Beer And Massage? How Do Wagyu Farms Actually Operate To Create The Buttery Marbling? Japan Eats! podcast

32:55

Our guest is Takashi Sato who is the 8th generation family member of Sanjirushi Jozo in Mie Prefecture and the president of San-J International https://san-j.com/ in the state of Virginia. Sanjirushi Jozo has been making soy sauce and miso since 1804, and in 1978, the company decided to expand its business to the U.S. Now, San-J is one of the most familiar soy sauce brands in the U.S. and its products are distributed through online and notable retailers, including Whole Foods Market. Takashi joined us in Episode 297 in May 2023 and talked about various topics, such as how the company managed to expand in the U.S. market and its unique, natural, gluten-free products. Takashi is back on the show to discuss fermentation. Fermentation has been one of the keywords in the culinary world and among consumers globally these days. In 2023, the global fermented food market was valued at $578 billion and is expected to grow further, according to research. In this episode, we will discuss why fermentation is gaining so much attention these days, why fermented food is valuable to our society overall, the tours that Takashi organizes to visit producers of traditional Japanese fermented products and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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The Spirit of Japan: Passing Down The Tradition Of Shochu In The Modern Era 46:53

16 days ago46:53

46:53

https://yamatozakura.com/ https://www.thespiritofjapan.com/ Our guests are Stephen Lyman and Joseph Overbey who have produced the documentary The Spirit of Japan . It is the story of the Wakamatsu family, who have been making the traditional Japanese distilled spirit, shochu, at their Yamatozakura Distillery in Kagoshima Prefecture since the 1850s. The duo follows the life of Yamatozakura’s 5th generation toji/master distiller Tekkan Wakamatsu and how the distillery’s tradition is being passed down from the 4th generation toji and Tekkan’s father Kazunari Wakamatsu. The film is beautifully shot and captures many aspects of Tekkan’s career, life with his family and the shochu industry. In this episode, we will discuss how Joseph and Stephen got involved in Yamatozakura Distillery, what they want to communicate to the audience through the film, gifts and challenges of succeeding a traditional family business, what is happening with the Japanese shochu industry right now and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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SingleThread: Weaving Japanese And Californian Ethos Together 50:55

20 days ago50:55

50:55

Our guest is Kyle Connaughton, who is the chef/owner of SingleThread https://singlethreadfarms.com/ in California. SingleThread is a very unique farm, restaurant, and inn, which has earned numerous accolades since its opening in 2016, including three Michelin stars, three Michelin keys and a Michelin Green Star, which recognizes the outstanding sustainability at the farm managed by Kyle’s wife and co-owner Katina Connaughton. Kyle began his culinary career in L.A. with an apprenticeship at one of the oldest Japanese restaurants in the city, followed by training at top restaurants, such as Spago Beverly Hills, The Dining Room at Ritz-Carlton and A.O.C. Then he moved to Japan and cooked for the famed French chef Michel Bras, as well as at traditional Japanese restaurants. On top of these diverse experiences, he also worked at the highly innovative restaurant The Fat Duck in the U.K. as the Head Chef of Research & Development. In this episode, we will discuss how Kyle fell in love with Japanese cuisine at a very young age, how his global experiences formed his unique culinary philosophy and style, the fascinating concept of SingleThread, the idea of Omotenashi that Kyle highly values and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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From Masa To Nami Nori: A Culinary Journey of Chef Taka Sakaeda 33:05

27 days ago33:05

33:05

Our guest is Takahiro Sakaeda who is the chef/partner of Nami Nori https://www.naminori.us/ . Nami Nori is a unique concept of temaki sushi bar that serves open-style hand rolls on a U-shaped stand. Since its opening in 2019 in New York, Taka has created many fans of his beautifully made, casual and high-quality sushi. Now he operates four locations of Nami Nori in New York, New Jersey and Miami. But his success didn’t come easily. Taka spent 10 years at Masa, one of the best sushi restaurants in the U.S. with three Michelin stars and acquired an authentic mindset and sushi-making techniques under the master chef Masayoshi Takayama. In this episode, we will discuss how Taka grew up in the U.S. under Japanese parents and got into cooking against their will, what he learned from the master chef Masa Takayama, the unique concept of Nami Nori, his original culinary vision that merges two cultures of Japan and the U.S., his new 10 counter-seat restaurant in Miami and Japanese bakery in New York and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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A Japanese Toji Dedicated to Making Sake In America For Over 20 Years 39:19

5 weeks ago39:19

39:19

Our guest is Takumi Kuwabara who is the toji or brewmaster at SakéOne in Forest Grove, Oregon. SakéOne (https://www.sakeone.com/) is a unique sake brewery. It was founded in 1992 by Momokawa Brewing in Aomori Prefecture, Japan, which was founded in 1889. SakéOne started sake-brewing in 1997 and since then, its sake has won multiple awards at prestigious competitions like the U.S. National Sake Appraisal and the San Francisco International Wine Competition. And of course, a big part of its success has come from Takumi’s craftsmanship. In this episode, we will discuss how Takumi studied sake in Japan and also in the U.S. after he arrived in the country in 2004, the unique terroir Oregon offers to make high-quality sake, challenges in making sake outside of Japan, how he sees the past and future of the American sake market and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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After Two Michelin Stars In London, A Chef Returns To Japan To Reimagine Kaiseki 54:52

6 weeks ago54:52

54:52

Our guest is Yoshinori Ishi who is the executive chef and producer of Auberge TOKITO https://www.aubergetokito.com/en/ in Tachikawa, Tokyo. Chef Ishii’s background is unique and spectacular. He worked at one of the top Kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto called Arashiyama Kiccho as a sous chef and moved abroad to cook at the United Nations Ambassador's Residence in Geneva and New York. Then he moved to London to open Umu, which earned two Michelin stars—the first two stars by a Japanese restaurant in Europe. After 10 years of success at Umu, he decided to open Auberge Tokito in the suburb of Tokyo. In this episode, we will discuss how Chef Ishii’s philosophy of Japanese cuisine transitioned and expanded over the last 35 years of his career in Japan and abroad, why he decided to go back to Japan to start a new project, the innovative concept of Auberge TOKITO, which focuses on the Japanese cuisine that never existed before and much, much more!!! The documentary film TOKITO: https://www.tokitofilm.com/en See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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Cooking Authentic Kaiseki Cuisine in New York For Two Decades 32:13

7 weeks ago32:13

32:13

Our guest is Isao Yamada who is the chef-owner of Yamada https://www.yamadanewyork.com/ in New York. He was classically trained in Kyoto as a Kaiseki chef and opened his own restaurant at the age of 25 in his hometown Fukuoka. He could have successfully built his career in Japan but he decided to move to the U.S. in 2006 to pursue new challenges. Chef Yamada’s career in the U.S. evolved as he worked closely with the legendary chef David Bouley in New York. He earned a Michelin star as the executive chef at Chef Bouley’s Kaiseki restaurant Brushstroke. In April 2025, Chef Yamada opened his own beautiful restaurant Yamada in Manhattan. In this episode, we will discuss Chef Yamada’s unique career, how he collaborated with the legendary Chef Bouley, his Kaiseki dishes at Yamada that seamlessly merge authenticity and creativity, his joy and challenges in cooking in America, how Japanese cuisine in America has changed in the last two decades and much, much more!!! Follow Chef Yamada on Instagram @chef_yamada.isao , as well as his restaurant Yamada @yamadanyc! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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Merging French And Japanese Cuisines In Harmony 38:17

8 weeks ago38:17

38:17

Our guests are Rahul Saito and Mitsu Nagae. Rahul is the owner and Mitsu is the co-owner and executive chef at l’abeille https://www.labeille.nyc and l’abeille à côté https://www.labeilleacote.nyc/ in Tribeca, New York. The duo opened l’abeille in March 2022 and shortly after, they won a Michelin star, thanks to Mitsu’s unique and outstanding culinary background as a Japanese chef classically trained in Paris, Tokyo and New York as well as Rahul’s sound management despite being new to the industry. Mitsu’s menus are characterized by a seamless merge of French and Japanese cuisines, which seems to have become a relevant genre in places like Paris and Japan as well. In this episode, we will discuss how Mitsu got into French cuisine from a young age in Japan and eventually trained under top chefs like the late Joel Robuchon, why the seemingly opposite French and Japanese cuisines can go so well together as you can see in Mitsu’s menus, the keys to run successful restaurants in New York and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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A Ginza Sushi Chef Who Connects Authenticity And Evolution 31:02

13 weeks ago31:02

31:02

Our guest is Takatoshi Kadowaki who is the chef-owner of Sushi Kadowaki https://sushi-kadowaki.jp/eng/ in Tokyo. He started his sushi-chef training at 17 and after his master retired, he moved to the U.S. and developed a global mindset. Now he serves authentic Edomae-style sushi in the Ginza area of Tokyo, where every sushi chef dreams about opening a sushi bar. Chef Kadowaki is known for his meticulous sourcing of his fish and his skills in maximizing umami through careful aging, which is a part of the Edomae-sushi traditions. In this episode, we will discuss what Edomae-sushi is compared to other styles of sushi, the key to maximizing umami in fish through aging, his unique beverage pairing philosophy, including red wine and sushi and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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A Career In Sake: Curating Sake Lists, Collaborating With Breweries And Educating Future Professionals 55:40

15 weeks ago55:40

55:40

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!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

1
Heavensake: Traditional Sake Made In The Style of Champagne 47:08

16 weeks ago47:08

47:08

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!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

1
Hilo Beverly Hills: Earnest Pursuit Of Deliciousness With Hawaiian Hospitality 43:54

17 weeks ago43:54

43:54

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!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

1
Noma Kyoto 2024 Recap And The Future Of Noma 57:29

18 weeks ago57:29

57:29

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!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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How A Bowl Of Ramen Changed The Whole Life Of An American 54:08

19 weeks ago54:08

54:08

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!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .…

Japan Eats!

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The First Sake Brewery In The U.K. Promotes The True Market Value of Japanese Traditions 51:46

20 weeks ago51:46