more

Our guest is Yuki Ueki, the assistant vice president of Zen-Noh America. Zen-Noh America is a subsidiary of the National Federation of Agricultural Cooperative Associations of Japan. As you may know, Wagyu beef is known for its extreme marbling and delicateness, as well as its unique, pleasant flavor. Behind its deliciousness, there is so much to discover such as its breeds, how it is raised, and the healthy unsaturated fat it contains. In this episode, we will discuss what wagyu is by definition, the difference between wagyu, washu, and Kobe beef, the grading program to guarantee wagyu’s qual ..read more