Japan Eats!

Our guest is Sylvain Huet who is one of the few Japanese sake experts in France. He is also the first French Sake Samurai, which is appointed by The Japan Sake Brewers Association Junior Council. Sylvain is also the organizer of on of the biggest sake events in the world Salon du Sake held annually in Paris. In this episode, we will discuss Sylvain’s unique path to the world of sake, what sake Fre...

Our guest is James Kumm, the owner of Landmark Wine and Spirits in Chelsea, Manhattan. At the back of the store is a special section Minoru's Sake Shop that features regional sake. He is recognized as one of the professionals who effectively promote the preciousness of Japanese sake by the Consulate General of Japan. Today, we will discuss James’ unique analysis of Japanese sake market as a retail...

Our my guest is Gaston Becherano who is the co-founder & CEO at Bonsai Kakigōri , which opened in April this year2019. Kakigori is a traditional Japanese icy dessert. It is similar to snow cones but is distinctively different. And it is a very nostalgic and culturally important food for the Japanese. In this episode, we will discuss how Gaston got into the world of kakigori, why it is a great...

Our guest is Erina Yoshida of Yoshida Restaurant Group in New York. Erina’s father, Tony Yoshida is a quintessential figure when you talk about Japanese food culture in New York. He owns and operates multiple food establishments, including the legendary Sunrise Mart and Angel’s Share. And Erina is supporting him as the COO of the company. In this episode, we discuss how Erina’s father started the...

Our guest today is Austin Power who has been in the sake industry for the last 15 years as sake sommelier and kikizakeshi. Austin currently works at Tokyo Record Bar in Greenwich Village, Niche Niche and Special Club both in SOHO, all super-popular spots in New York City. He also have a 10 year experience as sake sommelier at Sake Bar Satsuko in the East Village. (And he is also a talented artist...

Our guest today is Koichi Higuchi of Higuchi Matsunosuke Shoten in Osaka, Japan. His business is to provide koji starters to manufacturers of traditional fermented foods in Japan, such as miso, soy sauce, sake ... you name it! Indeed, koji, the beneficial mold, is a quintessential element of Japanese food culture. Koji is also becoming a buzz word in the global culinary industry. For example, René...

Our guest is Justin Potts who has lived in Japan for the last 15 years, working on various projects to connect different communities from rural to global, with the power of Japanese traditional food culture. And he is also a kurabito at a sake brewery and the co-host of sake and shochu specialized podcast Sake On Air. In this episode, we will discuss how Justin got involved in Japanese culture, hi...

Our guest today is Russell Kohn, who is the chief operating officer of the mochi ice cream company Mochidoki . Mochi ice cream is super popular in the US and other global markets, so we will dig into the special delicacy! Russell is also starting up an amazake production company. Amazake is now very well-known outside Japan yet, but it is another sweet item with lots of history, cultural backgroun...

Our guest is Jamie Graves , the Japanese Portfolio Manager at Skurnik Wines , which is a leading wine and spirits importer and distributor based in NYC. Jamie joined us on Episode 114 and discussed his interesting path to get into the world of sake, and the unique process of sake making. In this episode, we will talk about shoshu. Jamie recently visited 14 shochu distilleries in southern Japan. We...

Our guest is Ken Fornataro, the founder and CEO of the Culture Group , which offers unique educational programs about fermentation with the focus on Japanese and Asian-style foods. Fermented foods are increasingly popular nowadays for their deliciousness and health benefits. Ken is one of the leading experts of fermentation in the US. In this episode, we will discuss how he got into the world of f...

Our guests are Elena Yamamoto & Yael Peet, wonderfully talented chefs who cooked beautiful Japanese-influenced food at Karasu in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, until recently. They are currently getting ready for their own new restaurant. Elena and Yael grew up in the US, but understand the essence of Japanese food very, very well. Today, we will discuss how they learned cooking Japanese food, how the...

Our guest is Nico Russell who is the chef/owner of Oxalis , a beautiful new American restaurant in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn. Nico worked in some of the greatest restaurants in the world, and after a series of popular pop-up dinners, he finally opened Oxalis in November 2018. His dishes are elaborate and refined, but very approachable and reasonably priced. Nico incorporates Japanese flavors uniq...

On May 1, 2019, Crown Prince Naruhito was inaugurated as the 126th emperor of Japan. As a result, a new Japanese era Reiwa began. In this episode, the Japan-based food expert Elizabeth Andoh returns (she was on Episodes 18, 61, 83, 99, 108 and 131) to discuss notable food trends in Japan during the previous Heisei era (1989-2019) and the unique Japanese mindset behind them. Japan Eats is powered b...

Our guest is Moe Kuroki who is the chef/owner of Oisa Ramen in Boston. The aspiring artist from Japan found her creative stage at her own ramen shop where she calls "a home to everyone". In this episode, we discuss how she began her career as a ramen chef, her classic yet creative menu, challenges she faced in running a ramen shop in the US and much, much more!!! Photo By Tzahi Kerem Japan Eats is...

Our guest is Jonathan Garcia of Osakana , the innovative fishmonger in Brooklyn. The CIA grad discusses his unique relationship with Japanese culture, his devotion to promoting Japanese fish culture to a broad New York audience through unique programs at Osakana, and much, much, more!!! Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Not...

Our guests today is Peter Hottum (AKA Sakeman Green) of Kuramoto US , which represents wonderful boutique sake labels in the US. Peter recently spent 6 weeks in Japan to study sake-making at 8 breweries in total. We discuss his intriguing experience at each brewery, along with an academic program he took in Tokyo, how he got on multiple media in Japan, and much, much more!!! Japan Eats is powered...

Our guest is Massud Ghaussy who has a Japanese food and restaurant blog on instagram under TokyoManhattan . His posts not only describe restaurants he has visited, but also include many other elements behind the dishes, such as history, culture, cooking methods. He appeared on Episode 125 and 136, and shared his favorite Japanese chefs and restaurants in Paris, NY and in Tokyo as well as sushi res...

Our guest is Jeff Cioletti , the author of “ Sake-Pedia: A Non-Traditional Guide to Japan’s Traditional Beverage ”. Japanese sake is becoming popular in the US, which is now the biggest importer of the national beverage of Japan. But it is hard to find an easy and fun guidebook of sake. Jeff’s book is very handy for someone who is curious about it, for both beginners and connoisseurs. We will disc...

Our guest is Derek Wilcox who studied Kaiseki cuisine at the 3 michelin-starred restaurant Kikunoi in Kyoto, and Edomae sushi at Ginza Sushi Aoki in Tokyo, also Michelin-starred, for 10 years in total. Now he is the chef at Shoji at 69 Leonard Street in Tribeca, New York, which earned a precious 3 star rating from the New York Times. Many cooks aspire to study Japanese cuisine in Japan, but it is...

Our guest is Maribel Lieberman, CEO and Founder of MarieBelle Chocolates in New York. She now has 8 locations of MarieBelle Chocolates worldwide, including 4 shops in Japan. In this episode, Maribel discusses her experience with Japanese culture through the fascinating project of bringing her iconic brand to Japan. Japan Eats is powered by Simplecast . See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/priva...

Our guest today is George Weld who is the owner of the iconic Brooklyn restaurant Egg that has served local and sustainable food since 2005. Many of the menu items are made with produce from his own farm in upstate New York. American cuisine is not very visible in Japan, but George introduces the essence of American dishes through Egg in Tokyo, which opened in 2017, and now he has the second locat...

Our guest is Taichi Manabe, chief operating officer of Food Hub, which is a unique project to revive the declining community in Shikoku island of Japan through food. Taichi wanted to change the world through design, but he realized that food has a bigger and stronger influence for his purpose. He has gotten involved in multiple fascinating food projects before he became the COO of Food Hub , which...

Our guest is Ron Silver, who is the chef/owner of Bubby’s. Bubby’s opened in 1990, and is now one of the iconic American restaurants in NYC, serving delicious breakfast, burgers pancakes as well as beautiful pies. What you may not know about Bubby’s is that there are six Bubby’s restaurants in Japan! We will discuss why Ron decided to open Bubby’s in Japan and his unique experience with the Japane...

Our guest is Yuki Minakawa, the beverage and service director of Sushi Ginza Onodera in NYC, which has 2 Michelin stars. Yuki has worked at the NYC’s top Japanese restaurants, such as Masa, EN Japanese Brasserie and Kajitsu, for the last 10 years. She is in charge of the wine, sake and cocktail lists at Sushi Ginza Onodera. You might think sushi has to be paired with sake, but Yuki introduces you...

David Israelow is the global winner of the 5th Washoku World Challenge , which is a cooking contest where chefs from around the world compete in technical expertise and passion for Japanese food. David joins the host Akiko Katayama to discuss how he studied traditional kaiseki cuisine, how he expresses it uniquely on his plates, his experience at the Tokyo Sushi Academy , the documentary film he i...