When shopping for a new kitchen knives, the sheer number of steel types, each with its own pros and cons can make choosing a knife overwhelming.  We put together this quick guide with some basic info on the characteristics of the more popular steel types to help you make a decision. 

Carbon vs. Stainless Steel

The first thing you should consider is whether or not you are comfortable with carbon steel.  Professional cooks love carbon steel knives because they are easy to sharpen and have the potential to get very sharp, but they require a bit more care and attention than stainless steel knives.  Carbon steel needs to be kept very dry and wiped regularly while in use.  This is especially true when cutting acidic foods.  If this is not something you can commit to doing, there are plenty of stainless steels available.

Preferred Chef Knife Steel for Beginners

The next factors to consider are budget and comfort with sharpening. For beginners and those looking to spend a bit less, there are still plenty of options for Japanese-made knives.  If you are looking for affordable, stain-resistant steel that is easy to sharpen we recommend looking at blades made from VG10,  Molybdenum or Inox steel.  These steels are not the hardest available, but they will consistently hold a good edge and can be sharpened without a high level of technical skill.  Some great examples of knives using these steels are Sakai Takayuki 33 Layer, Sakai Takayuki 45 Layer, Chubo Inox and Misono Molybdenum. 

High Carbon White Steel Kitchen Knife Blades

Once you have a higher level of comfort with sharpening and a bit more budget to spend, you might choose carbon blades made from White Steel.  White Steel is a pure steel favored by blacksmiths because it responds well to different types of forging, creating a great end product.    Popular White Steel options include Kagekiyo White #2 and Sakai TakayukiWhite Kurouchi.

Blue Steel and Aogami Super Kitchen Knife Blades

Moving on to blue steels, Blue #2 is a bit tougher, meaning it is less prone to edge damage and known for superior edge retention.  Aogami Super is a high-performance Blue Steel, that is a bit more stain resistant and offers the best edge retention of the group.  Examples of Aogami Super forging can be found in our Takeda and Shibata AS collections. 

Powdered Steel Kitchen Knife Blades

In recent years blacksmiths have developed new techniques for forging powdered steel blends that were first developed for use in industrial machinery. Powdered steels are some of the hardest available and offer the highest edge retention at the same hardness as Aogami or higher.  But with this high a level of hardness comes more challenges with sharpening.  Powdered steels are some of the best steels for kitchen knives, but it’s important that users have a solid undestanding of sharpening to maintain and get the best performance out of the blades.   For great options for powdered steel knives, check out our Kazan HAP40 and Takamura R2 lines.  

Please feel free to get in touch with any questions.

One indisputable fact about using a knife is that at some point, it will need to be sharpened.  There are ways to prolong the life of your blade, like using the right knife for the job and avoiding hard cutting surfaces, but eventually all knives need to be sharpened. 

We recommend only using water stones for this purpose. If you’re new to knife care, committing yourself to sharpening your knives is the first step, but how do you choose a sharpening stone? There are several things to keep in mind when selecting the right stones. 

About Sharpening Stone Grit and Use 

Generally speaking, the first step in sharpening a knife is to use a medium stone, with a grit of #800-#1500.  This will take material off the edge in a controlled way and prepare the blade for the next step. 

Next you want to use a fine stone for the purpose of refining the edge.  Polishing stones have grits ranging from #2000-#6000.  The higher the grit, the more super polished the edge will be.  Natural stones, although impossible to grade can reach grits as high as #20,000. 

How high do you need to go on the polishing stone?  It’s really a matter of personal preferences and which knife you are sharpening and how it will be used.  Knives used in butchery, like a honesuki, can benefit from a bit of toothy grip achieved with a lower grit.  When cutting fish for crudo or sashimi, you will usually want a high polished edge to create thin slices with minimal cell damage to the ingredients. 

Rough stones with grits around #400 are very useful if you have a high level of sharpening knowledge.  Rough stones are essential for repairs and make quick work of sharpening very dull knives, but they can take a lot of metal off the knife and should be used with caution. 

Now that you  know how to choose a sharpening stone, learn more about the proper use and techniques involved in sharpening your knives. 

So you want to have your knife engraved?

Having a person or company’s name, date, inside joke or message in Japanese Kanji or English can make a knife purchase even more special.  It’s a thoughtful gesture that makes a knife unique and can keep it secure in a busy kitchen.  Learn more about how to order a knife with engraving below.

Which knife makers will engrave a knife?

Chubo, Glestain, Kazan, Kitaoka, Makoto, Masamoto, Matsubara, Misono, Sakai Takayuki, Shibata, Takamura, Yu Kurosaki 

How much does it cost? 

Costs start at $15

How can I do it?

Send an email info@chuboknives.com and we’ll get your order started.

How long does it take?

Allow an additional 1 week processing time.

*Please note that engraved knives are not eligible for return.

Traditional / Singled Edged Knives

Traditional single-edged Japanese knives like yanajis, usubas and debas were previously only available for right-handed users.  Historically in Japan, left-handedness was discouraged in children and therefore everyone was essentially right-handed by adulthood.  Due to increasing requests from abroad most knifemakers will make left-handed knives by special order and some are produced regularly.  We currently stock left handed knives in our Kitaoka line and Sakai Takayuki Kasumitogi yanagis and debas will be coming shortly.

As you may know, left-handed knives are generally more expensive than the right-handed versions.  This is due to the fact that blacksmiths forge in batches and it’s more labor intensive and time consuming to deviate from their usual process.  The upcharge for left-handed knives starts at 30%, lead times vary by manufacturer.

Hybrid Knives

For knives that have a balance of 70/30 special orders for left-handed users are also available from the following manufacturers.  

Misono will produce a left-handed knife at the time of production for an additional $25. Lead times vary.

Left-handed Glestain Knives are available at the time of production for an additional 30%.  Lead times vary. 

Chubo Inox knives can be reprofiled for left-handed use for $25 and add two weeks to delivery time.

How to order

Send an email to info@chuboknives.com 

Payment is due at the time of order and special order knives are not returnable or refundable.

What’s the best way to remove rust from a carbon steel knife?  Of course the best method is to not let it develop in the first place, so we can’t stress enough the importance in taking care to keep your knives clean and dry.  We recommend wiping the blade between cuts, especially when working with acidic ingredients like citrus and tomatoes.   It’s also a good idea to coat the blades with a thin layer of neutral oil if you won’t be using them for a long time.  When storing your blades make sure they are completely dry and using a saya (wooden sheath) is a great way to protect your blades while ensuring that moisture is not trapped on the blade.

Even when all these steps are taken to keep your knives rust free, sometimes you will find some rust has developed.  There are several methods you can use to remove it.  Starting with light rust, you can use the scrubby side of a kitchen sponge.  Never use steel wool as this can destroy the knife.  Applying a small amount of an abrasive cleaner such as Bar Keeper’s Friend, Bon Ami, Ajax or Comet with a wine cork will take care of more substantial rust.  You can also soak the blade in vinegar and then the rust can easily be wiped away. For more heavy rust, we recommend using a tool called a rust remover, which can be applied wet or dry. 

To learn more about knife sharpening and maintenance check out our essential sharpening skills series or get in touch with us by email.

One of the most important things you can do to keep your knife sharp is to store it properly.  As you might have guessed, the worst way to store your knives is unprotected in a drawer.   Not only are you likely to dull or damage the blade, but it’s dangerous for anyone reaching in the drawer.  With that said, what is the best way to store kitchen knives?

Sayas

We recommend keeping blades protected with sayas, a specific style of knife sheath.  Sayas are wood covers usually made out of magnolia wood, which is a great choice for this purpose since it wicks away any residual moisture from the blade and won’t dry out or crack.  If you don’t have room for a block or wall-mounted strip, sayas are a safe way to store knives in a drawer or on a counter. Sayas fit most standard sized blades. We recommend buying them at the same time as your knife whenever possible so they can be correctly fitted. Please check the product page of your knife for info on corresponding sayas.  For hand-forged and less standard shapes, there are a number of saya makers out there that can create a custom saya to fit your knife.  We are working on a new line of blade guards to fit some of the unique blade shapes so stay tuned!

Wall-Mounted Magnetic Strips

The second-best way to store kitchen knives is with a simple wall fixture. For easy access and because your knife collection looks pretty great, wall mounted magnetic strips are a great option.  As always, make sure the knife is very clean and dry before placing the knife on the rack, as moisture can get trapped between the blade and magnet and cause issues.    

Wooden Knife Stand

The standard storage solution for sushi chefs for generations is a simple counter knife stand.  Also made from magnolia wood, and available in both three and six knife sizes.  Traditionally the knives are placed blade side up, but for safety reasons, you can do the reverse without damaging your blade.

Travel Case

If you require a solution for travelling with your knives, hello chefs on the go — we have several made in Japan options in knife bags, knife cases or knife rolls.

One last point to remember about the best way to store kitchen knives — in addition to making sure your knives are clean and dry before putting them away, carbon knives can be treated with a thin layer of neutral oil to protect them from humidity in the air when they won’t be used frequently.  For more knife care, skills and sharpening tips visit our blog.

Knives are useful, beautiful tools that make great gifts. Most everyone needs a quality knife for cooking, but many people have accumulated knives that might be dulled from use or not so well made to begin with. For these reasons, most people are delighted to receive a beautiful knife as a gift. But since preferences can be personal, we’ve put together some questions to ask yourself when choosing a knife as a gift for someone else.

A knife you buy for someone brand new to cooking is likely different that a knife chosen for an experienced cook. For beginners with less than high quality knives, choose an all purpose knife like a gyutou. A chef’s knife (gyutou) 210mm (8.2”) is the most popular size and will work well for the majority of people. A utility knife (petty) is great for many tasks and 150mm (5.9”) petty will be ideal for cutting fruit, small vegetables and herbs.

More experienced cooks might already have all-purpose knives, so a knife made for a special purpose can be a great gift. For vegetable lovers, a nakiri (vegetable cleaver) is the perfect tool for breaking down hard ingredients like pumpkins, squash, potatoes and cabbage. A sujihiki (slicer) is a great option for those who barbecue or cook lots of meat. It is the perfect knife to carve roasts, slice cooked steaks and even slice raw fish thinly for sashimi or crudo.

Think about what they like to cook and what kind of knives they already have. For the cook that has a sizable knife collection already, you might want to choose something unique such as a hand-forged or handmade option. These special knives are made in smaller quantities by renowned blacksmiths and will not only make a useful gift, but a treasured heirloom for generations to come.

Most of us are familiar with the block of knives that sits on many kitchen counters. Although it might seem like a good idea to get all these knives at once, most of the knives in the set never get much use. We advocate for investing in smaller sets, with the knives that will get the most use. You can shop our sets of the most useful knives that make great gifts for milestones like weddings, graduations and retirements.

Right or left-handed? For many years, Japanese knives were known to be for right-handed use only. While this is the case for single-edged knives (left handed are available by special order), we offer many options of knives that are sharpened to a 50/50 bevel, appropriate for both right and left-handed use. You can use the filter found on the left hand side to include or exclude knives sharpened to 70/30 or single edged.

Lastly, the blade material is a key consideration when choosing a knife. A wide range of steels are used in making knives, but an important choice is made between stain resistant or a high carbon steel option. Carbon steel knives are popular with professional chefs thanks to their ability to get super sharp and hold an edge through heavy use, but they need to be kept very clean and dry especially when cutting acidic ingredients. If you suspect the recipient would not relish the extra attention and care carbon knives require, choose from one of the many stain resistant options. Furthermore, by choosing a high technology powdered steel option, the knife will remain stain resistant and require sharpening less frequently.

We hope this guide gives you the information you need to pick a great gift knife, as always, contact us with any questions and when all else fails, gift cards are available!

Choosing a chef’s knife might seem overwhelming with all the options available, so we put together this handy guide to walk you through all the decisions required to help you choose the perfect knife for you.

Blade Angle

There is a lot of confusion about Japanese knives being either “right-handed or left-handed” based on the angle at which the blade is sharpened. While this is true for traditional single-edged Japanese knives in styles like deba, yanagi, and usuba, where the blacksmith produces right-handed knives (meaning the cutting edge is 100% on the side that works when used in your right hand), left-handed versions are available by special order. [We stock a few left-handed styles of deba in our Kitaoka collection. ]

When talking about chefs knives, or gyutou as they are called in Japanese, there is always some angle on both sides, generally 50/50 or 70/30.  The 50/50 is equally balanced and therefore great for both right- and left-handed use. You can find the bevel balance included in the specifications listed for each knife. You can also use our filter system on the left-hand side to include or exclude certain blade angles.

Knife Length

Chef’s knives or gyutous’ blades are usually between seven and nine inches long. The length that is right for you will be determined by two factors. First, how big your hand is, and second, what you are cutting most. The knife should be comfortable and easily controlled and more or less be able to cut your ingredient in one stroke. If you have small hands and mostly cut onions and carrots, a seven-inch gyutou might be right for you. The eight-inch is most popular and suitable for a wide range of users and ingredients. More experienced cooks might find that a choosing a chef’s knife with a nine-inch blade allows for quick work when dealing with large ingredients.

Weight

Overall, most people find Japanese knives considerably lighter than the German- or French-made knives they have used before. This will come down to personal preference, but some blades are exceptionally thin and light, such as our Takamura, Takeda, and Shibata lines.

The majority of knives will fall into medium weight, like those in the Sakai Takayuki and Chubo Inox lines. Lastly, some people are drawn to heftier knives where the natural weight of the knife can assist in cutting denser ingredients. For those situations, we recommend knives from Kazan and Glestain.

Steel Types

There are pros and cons to every type of steel, but the first consideration is choosing between a stain-resistant or a high carbon steel option. Carbon steel knives are popular with professional chefs, thanks to their ability to get super sharp and hold an edge through heavy use, but they need to be kept very clean and dry, especially when cutting acidic ingredients. Among the options for stainless blades, most every Japanese option will stay sharp longer than average. The options then come down to balancing different pros and cons like blade strength versus brittleness of sharpening.

Hardness

Generally speaking, a harder steel will hold an edge longer but can be more challenging to sharpen. Hardness (HRC) is judged on the Rockwell scale, with a higher rating corresponding to greater hardness. You can find the rating for each product under specifications, with most of our knives falling in the 59-66 range. We recommend people new to Japanese knives and sharpening to start with knives on the lower end of that range.

Handle Type

You may notice two major options for handles on Japanese knives. First, the Western style is attached to the blade with rivets like you would expect with any high-quality knife. Second is a wood handle, either round, D-shaped, or octagonal and attached with a ferrule usually crafted from horn. This is mostly a matter of personal preference, but many find the natural wood of the handle comfortable, stable to grip, and versatile for various tasks and angles. 

Price

Lastly, price is usually a key factor in choosing a chef’s knife. We have a wide range of chef’s knives for all budgets. At the introductory level, lines like Chubo Inox or Tojiro are a great value for a knife that is made with a lot of attention to detail and care. High-technology steels and more valuable handle materials lead to higher prices like you’ll find in our Takamura and Makoto Kurosaki lines. Lastly, hand-forged knives from master blacksmiths and those created entirely by hand will be priced according to the materials, skill, and amount of time that it takes to produce. Knives from makers like Takeda, Saji Takeshi, and Kagekiyo are made in small quantities by true master craftsmen and are meant to last a lifetime, and the prices reflect that.

We hope this guide helps you narrow down your options when choosing a chef’s knife. As always, we are here to answer any questions you may have.

We’re back with our rundown of all the things keeping us going in these weird and challenging times!  Here’s what we’re tuning into for the week of April 20th. Have an idea that we should include in future post?  Please contact us.

Recipe

Colu Henry of the fantastic Back Pocket Pasta has no shortage of fantastic bean-based recipes, so if you finally got your shipment from Rancho Gordo or miraculously stashed some white beans before this all began, do not sleep on this Roasted Tomato and White Bean Stew recipe.

Podcast

Since we are all staying put for the foreseeable future, we’re enjoying traveling vicariously through Monocle 24: The Menu.  While the show usually explores a global food neighborhood in each episode, the current focus goes on local locations and the favorite recipes of chefs. Check it out wherever you get your podcasts.

Reading

For over a decade, Spoon and Tamago has been a favorite blog for all things Japan design and illustration related.  Their COVID content is no exception. We love this recent humorous guide to social distancing. Because we should all do our part:  Let’s stay one tuna apart. 

Spice Source

Cooking three meals everyday has us digging deep into the pantry and these spices from Burlap & Barrel are giving us life!  Burlap & Barrel works directly with small farms to source spices that have never been exported before.  Purchases help improve the livelihoods of their partner farmers. Currently going into everything: Cinnamon Tree Leaves + New Harvest Turmeric.  

Support

Merch4relief is an online collection of custom designed merchandise created by affected restaurant workers, with 100% of the profits going to the restaurants.  The designs are super great and we can all use a brand new pasta hoodie or Four Horsemen wine tote. 

New for these weird and sometimes scary times we’re living in, we’re starting a regular post of the things entertaining, distracting and keeping us sane, safe and fed.  We hope they work for you too! Have an idea that we should include in future post? Please contact us.

Podcast

Samin Nosrat from the fantastic Netflix Series and Book Salt Fat Acid Heat has a new podcast out on all topics of home cooking.  Episode one tackles dried beans, which if you are like us, we have a cabinet full of.  

Masks

Our friends at TILIT, who are normally busy making aprons, workwear and accessories for chefs and culinary industry have just launched a facemask project.  Made from recycled hemp and organic cotton, for each mask sold they will donate one for a food service worker.

Recipe

If you are one of the lucky ones who has a supply of yeast and flour, might we recommend Pizza Camp, a really useful book from Joe Beddia of Philadelphia’s Pizzeria Beddia’s excellent book, Pizza Camp.  Truly, it’s the most successful pizza we’ve ever made at home. Pick up the book and check out Joe’s Rules for the best homemade pizza of your life!  

Cooking Content

Star chefs around the world are hosting online cooking classes.  This week we were focussed on Italian. First osso buco with chef Massimo Bottura ~ He goes live daily at 20:00 Central European time, ( 2pm Eastern Time).  For pasta content, you can find this terrific tutorial from Evan Funke of Venice, California’s Felix and Food 52.  Evan teaches all the basics of rolling fresh pasta dough and then filling it into tortelloni.

Watch

In areas hard hit by COVID-19, the best thing we can do for our brave doctors and nurses on the frontline is stay at home!  Watch this collection of reminders from Italy’s mayors.

Support

ROAR [relief opportunities for all restaurants] is a New York based relief organization providing grants to individuals facing unprecedented hardship as a result of COVID-19.  Restaurants are the life-blood for our communities and taking care of the people that feed is more important now than ever.

Sharpen your knives

For many, knife sharpening is a routine part of their knife maintenance.  Others wish they had more time to do it. Everyone agrees what a pleasure a super sharp knife is!  Want to learn how to sharpen Japanese knives, but don’t know where to start? We have resources on our blog including a terrific eight part series from our friend, professional chef and expert sharpener Eduardo Castro.  We recommend it for all skill levels.

Robynne Maii along with partner Chuck Bussler bring a combined 30+ years culinary experience to Fête, their warm and inviting Downtown Brasserie.  Taking inspiration from crave-able dishes of many cultures, Fête’s menu celebrates seasonality and culinary tradition in tandem.

Could you tell us a little bit about where you grew up and your background?

I grew up in Honolulu. I was lucky enough to be raised in a family that cooked a lot. Not fancy food, since my parents were always on a budget we always had home cooked meals. Maybe we went out to a restaurant a couple times a year, so I grew up eating a lot of good food. Both my parents cooked.

What kind of food would you eat at home?

It’s interesting since both my parents lived on the mainland for a little bit, we grew up eating everything from local style food, like chili, and kalbi, and beef stew, but then we also had things like cacciatore, shish kabob, and lamb, lamb chops, stuff like that. Things that were definitely not in the normal local repertoire. Sweet and sour spare ribs, stuffed cabbage, very eastern European style. The rule at our house was we had to eat everything that my parents cooked. This idea of boycotting just because you didn’t like something, my parents were really strict. I had a smart mouth, so I’d say I’m gonna eat cereal then, and we weren’t even allowed to do that. It was either go hungry and sit at the table with us, or you’re gonna eat what I prepared.

All three of us, my siblings, we love food. We’re not picky eaters.

What was your path to professional cooking?

My first memory of cooking was making eggs with my maternal grandmother. I just love the idea of making my own food. In college I started thinking about it more, but it was very taboo for a profession. Your asian parents, they want you to do something that makes you a lot of money, is super stable, so you can have a family, buy a house, and do all that. When I announced to my parents that I wanted to go to culinary school, they weren’t very pleased, but the deal was since they put us through college that I had to pay for my own culinary education. I quickly realized there was no way I was gonna be able to go to one of the fancier culinary schools, because I just couldn’t afford it, so I came home and went to KCC. [Kapiolani Community College]

Then you went straight into cooking professionally. Tell us a little bit about your background?

I did it in an untraditional way. I cooked for a little bit and thought I wanted to get out of the kitchen, and thought I wanted to do food writing, so I got my masters degree from NYU in food studies.  I got my dream job. I went to Gourmet Magazine and worked there for two years, but while I was there I got offered a job in culinary education to run a culinary program, and so I spent over 10 years in culinary education.

How did Fête come to be?

Outside of restaurants, I think people thought we were crazy, because as far as opening up a restaurant we were old, Chuck and I.  We were both in our forties, and we had been out of industry for a number of years.  We worked for some good people, but we didn’t have a continuous pedigree to woo people with, so it was really difficult.  But in that time frame we did a lot of cooking and we entertained a lot.  We went out to eat a lot too.  For us, Fête was born out of this idea of bringing people together, which is very common, but we saw this trend happening in restaurants where it was less and less fun to eat out.  I think that’s why we were driven to entertain more at home, because it was more relaxing.

We have this constant dialogue of having a place where the food is the foundation for the guest’s occasion. We don’t want the food to lord over the table. We want it to support everybody.

Any ingredients that you’re excited about right now in Hawaii?

Right now Mahi is running, so we get that. Mahi was never a favorite of mine because it was from the supermarket and had this grayish color and my mother always prepared it the same way and I was just never really impressed with the fish.  Then we started buying fish from Local I’a, which is owned by Ashley Watts. She only sources from day boaters in Oahu waters.  It completely changed my mind about Mahi.  I think Mahi is one of the most glorious fishes you can have, and when we get it it is this beautiful cotton candy pink.  Super fresh.

I think we had a great Ahi dish on the menu last time we ate here.

Yes, Ahi, which is also caught from Oahu day boaters. A lot of people ask us what’s the grade of the Ahi. I don’t know a lot about how they grade, I just know because our Ahi doesn’t go to auction, it’s ungraded, but all of it is fresh. The grade has to do with the oil content, and its texture. It’s an opportunity for us to explain to the guests why it’s different. The color, sometimes it’s very, very red, pinkish, translucent, sometimes it’s very dark and ruby. They’re really captivated. They like it.

Any favorite tools or techniques?

Favorite tools? Chubo knives! Come on.

That’s very kind of you to say that. Other than knives are there any other tools you’re using in the kitchen right now or techniques that you guys like to use?

Emily Iguchi who is our chef de cuisine and I, I like to think of ourselves not as simple cooks.  That doesn’t explain it. — We like cooking, so we tend to stay away from gadgets.  There’s a lot of knife work in this kitchen.  It’s very labor intensive.  You can see Louis toiling over here with some knife work.  Our food is rooted in very traditional methods, with a strong French and Italian grounding, and Emily is Japanese.  There’s a lot going on in the food.  We like to reduce things.  We like to strain things.  We like to make things extra nice for everyone.  In the end it has to be tasty.  Really sharp knives and a good pair of scissors. 

Do you cook at home? When you have time.

Yes, I do cook at home.  The cooking is much simpler.  On Sundays, Chuck and I are off, and it usually involves roasting something, or putting something in the oven, we have the veggies, a one pan sort of affair.  We miss entertaining at home, and Chuck says, “yeah but we entertain every single night,” but it’s different.  We love that people come in, but we miss sitting and breaking bread and drinking wine with our dear friends.

Favorite places to eat in Honolulu or anywhere in the world?

Right now, if it’s a special occasion we like Gaku Sushi. It’s pricey and worth every penny. We have such little time off these days that we don’t go out to eat as much as we’d like. We love Senia. They’re very good friends of ours.

Helena’s Hawaiian food is a favorite on the island. In the world, in New York City, I love Prune.  It’s one of my favorites.  I love Pearl Oyster Bar, because it is still fantastic.  Yeah. I always go back there, those two places.  

Ashley Rath is the Chef de Cuisine at The Grill.

Can you tell us a bit about where you grew up and how you got interesting in cooking.

 I was born in New Jersey but grew up in Syracuse, New York. My first cooking memory is of my dad teaching me how to make scrambled eggs. My parents were adamant that I learn how to cook, and as I got older and they began to be more comfortable working later, I started cooking for all of us.

My parents travelled a lot for work, and I was fortunate enough to go to Spain, France, Argentina, England and China all before I graduated high school. For me, each trip centered around what I would eat.

I wanted to go to the CIA but my family was adamant that a college education would be best, so I ended up going to University of St. Andrews in Scotland.

 I know you studied at St. Andrews, what was the transition from intense scholarship to cooking like?

 At St. Andrews, I wrote my dissertation on the relationship between food and conflict. I won an award from it and ended up with a job offer from a food sovereignty rights’ NGO in New Delhi. I moved to NYC as I waited for my visa to come through. I did not want to move back to Syracuse, so I found a sublet in NYC. I quickly realized I needed an income and I also wanted to make sure I was not giving up on a dream of mine, so I started trailing in kitchens. Turns out I would have been giving up on a dream if I moved to India.

The transition however was hard – I went from 14 hours a day in a library to 14 hours a day in a kitchen. I screwed up, a lot, but I loved it and decided I’d work as many hours as possible to make a living cooking and build a culinary skill set. To say it was hard would be an understatement.

Tell us a little about your career history.

The first restaurant I worked in is actually two blocks away from where I work now. The chef at the time shouldn’t have hired me; I showed up without proper shoes or knives. But as he put it, I was educated and could speak English. I ended up only working there for a few months, but I learned that kitchens were where I wanted to be.

Eric Korsch, the newly appointed chef at The Waverly Inn at the time, decided to take a chance on me next. It was here that he and then sous chef Ted Rozzi gave me the culinary education I desperately needed and introduced me to the stamina I would need in the industry.

I next followed Ted Rozzi to Crown on the Upper East Side for my first opening. Later a captain at Crown introduced me to Matt Lightner and after trailing 4 times he decided to take a chance on me next. He hired me as a prep cook for his soon to open restaurant, Atera. I felt like I had made it. The kitchen, all the chefs and staff at Atera; it was like nothing I had seen before. The discipline I learned there I carry with me daily.

I next went to Gramercy Tavern where I would spend two years. Through the guidance of Michael Anthony I was able to round out all of the skills I had learned and find my voice as a cook.

I went to California after that and trailed at some incredible restaurants but ended the trip realizing I only wanted to cook in NYC. I helped a friend of mine open a biscuit shop called Empire Biscuit before I found a sous chef opportunity with Major Food Group at Santina. I was sent to open Dirty French first, as Santina’s opening was delayed. I then worked at Santina for almost two years, before I was asked to work on the opening of The Grill, as executive sous chef.

What is your food philosophy

Never drop your standards because of time, pace, space or the people around you. Be as proud of a biscuit you make as an almost impossible razor clam dish. Ignore others that would criticize you for who you work for or where you have worked. As long as you care, put out correct and delicious food, and always work hard, you’re doing it right.

And don’t be scared to screw up, don’t bow out or give excuses. I’ve learned the most through my errors. Just don’t repeat them.

Between Dirty French, Santina and now the Grill you’ve had a pretty intense restaurant opening schedule.  What do you love and hate about opening restaurants?

I love the pace and intense drive almost every person involved in an opening has. I love that you set the systems for the kitchen and because of that, you leave a lasting impact. I love that you learn through error, and fix it. I love the lack of sleep and testing of physical limits. I also tire of it at some point but the initial drive is something special. I love cooking new cuisines and dishes. I love openings, but I think that shows.

Are there lessons you’ve learned in the kitchen that you feel apply outside of work?

I believe everything I said in my philosophy applies to outside of a kitchen. I was a shy and unconfident person, particularly in relationship to my body. Kitchens changed that. Be true to yourself, help others, work harder than the person next to you, and most things work out. A bit hippie dippy, but… tough.

Do you sense changes in attitudes about women in the kitchen from the beginning of your career until now?

I’ve been lucky to never have my gender be a real issue in my work life, but again, I think my philosophy speaks to why that has been the case. If you work hard and give it your all, it’s hard for people to judge you because of something like your sex. I won’t say it’s been without bumps in the road, but I try not to dwell on that. I can happily say as the CDC of a huge restaurant with a very big staff, my gender is something that rarely comes up, if anything it is from guests surprised I’m the CDC. I do wish I could find more female line cooks, but I have four on my AM staff which makes me very happy.

Do you cook at home? If so what? 

I like cooking pasta at home, fresh or dried. Pasta holds a special place in my heart. My go to is Martelli spaghetti for cacio e pepe. Besides that, it’s normally scrambled eggs and toast or peanut butter and jelly. My boyfriend cooks a fair amount for me when I get home, which is always greatly appreciated. I also have a soft spot for Mighty Quinn’s take out.

 Favorite Tools and Techniques

My favorite tools are: my nenox 210 mm gyutou and my neon blue fish spat that most people hate but survived me a year on Gramercy Tavern fish roast.

My favorite cooking technique is cooking over open fire. I worked on the grill station at Gramercy Tavern, where you build and maintain your own fire, and it was a life changer. We cook over wood at The Grill, and it was a huge part of why I was so excited about being a part of that opening, second to the menu. 

Are there ingredients you are excited about right now? 

I’ve been really excited about the different game birds we have worked with at The Grill. I became very interested in hunting and game when I lived in Scotland, so it has been fun to work with similar products again.

Favorite? places to eat in NY and elsewhere.

I’ve been told I have a lot of favorites, so here’s a short list:

Estella, I’ve eaten there over 35 times

Momofuku Ssam Bar

Buvette

Al Pastor

Runner and Stone

BLT Prime, for their chopped salad and pop overs

Corner Bistro, for a burger

Le Coq Rico, for the Ile flottante

Outside of NYC:

North, in Providence RI

Abac, in Spain

St Johns, in London

The Savoy, in London

High Street on Market, in Philadelphia

Photography courtesy of Evan Sung.

Joe Anthony is the Chef de Cuisine at Gabriel Kreuther restaurant.

Can you tell us a bit about where you grew up and how you got interesting in cooking?

I grew up in an active surf and skate community down in south-east Florida. The weather is pretty consistent year around, so I spent a good amount of time outdoors and playing sports. Lots of young people means lots of partying, and my youth had no shortage of that. Hanging with friends and playing music was the norm. I was never a “rise and shine” kind of person, so in retrospect the restaurant industry fit well. However, my career really started out like any other kid trying to make some spending cash. I took the job as a busboy at this local restaurant called 32East in Delray Beach. I remember seeing the intensity and drive the kitchen team had and it was very contagious. It became inspiring to see the level of execution and pride that came with each nightly service. I loved the controlled chaos and the formality of how much a team sport it was. The kitchen took notice that I was intrigued and started giving me bits and pieces of the menu to taste. The menu changed daily, and I became hooked on the sheer creativeness and ever evolving products. This was not a stagnant restaurant and it didn’t have stagnant chefs. I made the decision at 19 that this is what I wanted to do. I was thrown in the fire, but was fortunate enough to have the kitchen boys show me the ropes. I’ve never looked back and have never had another job outside of the restaurant industry.

Painted Hills Beef Tenderloin with Roasted Salsify, Potato Dumplings and Juniper Jus

What led you to come cook in New York?

I spent eight years cooking in south Florida all while staying in the Delray area. I worked for the same group in various positions between the two restaurants they had. At the time, it felt like Florida had a limit on how far you could learn and grow. I knew the next step naturally would be to go and experience life in a big food city. My chef was very supportive and made a few calls for me to trail at some high-end establishments in New York City. I spent the next few years working at Restaurant Daniel and Union Square Café before ultimately joining the Modern and meeting chef Gabriel.

Smoked Eel Velouté, Seven Grain Tuille, Saffron Tapioca, Black Truffle Coulis

How would you describe your food philosophy?

I believe that everything is and needs to be evolving, so therefore my philosophy will change too… but at the end of the day I try to create dishes the way that I want to eat them.

You cooked with Chef Kreuther at the Modern, how is the approach to your menu for Gabriel Kreuther different?

I wouldn’t say our approach is necessarily different, just evolving. The Modern was well established and successful long before I worked there, so it had its style already. A lot has already changed here from the opening to present. However, chef Gabriel’s food in my opinion always has a soul to it and feels somewhat familiar even if you’ve never had it. That’s something I keep in the back of my head and never want to lose with our approach.

You recently returned from cooking in Japan.  Can you tell us about that experience and any take aways or eye openers learned there?

I am very fortunate and humbled to be able to experience Japan the way I did. It was part of a cultural exchange program provided by the Gohan Society.   It’s a beautiful program they put together every year and I really must express my gratitude.

We spent nine days traveling through Ishikawa, Kanazawa and ultimately ending in Tokyo. It was a great mix of cultural activities such as sake brewing, miso processing, traditional pottery making and staging in restaurants. The first thing they taught me was how to make a classic dashi. It’s something that I always enjoyed, but now have a completely different understanding and respect for. That could pretty much sum up how I feel about the whole experience.

Do you cook at home?

I cook every almost every Sunday at my apartment for my fiancé Nancy.  Mostly stew and food that can be reheated all week while I’m at work.

What are you favorite kitchen tools?

I guess my favorite tool has to be my knives. I mean I have one in my hand pretty much every day.

Charcoal Grilled Maine Lobster with Baby Carrots, Toasted Cashew and Jamon Nage

Ingredients you are excited about right this moment?  

We use this farmer named Dan Lieber who has become like an ambassador for a lot of the local farms in Pennsylvania. He owns and runs Stardust Farms which produces amazing squab, but he also delivers for a lot of great local produce, grains, and dairy farms within the area. Greenwalk Trout Hatchery has to be one of my favorite new producers to work with. You can tell all the hard work and care that goes into raising the different varieties of trout.

Fluke Tartare with Meyer Lemon Custard, Maine Uni, Yuzu, Wasabi, Finger Lime and Green Apple

Can you share some favorite places to eat in New York and elsewhere?

I recently had a great meal at Shuko and would recommend for sure. Del Posto, Per Se and Olmsted are always solid choices for me. Sometimes there’s nothing better than a drunken night that ends up in K-town though! Outside of NYC I’ll def go with Alinea. Those guys push so hard and are constantly evolving. I have much respect and admiration for the chefs there.

SaveSave

Chef Hugh Acheson demonstrates how to break down a salmon using a deba and yanagi.

Special thanks to Evan Sung.

Photography courtesy of Runner & Stone, Mayumi Kasuga, Ho Kyung Lee and Karen Wise.

Can you tell us a little bit about where you grew up and how you got interested in food?
I’m from Long Island originally and I think I was always interested in food, I used to hang out in the kitchen a lot as a kid and try and cook. From the age of 16, I was a busboy in a restaurant and worked in food service throughout college. Then I got diverted. My undergraduate degree is in natural resource management – environmental science. Halfway through, I realized that was not going to be my future, so I switched to engineering. After working in engineering for a few years, I realized that was not the route either. The whole time being involved in restaurants in one way or another.

Were you always drawn to bread baking?
No, that was the last stage of it. It was always cooking and front of house. After engineering, when I got back to the kitchen I started from the bottom and worked all stations and realized maybe the hot line wasn’t for me, so I went into pastry and started bread when there was a lag in pastry opportunities and really fell in love with bread baking the best.

How has where you started with bread evolved into what you’re doing now?
The first and most formative, as far as learning the basics, was as an overnight baker at Amy’s Bread. Around 2002, Amy’s Bread was one of the big names in town and their product is really great and they do a huge variety. The overnight shift was a lot of production, so it was a good place to learn. I was lucky to work with really talented bakers that showed me the ropes.

Then my time at Per Se was really great for broadening my ideas on different flavors of bread without only using spices, fruits and nuts, because we couldn’t. At Per Se, the bread had to go with all courses. There couldn’t be flavor conflicts, so the focus is more on different flours and different pre-ferments for changing flavor profiles of bread. Not just adding stuff that tastes good. It was also great for refining fermentation and shaping, because the bread had to be at the same level all the time, and beautiful as well as delicious.

At various points, I did stages, including one in France and one in my dad’s hometown in Germany. Those were both really inspirational and helped shape my ideas on bread. I think all those experiences come together in the style we have now at Runner & Stone, which I would describe as a European-style, maybe a little rustic, but with certain refined aspects and techniques present, even if they aren’t outwardly apparent in the bread.

What was your biggest take away from your time working in Germany?
Pretzels. I grew up eating these pretzels, so I went to work in the bakery in my father’s home town. It’s a two minute walk from my Aunt’s house. To work there was cool from a personal point of view. They made other bread too, but I can’t say any were revelations. They were all good ryes, and that was all interesting to see, but the takeaway was really the pretzels, pretzels and more pretzels.

And in France?
In France I worked in a bakery called L’Etoile de Berger, which is just outside of Paris proper, with three outlets in suburbs and they have a central viennoiserie and pastry kitchen that I also worked at. That was after Per Se and it was really great to be exposed to some really wonderful product and a more traditional French style, while working with bakers that approached things in a way that’s totally different from the way American bakers do.

How so?
The oldest person there was probably twenty years old, but they’ve all been baking for ten years and so they have a really different relationship with the job and with bread. After having come from fine dining that was really fun to experience, a different aesthetic and approach to food. The owner, Franck Debieu was really great, even though I spoke very little French and our conversations were often him speaking and me nodding and not understanding what was really happening. He was really great about getting me involved in all aspects of the bakery, from the pastry to the viennoiserie to the daily bread baking and every time he saw me, he was always checking in to make sure I saw everything. All the people there were really supportive of me and my lack of French!

Can you tell more about your experience at Per Se?
It’s probably the hardest job I’ve had, and I think anyone who works at Per Se would probably say that, just because there is so much pressure to try and achieve a certain level, every single day, that no detail can be forgotten. It’s not acceptable to run out of a product and you’re creating an experience and even with the bread, you’re part of it. It’s super challenging, but as a result, I think I left feeling much better suited to own my own business and to tackle any product I had in mind, because I’ve been exposed to all the variables and what could go wrong and how to fix it and still maintain a certain level. As with any job the more challenging it is, the more rewarding it is and that stood true for my time at Per Se.

Also, it was really great working with professionals. Every single person there, from the general manager to the director of operations to the dishwasher was serious about his or her job and so there is a level of commitment and seriousness about food that was really inspirational. It never felt contrived or ridiculous or what was being asked of you was too much, because everyone was committed to the same goals. The group dynamic carried the whole process, it was really a special experience and one that I’m super grateful for.

Then how did Runner and Stone come about?
I always wanted to own my own business and I wanted to do a retail vs. a wholesale bakery, but a retail bakery in New York is not really a moneymaker, just because I don’t think New York can have a bread culture the way Europeans do, where they buy bread sometimes multiple times a day, but each day at the very least. So in order to open a retail location knowing that the revenue from bread sales is going to be a lot less than with a wholesale bakery, we decided to pair it with a restaurant. I’ve known [Chef] Chris Pizzulli for almost twenty years and he was looking to do his own thing too and we just decided it would be a great partnership. He’s my husband’s cousin, so we’ve traveled and spent holidays together, always talking about food and developed a relationship around food that continues.

When we lived in Italy, Chris came to visit and we cooked with his cousins in Puglia, we traveled around and ate all different kinds of food and realized we were on the same page when it came to hospitality, what’s important and not important both in managing people and food service. So that’s how the idea for the bakery and restaurant combined came about. The rest was just us answering questions and solving problems as they came up.

You started selling bread before the restaurant came to be?
As soon as I got back from Italy, we basically had a business plan and started to pursue financing as well as looking for spaces, but that process ended up taking a over a year, so just to keep going and to keep me busy (Chris was still working at Blue Ribbon full-time). We started selling bread and pastries at markets. The first market we did was New Amsterdam Market, (may it rest in peace – for now), and then we got into the Brooklyn Flea Markets including Smorgasburg in Williamsburg.

At that time I was working with Hot Bread Kitchen (http://hotbreadkitchen.org/) helping with their production and Jessamyn Rodriguez was kind enough to let me use their kitchen overnight when they weren’t using it. So we did production for markets there and that wound up being a great way to fine-tune our recipes and our aesthetic and decide what products we were going to move forward with. At the same time, it kept us busy and got some press attention out there in anticipation of the opening.

Are there any products that failed or were not received as you had imagined?
I’d say any failures we had were the first iterations of our recipes. Our original croissant dough and baguette were different than the ones we opened Runner and Stone with. I’d say they were less good.

Then we changed the format of some things, like we used to make our brioche in a 2 kilo batard, that we would cut to order, something I’d seen in France and loved the idea of. People didn’t really get that. They still have trouble with our large format miche. The idea that you’re only getting a quarter of it seems weird to people. Little things like that.

For the most part, it was a way for me to test things, and see what sold in the market. If something disappeared the following week, no one was crazed, not like when you’re picking up the same thing everyday Monday through Friday on your commute to work. So it was a good chance to find out what people were buying and not buying.

One of our biggest sellers has always been our white baguette, which I think is really great, but some of our whole grain products are certainly more interesting. I think people shy away from it because they are buying bread for sandwiches specifically, not to eat with dinner or for cheese, which would be where you could get a more flavorful whole grain bread. At the market, people are asking what bread keeps for a long time and what works well with sandwiches. The crustier breads are a tougher sell. I wish people ate bread differently in some respects. Fresh bread is a revelation that a lot of people don’t have. I also get that in New York people work 50-60 hour weeks and don’t have time to shop for bread every morning.

How do you go about sourcing your flour?
When I got back from Italy, I went to a seminar about the local grain economy that was emerging in the early 2000s and I met June Russell from Greenmarkets who was really spearheading the development of that. I was working with Hot Bread Kitchen who were and are still using mostly local grains, and they were one of the first bakeries in Greenmarkets to meet the new regulations for local grains, which I think was 10-15% of your flour has to be local. Some of the other bakers were grandfathered in and have since increased their usage to where the average is now more than 50% local grains among all the bakeries.

Aside from June, I also met Elizabeth Dyck from OGRIN (Organic Growers and Research and information Sharing Network), who is a plant scientist and does a lot of work with testing different wheats and I got involved with their process. Together we worked on taste tests with different wheats. The local flours are really flavorful, but it appealed to me from an environmental science aspect as well. The buckwheat in the bread makes it look really beautiful and it tastes different and it’s also just a nice challenge. I think there are thousands of breads we could make, but as part of the creative process, it’s interesting to start with a set of ingredients that know you have to work around. That helps focus me on recipe development. I start by knowing I want to use this flour.

Did you explore bread at all during your time living in Italy?
The only work I did relating to bread was teaching for Slow Food Milan, who had organized a few classes on a farm outside Milan. That was really cool, just 30 people in a farm-house, hand mixing bread and we had one little convection oven that we’d process all the bread through, while everyone sat around and talked and drank wine. It was a particularly Italian experience.

In Italy I was working in a pasta shop for a year, which helped with the fresh pasta aspect at Runner & Stone. That was a wonderful experience with a group of people who were so open and willing to share. Then I worked on dairy farm that made it’s own cheese and spent a little bit of time with other cheese and sausage makers.

Outside of panettone, I didn’t find any bread that I particularly wanted to learn, but there’s no breaking into a panettone bakery. It just doesn’t happen. No one wants to share that with you.

Can you tell us about the process of developing pasta for Runner & Stone?
The bakery and kitchen develop the pastas together, or the kitchen will tell us what they need and we’ll work on different shapes and flavors, but then once it’s in production they help with it. We have a pasta extruder, so once we have the recipe, the kitchen handles that. The hand shaped pastas like the orecchiette, almost everyone who works here knows how to make them. The ravioli and sheeted pastas get done in the bakery.

How did you decide on Gowanus as the location?
Gowanus just kind of happened. We were looking everywhere, Lower East Side, East Village, Ditmas Park and all different neighborhoods of Brooklyn and Lower Manhattan. This was a neighborhood Chris knew, because he’s worked at Blue Ribbon Brooklyn, which is two blocks away and he knew that it was changing and more and more things were opening. We were bidding on the space across the street, which became The Pines while in negotiations for that space, we saw a For Sale sign on this building. We called the realtor, not with hopes of buying the building but to find out if it was purchased yet and who was going into the retail space. The realtor put us in touch with our current landlords. We had a phone conversation, which what we thought would take 10 minutes, but turned into an hour-long conversation about what we like and don’t like about social spaces and our ideas on food and hospitality and realized it was a perfect relationship.

Everyone told us we’d know the right space, we’d feel it in our gut, which I thought was BS, but I really felt as soon as we did a walk through with the owners it seemed like the only choice for us. Then the neighborhood started picking up and everything seemed to align.

The space has received much praise and attention in the design world. How did you approach the design of the space?
Our landlords are both architects, their firm is called Latent Productions  in TriBeca, but they bought it with plans to redevelop the whole building. So Chris and I didn’t really have any ideas on design, we just knew we needed a bakery and a kitchen and that we wanted it to be kind of casual, but nice, so the fact that the space came with designers was just an added bonus. Sal and Karla, our landlords and the principles of Latent, had some pretty strong ideas about what they wanted for the space and I think they enjoyed the challenge of incorporating two kitchens and the transformation of the space from a morning to an evening destination and how light plays into that. That was just serendipitous that they were so excited about this project and we were so excited about having someone that was so excited about the project. We just got lucky with that coming together.

How did the famous building blocks that resemble flour sacks come about?
That was Karla’s idea. She had mentioned it to me early on in our conversation. We are thinking of doing this, could you get me a few flour bags? We were doing market production at the time so we brought her different sizes from different companies and she picked one that worked out well and they developed these blocks. Then they became a real central part of the design. Then we went on to continue collecting flour bags from my production, Hot Bread Kitchen’s production, Daniel’s commissary kitchen’s production. There was definitely a few months of me trekking all around Manhattan with a granny-cart full of empty flour bags.

Did you get to see how this went down?
They were building them in the basement so they had a set up where they’d do 40 at a time. There’s over a thousand blocks in use. The bag would fit into this framework and they’d line the bag with plastic so it wouldn’t stick to the concrete. Then the framework allowed them to bulge, but stay within their specifications so they could be used to build with. So they would set the mold and then a day or two later break down the framework and take out the bags and start over again. It was definitely exciting when the first ones came out because I didn’t really have a picture in my mind what it was going to be like. Until that first wall went up, it was a just a pile of weird looking blocks in the back yard.

Runner and Stone is getting ready to celebrate its second anniversary, which is certainly an achievement in New York’s difficult restaurant climate. What do you hope for your team to accomplish in the upcoming year?
What I would love to see for Runner & Stone in the upcoming year is continued growth without compromising our current standards for ingredient sourcing, traditional, slow production techniques, and the strong, personal relationships we’ve built and continue to build with our customers.

Gaku Shibata, along with his wife Christy, owns Yopparai and Azasu in New York’s Lower East Side.

Can you tell us a little about where you’re from and how you got involved in the food world?

I was born in Tokyo, but I left Japan when I was 20.  After highschool – I didn’t know what I wanted to do, and had little motivation so I did many part time jobs, but I knew I wanted to study abroad, especially in the U.S. – so I tried to save money for tuition, but after two years, it wasn’t enough.  My mother found out tuition in China was less than half of Japan or the U.S. – so I decided on that and went to Beijing Foreign Studies University.  I didn’t have any interest in China, but I tried to like.  After getting there I really tried to like it.

What was your first impression?

Twenty years ago China was really different. I was the first Japanese student after Tianamen.  You know – June 1st – since then, China wasn’t expecting any foreign students and foreigners over all were much less than now, but I had a really great time.  I stayed four years and studied English and Chinese and International Relations, really I didn’t study anything, but got experience on how businesses could operate in China.  At that time I met my wife, Christy who was there on a short program from Pennsylvania and we wrote each other for 10 years and then got married.

After leaving China – I worked for several companies, but I learned I’m not good at working for somebody else, it’s kind of an embarrassing thing, but I can not fit in with Japanese conservative companies, so I would feel really uncomfortable and quit after two months and then I started to have lots of part time jobs, as a waiter or bartending at the American Club in Roppongi.  I starting thinking about starting a business.

First, I started a Chinese Mandarin school in Tokyo – at the time everyone wanted to start a business in China – so it was good timing.  Then I was importing hot dog pushcarts from New Jersey to Japan, and also importing Oscar Meyer hot dogs.  We sold a lot.  We had a pushcart at Tokyo Dome – a major baseball stadium, and horse racing and around Roppongi area.  We called it NY Hot Dog  – NYHD in Japanese it sounds like NYPD – and the uniform looked like New York City’s Police.  We did that for about 2 and half years, and then I worked importing other things, but at that time it was the bubble, so the economy was slowing down, so I started to cash out all my businesses. My wife was offered a job in New York, so we decided to come here.

My English was not really good enough for business, so I thought my only chance was to do something related to a restaurant.  My wife is American and I took her everyplace in Tokyo and she really liked it, so I saw the potential to have authentic Japanese food in New York City.  We came a couple times for sightseeing, but I never felt satisfied as a Japanese with the Japanese food here.

I started working for a restaurant in Japan, Aburaya. My head chef at Yopparai, Junya Miura, it’s his father’s place.  A thirty  year old historic Izakaya in Roppongi.  I was a regular there and I told his father  – I’m moving to the U.S. and want to start a Japanese food business.  I was over 30 years old – so to be an apprentice at that age is kind of crazy.  He thought I was not serious, so he said “I don’t think so”, but the next day I shaved my head, same as my master.  I wanted to show him I was serious.  So we talked again, and I said,  “I really want to study.  I don’t need money”.  And then he gave me a chance.  It was a great experience. Working five days a week, he showed me how to use knives, ingredients, recipes and management also.  I really respect him and appreciate him a lot for that.

I told Junya – I’m going to start a business in New York sometime soon, so please get ready.  I have permission from your father to take you with me.  But when I got to New York it was really hard, no friends, no experience.  I have some English difficulty – so the first year was really hard.   It was 2006, and I started working as a prep cook at Japanese restaurants, working in the basement, coming in really early to chop vegetables and open oysters.  It was really tough, but because I had a dream and stuff, I was able to bear it.

At that time my wife got a job offer in LA – so we moved again.  I was doing a really low level job, but my wife is an executive, so it’s tough with man’s pride – but we spent that time focusing on her career.  That was the hardest time.  I didn’t like LA, the vibe is so different from New York.  I grew up in Tokyo – where the vibe is more similar.  LA is a nice place with great weather and people are nicer than New Yorkers, but you know, I never felt comfortable… but I stayed and worked in a sushi bar.  And then after two years, we had the chance to come back to New York.  And I got more obsessed about starting a business.  I’d been in the states for five years now and really needed something for myself, so I brought Junya over from Japan and we started to open Yopparai.

In our opinion, Yopparai is one of the most beautiful spaces in New York.  Where did the design inspiration come from?

I didn’t want to have too much of a typical authentic interior, because this is New York.  The concept is authentic Japanese food, but the feel should be New York.  I had a friend who’s an architect, and he helped me visualize my idea.

I have a sake sommelier license, but I’m not into talking about sake and the process.  I’m more of a drinking sommelier.  I just like to drink and get drunk.  I shouldn’t say, I don’t care about the details of a sake but for me it depends more on the weather, who are you drinking with, what are you eating?  It’s really complicated, all these factors together.  Ultimately, I want to have a good time with sake at my place.  I’m not here to give a lecture.  If people want me to warm up daiginjo.. if they like it and are happy – I’m happy too.  I’m gonna tell them, I don’t recommend it, but if you really want to I’ll do it.  I’m easy going.  My concept at Yopparai is that I want every customer to have a smile and good buzz.

Judging from personal experience, it seems you’re very effective in that goal!  

Eating is the pleasure of life.  It’s not about what degree the sake is at.  I want to create a good condition to enjoy sake.

How did you collect all the different and beautiful sake cups?

I spent 10 years building my own collection, each time I went back to Japan, so that’s every sake cup on the shelf.  When people order high-end sake – or when my favorite customers come in, I like to use my personal collection.

Do you have to approach Japanese food differently in NY?  

Having a restaurant is really hard, because what New York needs and what I want to provide is sometimes different.  I’ve spent six years in the US, I know what New Yorkers want, so we decided to make the food really authentic, we don’t want to use avocado or truffles, I know it’s good and I understand that, but at that time there was a boom of big box restaurants, Nobu, Megu, Buddakan, Tao – fusion restaurants, so I decided that I don’t want to chase anyone.  I don’t want to do ramen or sushi.  There’s enough in New York City.  There were great sake places in New York – Sakagura, Decibel.  I respect them, but I wanted to do something different.  I wanted to sell something made in Japan.

Tell us about your new restaurant Azasu.

I liked the Lower East Side, I had a lot of ideas that I couldn’t do, because Yopparai is high end.  Lots of customers wanted shochu or beer and it’s hard to say no.  So I had the idea for a casual place.  I wanted younger customers and people to come in and enjoy ‘cup sake’ here, thinking in a few years, they can graduate to Yopparai.  I thought of it as a ‘Gateway Japanese Booze’ restaurant.  That’s the idea with everything from Japan – whiskey, beer, shochu.

These are two interesting restaurant names, if you speak Japanese, Yopparai meaning “Drunkard” and a Azasu, a kind of slangy way to say “Thanks very much much”  Where did the idea for these come from?  

I thought it needs to sound good, With ‘Yopparai’ – P is like Sapporo, Azasu the sound was most important.  It could be Spanish, Russian or African, it could be anything, but I wanted something catchy.

Can you tell us about this freezing drink machine.

We serve Hoppy – which is a non alcoholic hop drink [for mixed drinks].  We’re the first official restaurant, but Hoppy’s president gave me 3 conditions.  1 – Hoppy must be really cold.  2 – We have to freeze the shochu and 3 – We had to freeze the mug.  So we have this 24 degree shochu [on tap], and this is NY so I want something catchy – so I was looking on the web and found this magic froster – it’s from Spain, so this is the first one in NY.  People like it, some complain it’s too noisy, but most people like it.

Any favorite places to Eat in New York?

I love Cagen, I respect the chef a lot.  The sushi and soba is amazing.  I can say it’s the best soba in New York.  It’s three bites, but really great.  That’s it for going out, because lately I’m really busy.

This past September, Chubo had the great pleasure to take part in FEAST Portland, a phenomenal food festival celebrating the Pacific Northwest’s wealth of local craftsman, food products and culinary talent. Now in its third year, FEAST hosts a stellar line-up of internationally recognized chefs and culinary industry leaders to showcase the very best that the region has to offer. With the net proceeds going towards ending childhood hunger in Oregon and around the country through Partners for a Hunger-Free Oregon and Share Our Strength, it’s a ton of fun for a very worthy cause.

We came to take part in the festival’s Grand Tasting event, which hosted 15 local breweries, 33 wineries and 17 artisan food makers along with a main stage for demos by top culinary talent. For the Chubo Booth we brought along a wide selection of knives for guests to try out. We were super excited about the response from our visitors and made lots of new friends. The list of restaurants and wineries we’re dying to try around the country keeps growing!

On Friday our friend Chef Hugh Acheson from Empire State South, The National, Five and Ten and The Florence stopped by to demo some of our knives by breaking down a beautiful whole salmon from Foods in Season. Other highlights included his mango ‘porcupine’ and some nice fine julienne work.

On Saturday we got to hang out with Portland’s own, Nodoguro. Chef Ryan Roadhouse who impressed everyone with his fierce Japanese knife skills by demoing katsuramuki on daikon with our usubas and also breaking down a king salmon using the Japanese method.

We made the rounds at the festival events and parties and ate our share of crazy delicious things.

At the USA Pears Night Market, it was great to see our hometown New York City represented well with Public Chef, Brad Farmerie’s Laksa and Anisa Chef Anita Lo’s grilled quail. The line for Departure Chef Gregory Gourdet’s carmelized pork looped all over the Night Market, but was well worth the wait. Lucky Peach Editor in Chief Chris Ying summed it up pretty well when he said, “I just want to stand here and eat pears”. They were truly exceptional.

The festival wrapped up in a most perfect fashion with a Brunch Village hosted by Tillamook. Like most of the FEAST events, the country’s most buzzy dishes are all on offer in one location. Our weeklong craving for an Asian breakfast was delightfully satisfied with Alvin Cailan of LA’s Eggslut’s take on kimchi fried rice. The fact that we frequent their shop in New York didn’t stop us from bee-lining to Black Seed Bagel’s booth for the perfect Montreal style bagel (which we heard was baked all night in Roman Candle Baking Company’s oven) and of course we braved the monumental line for Aaron Franklin’s brisket taco.

We spent the last day in Oregon driving through the Colombia River’s Gorge to Hood River, where we visited The Kiyokawa family’s orchard. We gladly paid the over charge fee on our suitcase filled with their tarragon pickled cherries and huckleberry jam and some last summer peaches for the road. We made a brief wine stop at Hood River Winery for some of their fantastic Pinot Noir. We drank in the view and picked up a bottle for our Tokyo Staff.

Lastly we had one of the most incredible and memorable dinners of the past year at OX. Greg and Gabi Denton and their fantastic team are putting out some incredibly delicious and soulful takes on Argentinian inspired Portland food. Their Fresh Clam Chowder with Smoked Marrow Bone and Jalapeno is one of the most inventive and delicious bowls of food you can imagine. It’s truly a stunner and we’d recommend a trip to Portland for that dish alone, not to mention every other fire grilled thing on the menu.

Thanks to the whole team at FEAST who worked tremendously hard to pull off an epic event. And to the nice people at Will Leather Goods for the gift bag which is getting a lot of use at the farmers market both in NYC and Tokyo. Hope to see you all next year!

This video, beautifully produced by Eater, features Chef Paul Liebrandt discussing the essential knives and techniques for any cook. Featured are Chubo’s Takeda, Kagekiyo, Takamura and Saji Takeshi knives.

Keith Kreeger is a designer artist and maker whose work graces the tables of some of the countries best restaurants.  You can find more of his work here.

Tell us a little about where you grew up?

I grew up just outside of New York City in Westchester County. Most of my family is still in New York and I go back for work often. Even though I’m living in Texas, New York is still a big part of my life.

How did you first get interested in pottery?

I took my first class when I was in high school but it was at Skidmore College when I really became serious about working with clay. I took a class during a summer session after my sophomore year, which was a big switch from the previous summer when I had interned on Capitol Hill. About 1 week into that first clay session I was working in the studio 10 hours a day and couldn’t wait to get back in there. About halfway through that session I met Toshiko Takaezu who came to Skidmore every summer to make some work. Next thing I knew I was pulling an all-nighter with Toshiko, her apprentice and a couple of other students as Toshiko made a 6 foot tall thrown form. That level of effort and concentration was amazing to me. I spent the rest of my time in college figuring out how to spend the most amount of time in the studio.

What is the most satisfying/challenging aspect of your work?

Working in the studio is obviously a process driven endeavor. Because of that it’s incredibly rewarding to see the work flow from start to finish on a daily basis. There aren’t too many jobs that allow a person to see the results of their effort every day. It’s very similar to cooking in that sense. In the studio there are steps to follow and you’re constantly reacting to the materials at each stage of the process. Each moment in each round of work becomes information and part of a library of ideas to pull from for future work. I absolutely love revisiting an idea or form with skills and techniques that have evolved through the years.

As for challenges, working in the studio is physical work and certain tasks can be arduous and some are even tedious…but each of those steps is necessary to get the quality of finished work that I’m after. I often joke that as soon as we solve a problem in the studio within a process we’ll add another step or complication. I think the biggest issue in the studio right now is editing down the collections…finding the pieces that work best and the designs that succeed as part of a larger conversation. We are constantly tweaking ideas and trying new things.

In 2009 you moved your studio from Cape Cod Massachusetts to Austin, Texas. What prompted the move and how has the relocation influenced your work?

I loved living on the Cape and I built my first studio there long before I was ready to take on that endeavor. That turned out to be a good thing because I learned a lot about the process and a lot about myself that way. The Cape was so busy for the 4 months a year but in those long winters I often found myself in the studio at odd hours trying as many different things as possible. In 2009 my wife and I decided to move because we were ready for a city again. It turned out to be a good time to move and it definitely brought new inspiration to my work. I have been greatly inspired by the creative community in Austin. It’s a vibrant city that pulls its energy from so many sources…artists, tech companies, musicians, start-ups and the food community are all intertwined and are helping the city grow. I like to say that even my friends with boring jobs are doing interesting things. Without rambling further…I think my work has become cleaner and more contemporary since moving to Austin.

Your work is the canvas for some of the country’s top chefs. Can you tell us a little about the collaboration process when working with chefs?

It’s very exciting to be working with chefs and I love seeing how each of their ideas show up on my work. I’ve always loved working with other creative groups and this collaboration just makes so much sense since so much of my work is made to serve food. The use of handmade wares in restaurants is obviously a trend at this point. What I find most important is that we communicate and educate each other so we keep the quality as high as possible. Just because something is handmade doesn’t give it an inherent good that warrants use. If you look around the tabletop world you even have commercial dinnerware manufacturers coming out with “craft” collections. I’m very deliberate with each piece that leaves my studio and am always thinking of how my work will be used. It’s incredibly humbling for me to know that on a given night around the country that so many people are using my work.

My process of working with chefs has a few options. One version is simply a chef choosing our standard collections for their spaces. Another way to work together is to come up with custom wares for the space. It could be as simple as a variation of one of my collections, which is what we’re doing for Tim Maslow at Ribelle. I just finished working on a series of carafes for another client’s water service. We’re definitely not a fabricating studio, but I’ve been lucky to have gotten calls from chefs who have an idea and give me the creative freedom to run with their ideas. Basically, I can make an entire line of tableware for a space or my work can be used to highlight a part of the service or decor within the greater setting of the restaurant.

As Paul Qui gets ready to open his tasting room I’ve been working on an exclusive line for him. The components are very geometric and modular for kitchen to work with. Paul recently texted me a photo of an egg with a cracked shell asking if we could make it out of porcelain. That’s not something I normally would have tried but we made some porcelain eggs and I think it’s going to be a pretty special part of the experience in the tasting room.

We really enjoyed following your recent trip to Japan on Instagram. Was it your first time there? Can you share what surprised/delighted you, culinarily and or related to Japanese ceramics?

My wife and I were lucky enough to travel to Japan last fall for my brother-in-law’s wedding. The wedding was beautiful, in a Shinto shrine in Tokyo. The history of ceramics in Japan is amazing and I would love to go back for a more pottery-focused trip. We traveled through Tokyo and Kyoto but didn’t make it to any of the outlying pottery villages. We had some amazing meals and since my sister-in-law is from Tokyo we had a great guide for information. The best piece of advice from her was that instead of looking for a restaurant, decide on the type of food you want and go to the neighborhood that specializes in that. Under the train tracks in a smoke filled alley in Ginza we had incredible Yakitori. We had some great meals as part of the wedding group. My wife was a little worried about food so ramen became our safe meal and was our go to food throughout the trip. We also had one splurge meal on our last night in Japan at Ryugin. It was an amazing experience from start to finish. And, as a pottery nerd I was blown away by the level of ceramics used in the restaurant. There was an abalone served with an abalone broth. That broth came in a little cup from a kiln in Shigaraki. I’m sure that the cup was worth at least $1500. The object and its importance to the experience was incredibly inspiring to see.

By far our favorite experience was also the “worst” food of the entire trip. We were in Kyoto and wanted the most un-touristy experience we could have. We kept peeking in restaurants looking for a lack of foreigners and we finally found one. We sat at the counter surrounded by 70 year old Japanese men and ordered the set menu. The 80 year old woman who owned the restaurant tried to communicate to us to make sure that’s what we wanted. It was a meal full of awkward smiles and lots of pointing to explain what everything was. The food was so purely old school Japanese, full of textures and flavors that our western palates couldn’t really handle. But, by the end of the evening one man had finally asked laughingly why we were eating there. Another diner was pouring us shochu from the bottle he brought with him. My wife had about 12 plates of unfinished food in front of her since they wouldn’t clear a dish until all of the food was gone. We took pictures with the owner, her son who helped in the kitchen and her daughter who was serving. They walked us out and we all smiled and laughed and waved. We were going to circle back to get a picture of the restaurant but they were still outside laughing and waving when we were halfway down the block. It was the exact experience we were looking for…welcomed into another culture through food and hospitality.

What are your go to restaurant recommendations in Austin?

The restaurant scene in Austin has just blown up since 2009 and there are so many fantastic choices now. Start any evening with a cocktail at either Whisler’s or Weather Up.

Obviously, I’m going to suggest Qui so you can eat off my so many of my plates. Enjoy the ride that Paul and his crew take you on. One of my favorite restaurants in town is Justine’s Brasserie. It’s like walking into another world and I love what Chef Casey Wilcox is cooking. The pork chop is incredible and the potato gratin is insanely delicious. Make sure you order from his daily menu where he gets super creative and pulls from an array of influences that all work within the brasserie setting. It’s also a great late night choice as the kitchen serves until 1am. I never thought that I’d move to Austin find my favorite sushi restaurant but get to Uchi and enjoy as much as the menu as you can. You’re going to have to get tacos while you’re here and I love the Veracruz All Natural trailer…go for the migas breakfast tacos. Ramen Tatsu-Ya is a must as well. The tonkotsu broth is amazing and the marinated soft-boiled egg is as perfect as it gets.

In Boston get to Ribelle and check out what Tim Maslow is cooking…easily one of the best meals I have had all year. Also, Coppa is fantastic and the lobster rolls at Neptune Oyster are the absolute best I’ve ever had. In NYC I love Sushi Zen for straight up old school sushi. I have had a couple of really great meals at Toro recently. I want Pearl and Ash to open in Austin…great food at a great price and a wine list that satisfies everybody. I’m dreaming of their octopus dish right now. Twice a year I bring a new collection to the market at the Javits. As soon as I finish packing up the show I head directly to Esca for oysters, crudo and one of the daily pastas…it’s a great way to finish the trip…I’m a big fan of rituals.

Tell us a little about your culinary background and how you got into professional cooking?

I started in the coffee business in 1997 at Starbucks as a part time barista. Despite its rapid assimilation into a large commercial entity, Starbucks exposed me to specialty coffee and opened my eyes to this growing segment. I stayed with the company for 3 years before moving into restaurant life. Coffee would remain a focus and a passion.

My first cooking job was preparing staff meal for Fritz Blank and his team at Deux Cheminees in Philadelphia. I had been waiting tables at Davio’s and Brasserie Perrier when I was befriended by local chef Shola Olunloyo of Studiokitchen. He took me to Fritz as an apprentice. It was laborious and confusing. I was trying to make sense of the old school discipline but I wasn’t totally sold on it yet. I plugged away for 6 months before moving into the garde manger section at Brasserie Perrier.

I didn’t realize what a special time the early 00’s were in American culinaria. Fusion cooking was full tilt and established, pharmaceutical companies had royal expense accounts, chefs were becoming rock stars. Brasserie Perrier was my university. Under Chris Scarduzio, I learned the foundations of French cuisine alongside sensible Italian and rogue Asian cooking.  It was a constant state of anxiety: pushing, learning, rising up, fighting, burning. Cooks got fired all the time. Chef knew what and who he wanted on the line, and he wasn’t afraid to get it done his way. It was an amazing experience, and I am forever grateful for all of those I worked with there with, but I was still searching.

I moved on to Salt with Chef Vernon Morales. He had worked for Martin Berastegui and Ferran Adria and I was fascinated with that type of cooking. I was still earning my stripes at being a reliable cook, and Vernon awoke another side to cooking that I needed to learn: the scientific method. Ask questions. Understand the purpose. Anticipate the result. He was technique driven but had a wickedly creative mind. I stayed at Salt until it closed in 2004, and went to Marigold Kitchen to regroup with my Salt counterparts.

After 6 months at Marigold Kitchen, I was fortunate enough to be accepted at Mugaritz in San Sebastian, Spain. Mind numbing cuisine. There were plenty of places in the States to go stage, but the challenge and enticement of being overseas was driving me. Chef Andoni Aduriz teaches cooking as it relates to time and sense of place. His flavors are deceiving. Some are simple, some are complicated, yet all of them represent Spain. I’ve never taken so much enjoyment in preparing vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. I didn’t spend enough time at Mugaritz to fully understand all of Andoni’s philosophy, but it changed my approach and respect for cooking which prepared me for my next job: Paul Liebrandt’s GILT.

Fran Derby from WD-50 came to Mugaritz during my last 2 weeks. Quite frankly, he talked me into the Gilt job. I wasn’t good enough to cook on THAT level…..NYC. A hotel. A badass chef. But I went for it. After Paul talked me into it as well. Gilt was a beast, but an absolutely gorgeous creation. It lived up to its name. I’ve never seen so many talented cooks under one roof. It was special and remains one of my favorite places of employment.

I returned to Philadelphia to open my own place, Snackbar. It was too early in my career to do this, however, everything happens for a reason and it’s another part of my story. I was full of ideas and anxious to show my hometown what I had gathered. Even Philadelphia Magazine called me “Best New Chef” in 2007. I enjoyed being in charge and had some great moments there, but I left to take on a gastropub down the street called Pub & Kitchen. A European inspired gastropub. We did it all. I had a blast, from fish ‘n’ chips to foie gras. La Frieda burgers to cochon au lait. So many good cooks came through there. Many of them are now running kitchens in Philly. We opened a seasonal shore dining restaurant called The Diving Horse that never got the credit it deserved. It was a gorgeous, airy place where we could really cook whatever we wanted to and take full advantage of the coastal New Jersey bounty.

Despite all of this success, I chose to leave the professional kitchen in January 2013.

After years as a chef, how did Rival Bros Coffee come to be?
Rival Bros was launched in Nov 2011 as a mobile cafe in Philly’s Love Park. We took an old DHL delivery truck and made it into a coffee shop. I was looking for another creative outlet, and my passion for coffee was shared by my best friend, Damien Pileggi. He had been working for La Colombe for the past 7 years and was ready to make a move. We have the same values and core ethics. We always wanted to do something together and we were just waiting for the right time. Damien learned to roast coffee, we raised some cash and pulled the trigger.

Tell us about Rival Bros Co-Founder Damien Pileggi and your relationship with him.

Damien Pileggi is a good ol boy. He was raised right and understands being hospitable. We met in high school but became very close friends during the years after that. We waited tables together, we lived together, we hung out together. Our wives were college roommates, so I have him to thank for that intro!!! Damien cares tremendously about coffee and I am continually learning from him.

What were some of the biggest challenges in getting the Rival Bros name out there and getting the cafe funded and open?

As with any business, startup is difficult. Because of my chef background and Damien’s expertise, we gained a following quickly. We chose to work with a PR company for the first few months because we weren’t interested in advertising, but rather sharing our message and we felt that was the best way to achieve results. Damien and I have always been workers, so we were faced with running the books and keeping a tight ship.

At this time we use a number of high end green coffee importers. We have great relationships with them, and they have direct relationships with the farms. We only use coffee that comes from an approved, reputable source. We are concerned with clean water, deforestation, fair wages and education in the origin countries. Coffee is so manual and requires a lot of back breaking skill to gather even a small amount of cherries. We are constantly tasting new coffees. We embrace all forms of coffee, but we are partial to natural process coffees; they have such a deep, unique flavor from the fruit.

There’s a lot of discusssion in the coffee world about the best brewing methods. What are your thoughts there?

Coffee has become very competitive and very scientific. I appreciate the steps of analysis and the consideration it requires, but what trumps all of that is flavor. Every coffee wants to be made a different way. It all depends on how you roast it and when it was harvested. I can’t say what the best method for brewing is—- but I can give you our favorite. We will always love espresso.

What’s your essential or favorite tool to use at the cafe?

We would lose focus and consistency without a digital gram scale. It allows us to make sure the machines are calibrated, our dose is on point and ultimately that our coffee tastes right.

That said, I have to mention the surge of joy I get when I see a dense, syrupy shot of espresso in our café. We have a La Marzocco GB/5— it’s well built and easy on the eyes.

What inspires you right now?

I’m inspired by my wife, Melissa. She’s given me three beautiful sons in 6 years. Raising three kids, caring for two dogs and keeping an eye on me is no easy task. She’s my source of encouragement and my gut check. She doesn’t get awards, but she should.

Any suggestions for restaurants or cafes we should check out in Philly?

There’s a lot of great coffee shops in Philly right now— Elixr, Bodhi, Ox, ReAnimator, Ultimo, Shot Tower etc but my current fave is Menagerie in Old City. They are using great coffee from Dogwood, Ceremony and George Howell. They also have the friendliest staff.

For restaurants, I can’t stop eating at Fitler Dining Room and High Street on Market. Vernick Food + Drink is another ridiculously solid option.

We had the honor of sitting down with Chef Paul Liebrandt recently to talk about his culinary background, philosophy and his new restaurant project The Elm.

How did u get into cooking initially?
I suppose I stumbled into cooking. It wasn’t like a lot of chefs they have a lineage of a family or….mine didn’t have anything to do with food. I don’t know really. It wasn’t one thing that I was going to go and cook.  I just liked food, ingredients. Not one particular thing, definitely not.

Who were your mentors early on?
When I was a younger man, Marco Pierre White, Pierre Gagnaire, Raymond Blanc, people who I had worked for were a huge influence on me in various ways. In some ways for their rigor, their mentality, their focus of how to be a chef from a chef’s point of view. Some for the creative aspect, for purely culinary, purely just the food. And their approach and the way they think about food.

How would you describe your culinary style?
I would describe my culinary style at present to be modern European, contemporary French if you’d like a little more specificity there. I wouldn’t say that it’s too boxed in with being French. There is a lot of influence there from Japanese ingredients and technique to Southeast  Asia, as I think there are probably in most modern chefs these days. There are a lot of world influences because the world is obviously a much different place than it was quite a while ago.

What were the steps that led you to where you are now, from Atlas to Gilt to Corton?
Gilt was seven years ago and I was seven years younger. I think any chef when they’re young, every five years is the future. In terms of technology, in terms of in general, most people, that’s the way they look at the future. So, that was the future.

My cooking now is more of an amalgamation of what I was doing at Atlas and French. At Atlas, we were some of the first people to do molecular gastronomy in this country, before Alinea, before any of that. It was more El Bulli-esque kinds of things mixed with that Gagnaire-esque French technique. And, it was very great food. I’ve evolved since then, because I’ve seen the way the food world as a whole around the globe is moving and I like to reinvent my cuisine to a point and keep it fresh and motivated. Some things don’t change, the standards, the rigor, the way that we think about food. The combinations, that doesn’t change; however, because we are seven years on, the techniques and the focus is different.

What inspired you to start work on The Elm, which is a more casual concept than Corton?
I am doing this project because I was approached by my partners there and it was a very good opportunity to have a presence in an area of New York City that is only expanding and is growing in every possible way. And, I think that is a very good way to look at restaurants. I am going to be doing something there that is more affordable than Corton. There will be no white tablecloths, there will be music in the dining room and the dining room has a completely different feel of dining experience. The same PL style on the food; it’s devoid of all the bells and whistles that you have in fine dining, canapés, amuse bouche etc. It will be French style with my interpretation of classical French food with classical French flavors and technique done in a subtle way. I’m not trying to reinvent the wheel, I’m not trying to do a French brasserie, but we have a good grasp on what we want to do there, which I looked at the market and there is not anything out there like that.

Is it the same foundation?
I mean it’s always the same foundation. We cook a piece of fish and we cook a piece of fish. At Corton, we may be using turbot or shima aji. At the Elm, we may be using skate. But, we still approach it in the same manner. It doesn’t change. When you’re talking about casual food, you’re talking about accessibility. You’re not talking about how accessible on the plate it is. Price is what makes it exclusive or not. If Per Se was $50 per head, it would be thought of very differently because it would be much less exclusive. So, it really does come down to the price of the dining experience. So, obviously the Elm is priced in a more sensitive manner to a bigger, wider audience. So, that makes it more ‘casual’. Although, that’s a difficult word to use because I’m doing a restaurant not a bistro or brasserie. I would prefer to call it affordable luxury. Very good ingredients, cooked very nicely in a really great feel dining room, with a great atmosphere at a price point that most people can afford and can come back every week. And, I feel that is where the future of dining is going. Corton is obviously the 0.1% in this country. In Asia, fine dining is very much there still.

What qualities do you look for in the people you hire?
It’s not necessarily how much experience they have. If a young person comes to me, I’m looking at their will. I’m looking at their drive. If they have an open mind and when they’re shown something if they listen and pay attention and they have that focus. And they have the will to succeed. I give them the tools necessary to succeed but they have to have the will to want to do it. And that is really what I’m looking for when I have a young person come here. And then once I’ve given them those tools, it’s a question of monitoring every day. It’s up to them to make sure and if they decide it’s not for them, then it’s not for them. But, generally it’s the person; we spend so many hours together that I want to enjoy the person’s company that I’m working with. And, do they fit well within a team? Are they a team player rather than an individual? It’s just basic rules of working together.

How about culinary school? Do you recommend it?
No, not necessarily because everybody is different. I didn’t go to the CIA, I didn’t do all that, but that’s me. It doesn’t mean that it was right or wrong. It’s the same as anybody in any career. There’s the way we all think life should go and then there’s the way it does go. It doesn’t mean that it’s wrong, it’s subjective.

At the moment, are there any ingredients or techniques that are particularly exciting to you?
Because it’s spring, garlic is all over the place right now. We’re doing fresh garlic in all kinds of ways, which is a lot of fun. Not the same as most wild ingredients, but it’s got a lot of character to it. Technique-wise, I’m not one of those chefs who says ‘I’ve invented this new technique’. I’m not like that. I just do what I do; I’ve never been showy about the food. A lot of the European chefs, they are like that, but that’s not me. I think of myself as not just playing with the food, but I’m orchestrating the show every night. I want to move more now to being more of a restaurateur than just a straight chef.
What’s your favorite kitchen tool?
Realistically, it’s my hands, my palette, my eyes, my senses. If I’m honest, because that’s the biggest tool. Without that, it’s all done. If we’re talking about an actual piece of equipment, a good spoon is always good to have. A good quality Japanese knife, absolutely. I wouldn’t go anywhere without it.

What are your favorite places to eat?
En Brasserie. It’s simple, it’s clean, it’s an everyday kind of place. Bar Masa is great; it’s fun and delicious. If I go for sushi, I’m not going at 7, I’m going at 11. So, Blue Ribbon sushi is open then, and it’s really consistent and really, really good. But for me, that is sort of it. If I could eat just Japanese food everyday I would.

You recently spent a week in Japan. How would you compare the food there to what people encounter here in the U.S. or in Europe?
It’s amazing. It’s night and day, it’s oil and water, it’s light and dark. The reverence for the product, the reverence for the technique of just cooking, is far beyond anything in this country. The discipline and the bushido and the craftsmanship, your focus of doing something because that’s what you were born to do, you don’t see that in the U.S. And, I’m not that old but I’m old enough to have touched on a time when that classical French generation was very similar to that. But it’s changed now. Everyone’s got ADD. No one can focus on anything for too long, because they want everything instantly and they don’t want to work for it. It’s a simple thing. The cooks will cook in a particular part of the kitchen for a couple months and then expect to move. To become really masterful and do something until it becomes muscle memory, to do that you have to have patience and understand the longer picture. So, for me, I think it’s very important that remains and I see that in Japan. And, it’s something which is lost here. It’s my home here (U.S.) and I shouldn’t say that, but it’s the truth. And the truth is very simple. It’s worldwide. Its’ not what it was. In Japan, I love that mentality and that approach. It’s ‘Welcome to my home’ and it’s reverence for every single little thing and I love it. I think that is the way life should be. Life would be better if everything was like that and people were dedicated and people were focused.

Do you have any advice for young cooks starting out?
This is not a 100 meters, this is a marathon this business. It’s very hard to tell young people that. They want to jump on it and they want to run and that’s important. It’s good to have that. But you need to obviously be balanced and understand it doesn’t happen all in one day. You do have to be patient. You have to work at it and you have to keep up that ambition. You have to keep up that focus and that drive. When I say to them, I can tell you something, I can show you the door but you have to walk through that door.

Photo credit: Evan Sung

What is your earliest food memory?
My mom baking bread. She made really great crusty whole wheat bread in coffee cans.

What led you to become passionate about Thailand and northern Thai food?
Traveling in Northern Thailand back in the 80’s and 90’s. I can’t recommend travel enough for anyone who wants to learn more about another culture. And I’m not talking about going on a party tour or htting twenty locations in a week. Go there, stay in one place, be curious, let it unfold.

How would you describe your cooking style?
It’s an amalgamation of very traditional Thai technique (lots of mortar and pestle), line cook trickery and Western finessing of traditional Thai cooking technique (where many Thais would boil the shit out of some pork ribs, I will instead simmer…simple as that).

Who are some of your mentors, both in and out of the kitchen?
David Thompson, who made it seem possible for a farang (foreigner) like me to get some kind of grip on Thai cooking; Chris Israel (former boss and chef at Zefiro restaurant in Portland, a seminal eatery that pre-dated most of the current Portland scene, and current chef at Gruner in Portland) who really showed me how to use my palate.  Sunny Chailert, my friend and mentor from Chiang Mai who has had tremendous influence on my taste and vocabulary. Willy Vlautin (author of several novels, one of which is currently a major motion picture: “Motel Life”) who said to me once “just tell your story”.

What inspired you to open Pok Pok and what were some of the challenges with the initial opening?
I didn’t know what else to do. I’d been a housepainter for nine years, did not want to work for anyone ever again and did not want to be a painter anymore. That left opening a restaurant.

How did the experience of opening in New York differ from opening in Portland?
Well, it was much fucking harder.

What are the main differences between diners in these two cities?
New York City diners tend to be more open to the more esoteric dishes on the menu, but both cities have embraced Pok Pok equally.

Are there any Thai (or non-Thai) ingredients that you are especially excited about at the moment?
Just picked up a kilo of naam phrik made in Mae Hong Son that has toasted ground thua nao khaep (thin fermented/dried soybean cakes), ground dried fish, salt and chiles, used for making certain dishes in the Tai Yai canon; looking forward to making Koh Phak Kuut (Tai Yai salad of fiddlehead ferns, tomatoes, shallots and this naam phrik, mixed with raw sesame oil and seeds) in the spring.

What kitchen tools do you consider essential?
Mortar and pestle. Since we are on knives here, I love Japanese knives…but I can afford them. Every recipe in the Pok Pok cookbook was made for the beauty shots in Thailand, in a Thai kitchen using cheap Kiwi knives, so no need to have the fancy knives to make this food…but it sure makes it easier.

Favorite places to eat in Thailand, the U.S. and beyond?
I love eating all over Thailand. I can’t really give a favorite spot, but Northern Thai is my first love, followed by Isaan and central Thailand….I love Southern Thai food too but know the least about it. I’d fly to London just to have breakfast at St. John Bread and Wine….and I don’t even like wine.

Photo credits: Evan Sung and David Reamer