Japan Eats!
331 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 65 ratingsWhat is Japanese food? Sushi, or ramen, or kaiseki? What about Izakaya? Akiko Katayama, a Japanese native, New York-based food writer and director of the New York Japanese Culinary Academy, tells you all about real Japanese food and food culture. With guests ranging from sake producers with generations of experience to American chefs pushing the envelope of Japanese gastronomy, Japanese cuisine is demystified here!
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Episodes
Yuzu, Sudachi, Kabosu … All About Japanese Flavorful Citrus
March 25, 2024 21:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBOur 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 disco...
An Iowan Chef Classically Nurtures the American Sushi Culture
March 18, 2024 22:00 - 43 minutes - 40.2 MBOur 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...
Enowa: ‘Beyond Farm-To-Table’ Restaurant in a Remote Onsen Town In Japan
March 11, 2024 19:00 - 33 minutes - 30.3 MBOur 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 desirabl...
Wagyu: The Most Prized Meat In The World
February 26, 2024 23:00 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBOur 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 def...
Ramen Lord’s New Chapter: His Own Ramen Shop Akahoshi Ramen
February 19, 2024 23:30 - 57 minutes - 52.2 MBOur guest is Mike Satinover, the chef/owner of Akahoshi Ramen in Chicago, which opened in November 2023. Mike joined us on Episode 280 in November 2022 and shared his fascinating story of how a young man who grew up in Chicago got into Japanese culture, ended up living in Japan, and discovered the profound world of ramen. Among ramen connoisseurs and aficionados, Mike has been known as Ramen Lord on Reddit and Instagram. He has been generously sharing valuable knowledge and educating whoev...
Dassai Blue: The American Brewery By Japan’s Biggest Sake Brand Aims To Exceed Its Parent
February 12, 2024 22:00 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBOur guest is Kazuhiro Sakurai, the 4th generation and CEO of Asahi Shuzo, the maker of Dassai sake. Dassai is the biggest export brand of Japanese sake. Kazuhiro joined us on Episode 233 in July 2021 and shared the unique sake-making philosophy of the company, as well as why Dassai became so popular globally. In September 2023, Asahi Shuzo opened its first overseas brewery Dassai Blue in upstate New York. But it is not another brewery producing the same sake as in Japan to save costs. Dassa...
America’s Best Sushi Made in the Meat Kingdom
February 05, 2024 23:00 - 1 hour - 57.6 MBOur guest today is David Yoshitomo Utterback, the chef/owner of Yoshitomo in Omaha, Nebraska. Japanese sushi has become a big part of American food culture. The presence of many great non-Japanese sushi chefs in the U.S. proves that sushi does not belong only to Japan. These chefs serve to inspire the tradition and help push it further. David is a classic example of one of these chefs. He was nominated for Best Chef: Midwest by the James Beard Foundation in 2023, and this year, his restaur...
Stubbornly Serving Sustainable Sushi in New York
January 30, 2024 18:00 - 1 hour - 61.9 MBOur guests are Jeff Miller, the chef/owner of Rosella and Bar Miller in the East Village in NYC, and James Dumapit, the executive chef at Bar Miller. They both worked at Uchiko in Austin, Texas, which is one of the most influential sushi restaurants in America. In 2017, Jeff opened Mayanoki, the first sustainable sushi restaurant in New York, with his business partner TJ Provenzano. They joined us on Episode 129 to discuss their unique philosophy. Since then, their business evolved into Rose...
The Fascinating Life of a Japanese Private Chef In America
January 22, 2024 23:30 - 41 minutes - 37.7 MBOur guest today is Isao Yoshimura, a private chef based in New York. Isao grew up in the countryside of Japan and came to New York in 1996 where he jumped into the restaurant industry, when authentic Japanese restaurants were still few and far between. His approach to Japanese cuisine is traditional, but his work reflects his free, creative adaptive mindset. For example, he fishes and grows produce by himself to achieve the best taste and flavors he wants to offer to his clients. In this e...
Marrying Traditional Spanish And Japanese Cuisines Naturally
January 17, 2024 19:52 - 36 minutes - 33.8 MBOur guest is Victor Rivera who is the Head Chef at The Bazaar by Jose Andres in New York City. Before Victor became the Head Chef at The Bazaar, he cooked Japanese food in notable restaurants, including Masa in New York City, which has 3 Michelin stars. Also, he has a very strong culinary background in French with his experiences at top restaurants such as Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Edition and Le Bernardin. At the Bazaar in New York City, Victor uniquely incorporates traditional Spanish ...
A French Pizzaiolo Is Running A Successful Food Truck In Japan
January 08, 2024 23:00 - 42 minutes - 39.3 MBOur guest is Yohan Ourliac, the chef/owner of the Neapolitan pizza food truck “Pizza Bella'' located in Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture in the southern part of Japan. Yohan is originally from France and worked in Australia, Canada, Korea, eventually arriving in Japan eight years ago, where he found his calling of making great pizza for his customers, many of whom became his friends. In this episode, we will discuss why a young Frenchman decided to move to Japan and become a pizzaiolo, how ...
Redefining Japanese Sake With Ancient Rice And A Global Mindset
December 11, 2023 22:00 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBOur guest is Yoshiki Yukimachi, the 6th generation brewmaster of Takeno Brewery in Kyoto. Founded in 1947, Takeno Brewery is known for its high-quality sake as well as its innovative mindset. Yoshiki’s father, Yoshihei Yukimachi, initiated the transformation of the brewery’s strategy and introduced unique products under the Kurabu brand, which features ancient sake rice. Also, Yoshiki has produced creative products and put Takeno Brewery’s name on the map in the global market. Recently, ...
Brooklyn Kura: Leading The American Craft Sake Industry
December 04, 2023 20:30 - 50 minutes - 46.3 MBOur guests are Brandon Doughan and Brian Polen, co-owners of Brooklyn Kura, the very first sake brewery in New York, which opened in 2017 at Industry City in Brooklyn, New York. Brandon and Brian joined us on episode #105 in December 2017 and episode #178 in November 2018, where they discussed the unique concept of Brooklyn Kura and how they naturally incorporated the spirit of traditional sake-making into their craft-style sake. Since then, Brooklyn Kura has been growing exponentially, an...
B Kyu Gourmet: Discover Casual Palate Gems
November 28, 2023 15:00 - 51 minutes - 46.9 MBOur guest is Kentaro Tsurushima, the President of Canvas Creative Group based in New York. He consults for Japanese food businesses with 20 years of experience in the field under his belt. Today’s topic is B Kyu Gourmet, or B-Class Gourmet. B Kyu Gourmet means B-rank dining experience, but it does not mean second-class food at all. Japanese people fondly use the term to celebrate less fancy but delicious food that you can casually enjoy on a daily basis. In this episode, we will discuss wh...
Restaurant Yuu
November 20, 2023 20:00 - 35 minutes - 32.1 MBOur guest today is Yuu Shimano who is the chef/owner of Restaurant Yuu in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which opened in May 2023. Yuu joined us in Episode #197 way back in 2020 when he was the executive chef at Mifune, a creative Japanese restaurant in Midtown, Manhattan, to discuss his unique culinary career. For instance, Yuu worked as the saucier at Guy Savoy in Paris, which had 3 Michelin stars. During the pandemic, Yuu actively supported essential workers by raising funds and making delicious ...
Soba: As Profound As Kaiseki, As Healthy As Medicine
November 13, 2023 21:30 - 43 minutes - 40 MBOur guest is Shuichi Kotani, a New York-based master soba chef with over 25 years of experience. After working at prestigious restaurants in Tokyo, including Gonpachi and the Michelin-starred Edo Soba Hosokawa, he came to New York in 2008 and successfully served as the executive chef at Soba Totto in Manhattan. In 2012, he founded Worldwide Soba to introduce the profound culture of soba to the world. Since then, he has been crafting soba at events and consulting for restaurants in New York a...
Hokkaido: The Home Of A Unique Japanese Food Culture
November 07, 2023 15:30 - 56 minutes - 51.7 MBOur guest is Michael Magers, a documentary photographer and journalist who splits his time between New York City and Austin, Texas. He joined us in episode #307 and discussed his affection for Japanese culture and how he captures it through his lens, including works of Japanese “shokunin” artisans. Mike is a frequent collaborator with the highly acclaimed publisher Roads & Kingdoms, and served as the lead photographer on their award-winning books "Rice Noodle Fish” and "Grape Olive Pig." (...
Shojin Ryori: Traditional Japanese Plant-Based Dishes
November 01, 2023 02:45 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBOur guest is Masami Asao who is a temple chef and registered dietitian based in Japan. She is also the Director of Akasaka Teran, a vegetarian cooking school located within Jokokuji, a 350-year-old temple in Tokyo. The Japanese diet is known for being healthy with lots of vegetables incorporated in daily meals. Also, there is a fully plant-based traditional cuisine called shojin ryori. Shojin ryori was originally developed as a part of Buddhist practices, but its healthfulness is gaining...
New York’s Craft Sake Brewery Kato Sake Works Successfully Expands
October 16, 2023 20:30 - 40 minutes - 36.7 MBOur guest is Shinobu Kato who is the owner and brewer of New York’s own craft sake brewery Kato Sake Works in Brooklyn, which opened in 2020, right before the pandemic. He joined us in Episode 189 to discuss his new brewery and the fascinating story of how his well-established corporate career transformed into entrepreneurial sake brewing in New York. COVID-19 hit his burgeoning business extremely hard, but Shinobu turned the challenges into opportunities to carefully solidify his customer ...
The Legendary Cocktail Bar Angel’s Share Returns
October 11, 2023 23:00 - 52 minutes - 48.5 MBOur guest today is Erina Yoshida, the owner of Angel’s Share in New York. She joined us in Episode 165 and shared her unique life story as a daughter of Tony Yoshida, the powerful figure behind New York’s thriving Japanese food culture. Now, four years later, she herself is a successful business owner and the leader of the amazing team at Angel’s Share in Manhattan. If you are a cocktail fan in New York, you must have heard of Angel’s Share. Founded in the East Village, Manhattan, in 199...
How to Pair Japanese Food With Champagne
October 04, 2023 03:47 - 48 minutes - 44.7 MBOur guest today is Frédéric Panaïotis who is the Chef de Cave or Cellar Master of Ruinart. Ruinart is the oldest Champagne producer that was founded in 1729. You may wonder why Japan Eats! has a Champagne master as a guest, but Champagne goes well with many different types of cuisines, including Japanese food. But it is not the only reason why Frédéric is here. He has a deep understanding of Japanese culture and is fluent in Japanese, including the Osaka dialect. In this episode, we wi...
Jiro Ono’s Protégé Cultivates His Own Sushi Culture in America
September 27, 2023 16:17 - 37 minutes - 34.6 MBOur guest is Daisuke Nakazawa who is the owner and executive chef of the Michelin-starred Sushi Nakazawa. He opened Sushi Nakazawa in New York in 2013 and its success led to the opening of the second location in Washington, D.C., in 2017. He is also planning to open the third location in Los Angeles later this year. He is also the owner of Saito, an izakaya and sake bar in Manhattan’s Nolita, which he opened in 2022. You may have seen Chef Nakazawa in the legendary documentary film “Jiro D...
Capturing The Lives of Vanishing Shokunin Masters
September 11, 2023 19:00 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBOur guest is Michael Magers, who is a documentary photographer and journalist who splits his time between New York City and Austin, Texas. He is a frequent collaborator with the highly acclaimed publisher Roads & Kingdoms (legendary author and television host Anthony Bourdain was a partner and investor in Roads & Kingdoms), and served as the lead photographer on their award-winning books "Rice Noodle Fish” and "Grape Olive Pig." Michael’s images are exhibited both internationally and in the...
The Mindset of a Sushi Chef
July 31, 2023 21:30 - 46 minutes - 43 MBOur guest today is Mitsunori Isoda, the executive chef at Omakase Room by Mitsu in New York. The Omakase Room serves authentic Japanese Edomae-style sushi at his beautiful 8-seat hinoki wood bar counter in Manhattan’s West Village. These days you can find great sushi restaurants in New York and other global cities around the world, but we don’t often get to understand the philosophy of each sushi chef. In this show, we get an exclusive look at how a sushi chef strives to create the guests’ ...
A Journey of An American Sake Brewer
July 24, 2023 22:00 - 56 minutes - 51.5 MBOur guest this week is Todd Bellomy, the owner and brewer of Farthest Star Sake in Massachusetts. Todd joined us in Episode #36 to discuss his previous brewery Dovetail Sake in 2016. His success at Dovetail Sake led him to the opening of his new brewery Farthest Star Sake in 2022. Todd has not only been producing high-quality, authentic style of sake, but has also witnessed the development of the American sake culture as an insider. Now we have dozens of notable sake breweries in the U.S. a...
Sushi Can Be Sustainable
July 17, 2023 21:00 - 49 minutes - 45.7 MBOur guest today is Hajime Sato who is the chef/owner of Sozai near Detroit, Michigan. Hajime has been known for keenly pursuing sustainability, which is very challenging for a sushi chef, for the last 14 years. His efforts have been widely recognized, and this year, Hajime became one of the five nominees for the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef Award. The James Beard Foundation Awards are often called the Academy Awards for culinary professionals, so you can tell how powerful Hajim...
What Makes the Japanese Food Culture So Unique?
July 06, 2023 14:00 - 56 minutes - 51.9 MBOur guest is Matt Alt who is a Tokyo-based writer and "localizer" of Japanese entertainment products including video games, toys, and manga. His work has appeared widely in publications including The New York Times, BBC Culture, The Economist 1843, Aeon Magazine, and The New Yorker. (We will find out what “localizer” means in our conversation.) Also, Matt is the author of “Pure Invention: How Japan Made The Modern World”, which insightfully analyzes how the unique Japanese mindset ended up ...
Wagashi: Delicious, Beautiful Japanese Sweets Celebrate Seasons And Nature
June 26, 2023 21:30 - 58 minutes - 53.5 MBOur guest today is Phoebe Ogawa, who is a wagashi chef based in New York. Wagashi are traditional Japanese sweets, and they are quite different from Western-style sweets in many ways, such as the ingredients, how they're made, and the occasions they are served. For whatever reason, we don’t see wagashi outside of Japan very often, even in big cities like New York, despite the popularity of Japanese food. Pheobe is one of the precious wagashi ambassadors abroad. She was classically trained i...
Kodawari Ramen: A Former Air Force Pilot Leads The Ramen Culture In Paris
June 19, 2023 16:30 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBOur guest today is Jean-Baptiste Meusnier, the chef and owner of Kodawari Ramen in Paris. Jean-Baptiste was an air force pilot in his home country of France when he had a revelation to become a ramen chef. In April 2016, he opened Kodawari Ramen in central Paris and his focus on creating the best ramen has been as sharp as flying a military airplane. He makes everything from scratch at a level even Japanese ramen cooks would never do. In this episode, we discuss how Jean-Baptiste was dra...
Obsessed With Ice: What is Kakigori?
June 15, 2023 16:00 - 43 minutes - 39.9 MBOur guest today is Elizabeth Andoh, who has joined us 12 times previously to share her truly deep insight into traditional Japanese food culture. Elizabeth is a food writer and Japanese cooking instructor based in Tokyo, where she has lived 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-wi...
Nisei: A First-Generation Chef Explores Possibilities of Japanese Culinary Tradition Globally
June 05, 2023 21:00 - 45 minutes - 41.8 MBOur guest is David Yoshimura, who is the chef/owner of Nisei in San Francisco, California. Nisei means the first-generation, a son or daughter of Japanese immigrants who were born in the United States. Niseis inevitably live in dual cultures and many of them choose to celebrate Japanese culture in different ways. David is one of them. After working at top restaurants in the world, he opened his own place named Nisei in 2022 and earned a Michelin star within six months after opening. In ...
Shalom Japan: Marrying Japanese and Jewish Flavors Naturally
May 23, 2023 19:22 - 33 minutes - 30.8 MBOur guest is Sawako Okochi who is the co-chef and co-owner of Shalom Japan, which she opened in 2013 with her husband and co-chef, Aaron Israel. Shalom Japan is unique because Sawa and Aaron combine Japanese and Jewish food cultures on one menu. The unique concept has proven successful as they celebrate the 10th year of Shalom Japan. They also have just published a beautiful book titled “Love Japan – Recipes From Our Japanese American Kitchen”. In this episode, we will discuss how Sawa...
San-J: Communicating the Precious Tradition of Japanese Soy Sauce for 45 Years
May 15, 2023 21:01 - 48 minutes - 44.4 MBOur guest Takashi Sato is the ８th generation family member of Sanjirushi Jozo in Mie Prefecture and the president of San-J International in the U.S. 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, 45 years later, San-J is one of the most familiar soy sauce brands in the U.S. and you may have seen its labels at Whole Foods Market, for instance. Soy sauce is a quintessential ingredient of Japanese food, ...
Sushi and French Merged Seamlessly by Chef Marco Moreira
May 02, 2023 02:14 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBOur guest is Marco Moreira who is the chef/owner of 15 EAST @ Tocqueville in New York. He joined us in Episode #28 and discussed his fascinating background, including how the young Brazilian man came to New York and became a sushi chef, and shared his deep knowledge of Japanese food culture. Marco has run multiple highly successful restaurants in New York with a wide variety of influences from Japanese, French and Brazilian flavors. No restaurant was unaffected by COVID but Marco navig...
Wine Can Be a Perfect Companion to Japanese Food
April 10, 2023 21:27 - 43 minutes - 39.6 MBOur guest is Nori Nakamura who is the owner and winemaker at Noria, a unique winery in California. When we eat Japanese food, we almost automatically think to pair it with Japanese sake or Japanese beer. On the other hand, Japanese sake has become so popular globally that you can find it at Michelin-starred, non-Japanese restaurants outside of Japan these days. Nori decided to break the preconception and now is making beautiful wine that pairs perfectly with Japanese food. In this ep...
The Secret of Donabe Pot That Can Make Food Delicious
April 03, 2023 21:57 - 46 minutes - 42.5 MBOur guest today is Naoko Takei Moore, who is the chef and owner of Toiro. She is an expert in Donabe, or Japanese traditional earthen cookware, and through Toiro, Naoko introduces global food lovers to the world of Donabe. She is also the co-author of “Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking”, published by Ten Speed Press. Donabe has a long history and has been an important part of Japanese food culture. Naoko is a precious figure to learn from all about Donabe. In this ep...
Yakumi: Delicious Ingredients That Also Support Your Health
March 21, 2023 03:36 - 55 minutes - 50.5 MBOur guest is Elizabeth Andoh, who already joined us 11 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. She is also the author of 6 cookbooks, including the award-winning “Was...
A New-Generation Shochu Maker Brings Tradition to the World
March 14, 2023 00:03 - 38 minutes - 35.1 MBOur guest is Kotaro Hamada who is the 6th generation of Hamada Shuzo in Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan. Hamada Shuzo has been making shochu, the Japanese traditional spirit, since 1868. Hamada Shuzo’s quality is highly recognized not only in Japan but also abroad and its shochu brands called Daiyame 25 and Daiyame 40 have received multiple prestigious awards, including the Gold Medal for Daiyame 40 at the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2022. Japanese sake has once lost its popu...
How to Choose the Right Japanese Tea for You
March 07, 2023 00:46 - 1 hour - 62.5 MBOur guest is Zach Mangan who is the co-founder of Kettl, the Japanese tea importer and distributor based in New York and Fukuoka, Japan. He is also the author of the fantastic book about Japanese tea, “Stories of Japanese tea: The Regions, the Growers, and the Craft”. And in September 2021, he opened a beautiful tea shop and gallery in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which is now one of the coolest sections of New York. Zach joined us in Episodes 44 and 264 and talked about his fascinating, somewhat...
Discovering Hidden Charms of Daily Life in Japan for 20+ Years
March 02, 2023 10:07 - 1 hour - 57.9 MBOur guest is Craig Mod who is a writer, author, and photographer based in Japan. Also, according to his website, he is a "walker". And we will talk about what it means. Craig has spent over 20 years in Japan and has produced a lot of valuable work, capturing Japanese daily life objectively as well as being an insider. His insight into Japanese culture is impressive and I have learned a lot from his curious observations. In this episode, we will discuss how Craig got into Japanese culture...
Kombu: Healthy, Sustainable, Delicious Sea Vegetables
February 21, 2023 04:54 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBOur guest is Yumi Komatsudaira, who is a recipe developer, food stylist, culinary instructor, and the president of K-Seaweed. Yumi grew up outside Tokyo, playing and snacking in her family’s seaweed factory. When we hear seaweed, many of us may think of the weeds by the beach that do not look particularly delicious, or even edible. But it is like looking at weeds coming out of the pavements on busy city streets. What we are talking about here about seaweed is the equivalent of plants from ...
Dom Pérignon’s Legendary Cellar Master Merges Japanese Tradition and the Art of Champagne in His Own Sake
February 13, 2023 23:42 - 1 hour - 56.5 MBOur guest is Richard Geoffroy who is the founder and maker of Shiraiwa, a sake brewery in Toyama Prefecture, Japan. Before Richard founded the sake brewery in 2018, he was the Chef de Cave, or cellar master, at the world-famous Champagne producer Dom Pérignon for 28 years. Richard makes traditional-style Japanese sake that is uniquely merged with Champagne-making techniques and his sake is gaining the attention of professionals and connoisseurs of sake and wine worldwide. In this episo...
What Is Japanese “Shokupan” Milk Bread and Why Is It So Popular?
February 06, 2023 22:12 - 43 minutes - 39.5 MBOur guest is Noriko Okubo who is the co-owner and chief operations officer of Ginza Nishikawa U.S.A. Ginza Nishikawa opened in 2018 in Ginza, one of the poshest areas in Tokyo, to sell high-quality Shokupan bread. Shokupan is also called milk bread and is gaining popularity worldwide for its distinctively soft and fluffy texture with a pleasantly sweet taste. Ginza Nishikawa’s Shokupan bread earned accolades very quickly and now it operates over 130 shops throughout Japan. The huge succe...
Committed to Serving Authentic Japanese in Los Angeles
January 30, 2023 22:15 - 41 minutes - 37.6 MBOur guest is David Schlosser who is the chef/owner of Shibumi in Downtown L.A. Shibumi opened in 2016 and shortly afterwards, it earned accolades from various prominent media, including The Los Angeles Times’s Jonathan Gold who ranked Shibumi number two restaurant of the whole city. Currently, Shibumi holds one Michelin star. David was classically trained in Japan and soulfully serves authentic Japanese dishes at Shibumi. But originally, he used to cook French cuisine at Michelin starred...
272-Year-Old Brewery Makes Carbon-Neutral Sake
January 16, 2023 19:55 - 37 minutes - 34.2 MBOur guest is Cinzia Mesolella who is in charge of PR and communication at Kobe Shushinkan Breweries in Hyogo Prefecture. Hyogo is the home of “Nada no sake”, which means “Sake from Nada”, and is synonymous with great sake. Kobe Shushinkan Breweries was founded in 1751 and its award-winning label Fukuju has been served at Nobel prize dinners several times since 2008. Kobe Shushinkan is also known for its sustainable-minded sake production, and last year it released the world’s first carbon-...
How to Choose Great Sushi Restaurants: The Sushi Guide Answers
January 09, 2023 23:25 - 55 minutes - 51 MBOur guest is Guy Allen, a sushi blogger based in New York City. Guy fell in love with sushi at a very young age and has been exploring the world of sushi globally since then. You can find his discoveries on Instagram under @thesushiguide. His reviews are so unique and fascinating and his photos are so stunning that he has been invited to dine at great sushi restaurants in Tokyo. In this episode, we will discuss Guy’s diverse experiences at sushi restaurants, his criteria for great sushi, w...
The Best Japanese Restaurants and Chefs in 2022
December 13, 2022 22:22 - 46 minutes - 42.7 MBOur guest is Massud Ghaussy who has a Japanese food and restaurant blog on Instagram under TokyoManhattan. His posts not only describe restaurants he has visited, but also include many other elements behind the dishes, such as history, culture, and cooking methods. He joined us in Episodes 125, 136, 152 and 186 and shared his favorite Japanese chefs and restaurants in the world. Today’s topic is the best Japanese restaurants in the world in 2022. The popularity of Japanese food remains hi...
What Is Unique About Japanese Culture?
December 06, 2022 03:22 - 57 minutes - 52.8 MBOur guest is Greg Lam who has a popular YouTube Channel called “Life Where I'm From”. He has created over 200 videos since 2015 and his Channel has more than 1.6 million subscribers. Greg is based in Japan and in his insightful videos, he covers a wide variety of topics from Japanese breakfast, how a ramen shop operates, why Japanese bathrooms are the best, to Japanese social issues like minorities in Japan. In each video, he accurately and analytically captures a very ordinary aspect of l...
Fascinated by Japanese Culture: Sake, Essays, and Beyond
November 21, 2022 21:47 - 40 minutes - 37.4 MBOur guest is Jamie Ryder, who is a certified sake sommelier as well as a Japanese culture enthusiast. Also, Jamie publishes a Japanese culture-themed magazine called Yamato Magazine, which explores Japanese culture from a variety of angles. We have had many guests in the past, talking about Japanese food scenes in the biggest cities in the world such as Tokyo, L.A., London and Paris, but we don’t know too much about how Japanese food is gaining interest in other places. Jamie is based in...
Mike Satinover (a.k.a Ramen Lord) Shares His Passion for Ramen
November 15, 2022 04:34 - 1 hour - 56.8 MBOur guest is Mike Satinover who is a ramen expert based in Chicago. Ramen became a very popular dish outside Japan in the last two decades or so and these days you can find great ramen shops in many cities in the U.S. Mike fell in love with ramen when he spent a year in Japan 12 years ago and since then, his passion for the iconic Japanese national noodle dish has only deepened. That is why his Reddit page has become the go-to place for serious ramen lovers. Go there and you will be surp...