We had the pleasure of sitting down with Robby Cook to talk about his influences and inspiration as an American sushi chef.

How did you first get into cooking professionally?

When I was in high school, I worked in a grocery store as a side job. And then in college, I started working with more Asian ingredients and I became interested in sushi school. And, I just kind of went for it from there. I was going to the University of Iowa and college wasn’t really happening, so I started making sushi on my own and that was when Iron Chef was getting big. I got into cooking more and had nice ingredients where I was living at the time. And then I moved to Santa Monica and went to sushi school there.

Who have some of your mentors been over the years?

My first was Josh DeChellis at Sumile. After sushi school I went to culinary school in New York City (ICE). I hooked up with Josh and learned a lot from him. At Sushi school, it was Toshi Suguura, who is a very cool guy who taught me quite a bit. After that, I got my first cooking job at Sumile. My first sushi job though was at Angura with Osamu Inno, a very cool Japanese Rasta guy. Not so traditional Japanese, so he really schooled me up.

Makoto Okuwa at Morimoto was also a mentor. He really took me under his wing and pushed me to become head sushi chef after he left. And, Chef Morimoto has also been an incredible mentor, for pushing me to be the best, to understand food as well as customers’ needs.

What kind of sushi are you doing? Is it traditional or more of a fusion?

Sushi is pretty straightforward and traditional. You need to have the basics before you can grow and expand on that. My sashimi dishes are more plated and have more modern style sauces and more composed dishes. I think you have to have overall composition when you are a sushi chef. And, plating is important as well.

As a non-Asian sushi chef, how have customer perceptions been over the years? How does Chef Morimoto feel about that?

I have nothing but respect for Chef Morimoto. He’s backed me up since day one. I have my skills to prove it. A lot of people, when they do sit at the sushi bar, they might not appreciate it at first, but once they see me work it’s a different story. Even some Chinese and Korean sushi chefs, who may not have the skill set, are accepted more than me.  Nowadays, I have so many regular customers, if someone doesn’t want to sit in front of me, they can slide down the sushi bar (laughs).

What gives you inspiration for new dishes?

Sushi wise, we have the four seasons. So, there are different types of fish for each season. So, I start with a nice fish that has just come into season and a couple vegetables and another side ingredient that is seasonal, then play around with the flavors. But, I try not to add too many ingredients. It’s up to three or four ingredients and let the fish do the talking. Let the fish stand out first and foremost. Our knife skills and the way we treat fish here that’s what should be recognized.

What ingredients or techniques are you using at the moment?

I’m using agar a lot now in summer dashis. Like chilled gelatin style. It’s good for shellfish and sashimi. Salmon – I’m doing kombu jime, kind of like smoking. We take wild king salmon and then use the kombu to smoke it. The smoke goes up through the kombu and you get a really nice sea flavor.

Where is the fish at Morimoto sourced from?

We have our own company at Tsukiji Market in Tokyo. We’re very blessed; I’ve met them on several occasions. I deal with them directly and nobody in New York touches our fish. Our guy at Tsukiji picks the fish Thursday morning and it’s here Friday morning. They send us what’s good in the market and Chef Morimoto gave me a lot of freedom to order and keep the quality of fish high. As far as local fish, we have a purveyor who sources the wild king salmon and local fluke. I also really like Korean fluke. It has very nice fat content and is super fresh. I also really enjoy using Korean baby abalone. That’s another one of my favorite ingredients.

Where do you go out to eat?

On my day off, I like Luke’s Lobster. Nobody knows who I am and I can go in and send emails and texts and just eat there. Never had a funky lobster roll. Everything is always fresh and direct from Maine. I also like Setagaya Ramen. I usually get the tsukemen before I come into work on Tuesdays. If I get to Brooklyn, I go to Talde and Chuko Ramen. For sushi, I like Ushi Wakamaru.

You’ve traveled to Japan on several occasions. What are the differences between sushi chefs in Japan and the U.S.?

Sushi chefs in Japan have stricter standards and are more rigorously trained. A lot of people in the States go through the ranks and say they’ve been a sushi chef for twenty years but their skills are terrible. Whereas in Japan, you really have to go through the steps and learn everything. Here, it’s a little more fast tracked. But, on the other hand, you’re not so traditionalized. You can open up and step outside of the box and do other things. It’s not just basic, straightforward sushi all the time.

Any advice for young cooks starting out?

Have a sharp knife first. Let your skills show and be confident. Jump in there and do it. Also, have a basic knowledge of what you’re doing before you apply to that certain job.

This is part four of our video series where we demonstrate the various sharpening techniques and tools essential to properly maintain your knives. In this video demo, we demonstrate the proper way to sharpen a single edged Japanese knife. Typically, yanagi, deba and usuba knives have a one sided edge.

We had an opportunity to sit down with Chef Michael Armstrong to talk about his culinary influences, approach to menu development and favorite spots to eat in New York and Las Vegas.

Tell us a little about where you’re from and how you got into cooking initially.

I grew up outside of Seattle Washington and was interested in food since I was a kid, experimenting with Top Ramen noodles in the kitchen and throwing every spice from the shelf and any condiment from the refrigerator in there to see what the results were (most were pretty bad) but I liked the experimental process. By 9th grade I knew I wanted to cook and my step-mother helped spark my interest with home cooking for the family. I just felt really comfortable in the kitchen, it seemed like the right thing to do.

You’ve worked in a variety of kitchens over the years. Are there certain chefs you worked with who you would consider mentors or who influenced your culinary style?
I definitely have three distinct mentors. Matt Wallop, the first Chef I ever worked with, really taught me the fundamentals of cooking, combining flavors, and working with some finesse. He was really passionate about food and helped bring that out of me too. And working with him for two years before going to culinary school prepared me for my education. Quite simply, I owe it all to him and I still look up to him to this day. The second Chef, Mark Andelbradt, taught me much more about management, being a leader and understanding costs and the systems needed to run a successful kitchen. He taught me that when you walk around your kitchen, you’re looking at dollar signs, not just food. The third Chef mentor, Ralph Scamardella, is my current boss at TAO group. He’s given me a lot of opportunity to grow within our company, multiple times, and supported me when others questioned my leadership. He is a huge reason for my current success. It is comfortable to develop as a Chef when you know your leader has your back and supports you and gives direction, but at the same time, lets you run your own kitchen and gives you the opportunity to be creative.

How would you describe your culinary style?
It’s tough because my style is still developing, I’ve worked primarily with Asian food forthe last 7 years, and now I’ve broken away from that and can do whatever I want which is very exciting. Culinarily speaking, I’m most passionate about Japanese food and Mexican food, which don’t really go together at all! It’s fun to have a variety of experience and be versatile enough to work with different cuisines. I would describe my style as taking fresh twists on classic techniques. It’s important to know the history of a cuisine and specific techniques before messing with them to give them a modern look and feel.

How do you approach menu development? Is there a dish or dishes you’ve developed which you are very proud of?
Most of the menu development I have done is specific to a concept and not necessarily just whatever I want to do, which I think is good because it’s more difficult. The most important things to me when developing a menu are cost effectiveness and knowing your clientele. There are lots of chefs out there that can create great dishes, but let’s be honest, the business is about making money too, you can make the best food in the world, but if you can’t keep your doors open, what’s the point? And you have to know your clientele. One thing I’ve learned, is how to make food that sells in your restaurant. Too many chefs are stubborn and get so caught up in making the food they want to make for themselves, but if your guests aren’t buying it, you have to flip the script.
There was a dish at TAO Vegas that I developed with our wok chef, it was a Thai style seafood fried rice, pretty simple with fresh tomatoes, thai chilies, Thai basil, egg, shrimp, lobster, and scallop with fresh lime. Fried rice specials were great there because it’s an easy sell and has a relatively low food cost. The first weekend we ran it, we sold 80-90 orders each night, it was crazy, almost one on every table. I was really happy with that one.

Any dishes which didn’t work so well?
There’s one infamous dish of mine from TAO that comes to mind. I was trying to do something different for the holidays and take something American and make it Chinese, so we did roast turkey, but Peking duck style. So we roasted it and served the breast with crispy skin, and took the leg meat and made a fried rice with dried cherries and roasted chestnuts. I thought it was cool, and we actually got some local press on it as a unique holiday dish. We ran it as a special for a few weeks, and one of our owners came in and I decided to serve it to him, and he really didn’t like it, we had to 86 it right then and there. It made for some good staff meals though.

You have considerable experience as a chef in both Las Vegas and New York. Are there differences between what customers are interested in eating in the two cities?
Absolutely, although the one similarity is that they are both really tough cities as far as guests go. Vegas has such a variety of travelers going there, and it changes throughout the year. You have people from all over America visiting, and you get a ton of international travelers too. There is also a lot of convention traffic, so you see a variety of business dinners and parties. You really have to try to appeal to the masses there, and it’s very transient. Other than locals, a regular customer in Vegas is someone that comes twice a year. New York is tough because I feel like we have the most educated diners in this city. There are just so many high caliber restaurants and so many options for people to go that you always have to be at the top of your game putting out the best product. Most people in NYC know what they’re looking for and what good food should look and taste like, so if you don’t follow through, there’s half a dozen spots right around the block they can go to.

Favorite dining spots in Las Vegas? New York? Elsewhere?
In Vegas; Raku for sure, best restaurant in Vegas, any chef there will say the same. I love Monta also; it may be the best ramen I’ve ever had. Both those places are off the strip in Chinatown. In New York, there’s probably too many to mention, I love Talde in Brooklyn; the chef is a good friend and he does a really cool, upscale take on Asian street food. It’s a really cool spot. Momofuku Ssam is really unique and has awesome food. Since I love Mexican food so much, La Esquina is also a favorite; it’s no nonsense really good food and I love the vibe there.

What are your thoughts on culinary school? Is it worth the investment?
Yes, it’s worth the investment for sure. If you’re really committed, there’s plenty of culinary graduates that I meet that are out of the industry altogether or are waiting tables because they fell in love with the money and never went back to cooking. There’s a lot of chefs out there that say it’s not necessary, that you can still work up the ranks without the education, but I think it takes longer. I’m glad I went for sure.

Any advice for young cooks just starting out?
Practice cooking at home and read books, as many as possible, not just cook books, but books on food, food history, techniques. And eat out as much as possible, it’s all about exposing yourself to different foods and techniques.

Our friend Tim Maslow is an immensely talented young chef with heaps of accolades including a 2013 James Beard Rising Star nomination, 2012 Eater Young Guns Pick, Bon Appetit Magazine’s 50 Best New Restaurant list as well as a People’s Choice for Best Chef by Food & Wine Magazine.

He may be best-known for leaving the Momofuku empire after 6 years to transform his father’s Watertown, MA sandwich shop – Strip-Ts into one of Boston’s top restaurants. It’s well worth the trip to Brookline to check out his newest restaurant, Ribelle.

We’re happy to share a new video from Imbibe & Inspire, narrated by David Chang, showing Tim getting down to work with our Sakai Takayuki Sugihara Gyutou. Enjoy!

We had the pleasure of sitting down with Chef Grayson Schmitz recently to talk about how she got into cooking, what ingredients inspire her and favorite spots to eat in NYC.

How did you get started cooking initially?
My mom sat me down when I was 15 and asked me what I wanted to do with my life.  She guided me through my talents;  I’ve always been good with my hands,  and wanted to do something physical.  I looked up and Sarah Moulton was on TV and I said “What about being a chef?”  It was either that or a masseuse.  (Laughs)

Then she took it into her hands and researched culinary schools.  I knew I wanted the best, so we visited the CIA.  In high school I worked at a Cooking School, for home cooks in Kohler, WI as the chef’s assistant.  I learned how to talk to groups, how to make pasta and how to make all the mother sauces perfectly.  My Chef took me to Paris for the first time.  I also worked at a supper club down the road from my house.  Before I had my driver’s license I’d drive my 4-Wheeler to work, real Sconnie style:)

What was your experience like at the CIA?
I was really focused on being the best.  I called Jean George and started trailing there.  I worked on weekends for months until I got an externship.  I loved everything about it.

I feel certain restaurants are a match for people and Jean Georges was my perfect match.  It was fun, professional, calm, militant.  I worked there 4 years and gained a solid foundation on every station.

How important do you think a formal culinary education is?
I think it’s different for every person.  For me, it was incredibly important.  I came out of high school and didn’t know what grape-seed oil was.  I needed that platform to excel off it.  And at 18, I think it was invaluable to come to New York and have some sort of college experience.
That said, deep restaurant experience is essential for young cooks to build off what they learn in school.

How would you describe your culinary style?
My style is heavily influenced by where I’ve worked.  I took in French/Asian from my time at Jean Georges, I spent time in Italy and worked for Fabbio Trabocchi, and then did Austrian with Kurt Gutenbrunner at Wallse.  My foundation is definitely European, not super – light, just umami delicious food.

What ingredients excite you right now?
I fucking love peas.  Fresh English peas. When I was young, my friend’s family owned a hog farm and I have such happy memories of sitting in a field eating peas off the vine until we felt sick.
I’m also into all kinds of melons and heirloom tomatoes can’t be beat.  A little Banyul’s vinegar, olive oil, salt.  That’s all it needs.

Tell us a little bit about where you grew up.
New Holstein, Wisconsin is a little town of 2,000 people.  I loved it.  My sister always wanted to leave, but I never wanted to get out.  It was idyllic, we spent our summers on Lake Winnebago in a house my great grandfather built.  My aunt and uncle were next door, and my grandparents were on the other side.  It’s a small town, Schmitz-Pauly family paradise.  Home is my favorite place on earth.

What’s the first thing you want to eat when you go back there?
Hands down, a Johnsonville Brat.  I had no idea how German I was until I left there.

I know you’re a fan, but is there anything you want to say about Japanese knives?
I absolutely love them.  When I was in school, it was all Wusthoff.  That’s all I knew.  When I went to Jean Georges, if you didn’t have a Japanese knife you were a loser.  I remember the moment I got one. I took photos of it.  Wrote about it in my extern book.  In the kitchen we’d have contests to see who could get their knife the sharpest.  Japanese knives really put the professionalism into our craft.

Favorite restaurants in NYC?  
I always say ABC Kitchen, but I really love it and all of Jean Georges’ restaurants for that matter.
I also really like Mission Chinese. It’s a lot of fun and you can go with a group.  It’s just a fun gathering spot that numbs your mouth.
I constantly go to Luke’s Lobster Roll too.

Are you tired of talking about what it’s like to be a woman in this industry?
Not at all.  I think it’s really important for girls coming up to fully understand how stressful it is.  Being on your feet 16 hours a day is incredibly taxing.  Personally, I had to give it my all to stay in the game on top.  If you don’t, you’re not respected and you can’t be the chef if you’re not respected.  As a woman you have to work twice as hard, but once you’ve proven yourself, you’re all good.

This is part three of our video series where we demonstrate the various sharpening techniques and tools essential to properly maintain your knives. In this video demo, we demonstrate the best way to maintain and keep your sharpening stones flat with a stone fixer.

We were thrilled to sit down with Chef Yuhi Fujinaga on his visit to Tokyo.  We got the chance to talk food and knives over breakfast sushi at Tsujiki market. Yuhi Fujinaga is Executive Chef at New York’s Sea Grill, which is well known for its progressive take on American cuisine and for its landmark location in New York’s Rockefeller Center. For the restaurant, Chef Yuhi sources the very best seafood and applies influences from his Japanese heritage.

How and why did you get into cooking initially?
I was influenced by my Mother and Grandmother, who were both great cooks. Very modern for their time with “home cooking”

You’ve cooked a variety of cuisines, from Spanish at Bar Basque to modern American at Sea Grill. Is there a common approach or culinary style that runs through your cooking?
Yes, seasonality is the biggest factor in my cooking. Ingredients during their peak season require less touches.

As a Japanese American chef, do you look to Japan for inspiration in your technique or use of ingredients?

Yes, My heart and my soul is still very Japanese. I guess the flowers will always blossom the way the roots are planted.

Have any of those ingredients found their way into dishes at Sea Grill?
Yes, many of the dishes I have created at the Sea Grill have those touches. But very little, so that they are vital to what makes them stand out. Dashi, Soy, and the most important, Umami.

Are there any chefs who inspire you or who have influenced you over the years? 
There are many mentors I have who I must mention for me to be who I am now. Not in any particular order – Hiroyuki Sakai, Christian Delouvier, Alain Ducasse and Ed Brown. Each and every one of them has inspired me about food in many different ways. Through their inspiration, I am able to create unique food.

Have diners tastes in New York changed over the years? Is there a difference in what you can serve now at Sea Grill versus what would have been popular fifteen years ago?
Yes and yes, but some things never change. It’s like my analogy with your roots, you’ll always go back to where you came from. Each and every one of us has changed, but we’ll always love the food that we feel most comfortable with.

Do you have a favorite restaurant or dish in New York and/or Tokyo?
This is the most difficult question to answer. In New York, I am a very simple kind of guy when it comes down to where I go to eat. Ramen and pizza are my favorites. Ramen has got to be Ippudo, and Pizza is Nicoletta. Yes, it’s not traditional New York Style, but very  good I must say. As for Tokyo there are too many, but if I have to choose one, it would be Sakana Shinmachi. Located in  Setagaya, Tokyo, it’s a very small restaurant where they offer seasonal seafood.

Is there any advice you would offer to young cooks just getting into the industry?
Have an open heart, and an empty stomach, “not” in the word of my uncle, but “ALLEZ CUISINE!!” Remember your roots, honor your mentor, and most of all love the food.

This is part two of our video series where we demonstrate the various sharpening techniques and tools essential to properly maintain your knives. In this video, we demonstrate and explain the different grits of stones we carry at Chubo and how to use them to correctly sharpen your knives.

We sat down to chat with Chef Chikara Sono, the Executive Chef at New York’s Kyo Ya Restaurant. Kyo Ya is one of the most highly regarded Japanese restaurants in the United States,  received a Michelin star and three stars in a New York Times review. Chef Sono serves Japanese kaiseki, a multi coursed cuisine focusing on seasonality.

Photo Credit: Hiroko Masuike / New York Times

Can you tell us a little bit about the place you come from in Japan?
I’m from Sapporo City, Hokkaido. We’re surrounded by the ocean, so there’s an abundance of fresh seafood. We have four very distinct seasons and a very long winter, so winter sports are really popular.

How did you you end up cooking in New York?
In Sapporo, I was working at Toyota as a mechanic full time and working part-time as a cook. I first came to New York as a tourist with the intention of staying a short time, but ended up working at a Japanese restaurant in Midtown. I gained experience working at a number of Japanese restaurants and izakayas. One of them was Kiraku, the only New York kappo restaurant (Japanese restaurant with chef facing customers behind a counter) using live eel, and another was the Kitano Hotel’s kaiseki restaurant Hakubai. I was spending my days off at a friend’s Italian restaurant, learning how to make dessert sauces. Around that time, I met Tony Yoshida, who is now the owner of Kyo Ya. We decided we wanted to open a restaurant together and three years later, in 2007, we opened Kyo Ya.

With no website, online reservation system or even a sign on the door, Kyo Ya is something of a hidden treasure. Were you surprised when Pete Wells reviewed the restaurant in 2012?
I’m so thankful to Pete Wells and Hiroko Masuike for the wonderful article and beautiful pictures.

Kaiseki and tasting menus seem to be having a moment both with Japanese and foreign chefs in the states right now. Why do you think this is? Why do you think it took so long?
To say nothing of  kaiseki, until a few years ago, the only restaurant serving traditional Japanese food in New York was Hakubai at the Kitano Hotel. In that context, at Kyo Ya, we really wanted to bring traditional Japanese food to the next level. When we opened in 2007, a lot of people asked us why we decided to locate the restaurant where we did. (We are off on a side street and not really visible unless you really look.) Before we opened, I asked the owner for a location that was either in a basement or inside a building away from the main street. I simply wanted people to be able to come and have an enjoyable experience. Little by little, through word of mouth, people started to find us. Initially, we were serving only kappa ryori but after a while we started to serve kaiseki as well. We really got an incredible reaction. I guess there was a hidden demand for truly authentic Japanese food in New York.

Top chefs are embracing Japanese ingredients and techniques. Is there an example where you’ve been surprised or impressed?
Of course there are a lot of ingredients that inspire chefs, myself included. With new ingredients, the possibilities are endless and us chefs want to try them out if even if we risk making mistakes along the way.

With Japanese cooking, I think the key point is ‘umami’ and this is what a lot of top chefs worldwide are discovering and experimenting with.

Aside from Japanese food, what other cuisines excite you for cooking, eating? Any favorite stand out dishes?
I truly love Japanese food and spend my days off cooking and eating it. I’m also into Italian food and pasta, but my favorite pasta is mentaiko (spicy cod roe) pasta (laughs). Even though they don’t serve pasta my favorite restaurant is Eleven Madison Park (laughs).

Japanese kitchens have a reputation as being brutal on young apprentices. Do you have any stories you would like to share?
To be honest, I have nothing but good memories of my days as a cook. The only thing is all of the practice I did with katsuramuki (cutting a daikon into a long, continuous sheet) was with daikon I bought with my own money. Looking back, I wish I’d used the restaurant’s petty cash instead (laughs).

Can you tell us about a restaurant you love in NY? How about in Japan?
In New York, apart from Eleven Madison Park, I really like Hakata Ton Ton and En Japanese Brasserie. I’m a big fan of the chefs at those two restaurants, Koji Hagihara and Hiroki Abe.
In Sapporo, Japan, I love the izakaya Furusato. It’s the most difficult reservation to get in Hokkaido, but it’s well worth it. I always recommend this restaurant to customers who are going to Japan. I hope everyone will have an opportunity to visit this restaurant one day.

For our latest chef interview we sat down with Akiko Thurnauer, Chef/Owner of Family Recipe in New York City’s Lower East Side.

How did you get into cooking initially?

I come from a very food obsessed family. My father worked for a travel agency, so he was abroad all the time. His souvenirs for us were always related to food, so I grew up exposed to many different and unusual (for that time) ingredients. Also, my parents loved to entertain, so cooking and hosting was always part of my life.

I grew up outside of Tokyo and went to art school from the time I was 13. My first career was as a graphic designer, but always felt that I wanted to cook. My husband worked at a magazine, and I would make him bento lunch boxes and the reaction from his colleagues gave me confidence that I might be making something that other people would want. So, I walked into the kitchen at Nobu in TriBeca and asked for a job, and that’s how my career as a cook started.

What’s your culinary style and how has it evolved?
My style? Maybe it’s free-style! Well, like the reason I named my restaurant, my love of food and approach to cooking is rooted in my experience with my family. My mother always cooked, not just traditional Japanese dishes, she loved incorporating foreign ingredients too. Things that were not found in Tokyo in the 80s, like Porcini mushrooms or foie gras, she had a good sense to incorporate them into meals she made. She’s a purist when it comes to ingredients, so I grew up really appreciating real foods and quality ingredients.

As a Japanese chef, what’s your approach to cooking Japanese food in NYC?
There are a lot of good restaurants serving traditional Japanese food in New York. I knew I wanted to do something a little different. It can be hard because people have a stereo-type of what they think of as Japanese food, I use Japanese ingredients and flavor profiles, but my goal is to be innovative and create something new.

What’s your philosophy on hospitality?

My philosophy on hospitality also comes from my parents’ example. It’s not just about food. I want my guests to feel like I’m welcoming them as friends. It’s important to me that they can feel love in my cooking.

This is one reason why we work hard to accommodate guests with special diets like vegetarians or vegans and to make adjustments for people with allergies. Of course I want to serve ‘my food’ but if my guests can’t eat it, then what’s the point? I think it’s important to pay attention to the individual experience.

What were some of the challenges opening up a restaurant in NYC?
Regulations in NYC are very difficult, and everything takes so much time, which costs money. I opened Family Recipe on my own, without a business partner, so of course it’s a big risk, but the reward is the freedom of making my own decisions. When we opened I did everything myself, which was tough.

What do you think about Japanese knives?
Of course they’re the best! (Laughs) When young cooks come in with Japanese knives, I know they are serious. German knives can be good for butchering and heavy-duty work, but for detail and precision, it has to be Japanese.

Essential kitchen tool?
I’d say I can’t live without moribashi (plating chopsticks), a Japanese Mandolin and tweezers.

Do you have any new or favorite ingredients?
Recently I’m using black garlic. I love Greek yoghurt and put that in many dishes. My mom makes umeboshi, salted, pickled plums, which she sends me. For my stock I use agodashi – which is a different type of fish than typical katsuo bushi. The water in New York is much different than Tokyo, and I find unless you are shaving katsuo bushi fresh everyday, it’s hard to make a consistently good stock.

As far as other chefs, who inspires you?
As far as food philosophy, I really respect Dan Barber. Also, how can you not be inspired by what David Chang has built. I remember going into Momofuku Noodle Bar, on the second day after they opened and seeing him in there cooking. We chatted about his experience in Japan, and I clearly remember feeling his passion for what he was doing. What he achieved is amazing.

Many people think professional kitchens can be a tough environment for women. What has your experience been like?
Depending on who you work for, it can be tough. I’m small and it can be incredibly demanding physically. In some ways, I think women have an edge on the mental endurance needed to be a good chef. Having kids changed the course of my career, but in some ways, having employees is like having kids! I still work long hours, but am able to have flexibility.

Can you tell us about your favorite places to eat in NY & Tokyo?
There’s a lot, but recently I love eating at Yunnan Kitchen. The flavors are really clean, and I love small plates, because you can try a lot! Himalayan Café makes great momo dumplings. Their hot sauce is so good. My kids always want to go to Ootoya. It’s solid Japanese food, comforting flavors and they eat everything there!
If you go to Tokyo, I really recommend Waketokuyama in Azabu. Chef Nozaki is humble and warm and his food is really inventive and special. Kaiseki with absolutely no pretention. I was there on a rainy day and as we were leaving he came out with an umbrella to put us in cab. His sense of hospitality really stuck with me.