I labored at Sokyo for eight years. It was my second house and all the time can be. I nonetheless miss it lots now. I labored with among the finest cooks (Chase Kojima, Brian Logan, Sano Takashi and Daniel Kwak) who turned my mentors, my finest buddies and my household.
The choice to depart was one of the crucial troublesome I’ve ever needed to make. I actually loved working at Sokyo, however I recognised that I wanted to alter my atmosphere and problem myself extra. I used to be instantly drawn to LK Hospitalityʼs imaginative and prescient for Yugen restaurant, so right here I’m!
Yugen balances custom and modernity. The venue goals to ship a flavourful, progressive and inventive culinary expertise utilizing Australia’s most interesting produce.
I’m studying new issues daily from the crew. From kitchen hand to director, there’s all the time one thing you possibly can be taught from others.
Chef Stephen Nairn is superb at enterprise planning, communication and problem-solving. His wealth of business information is critically necessary for me to be taught from and to make use of to open a brand new restaurant. I’m additionally studying [his] western delicacies expertise to include into the dishes at Yugen.
I’m studying organisational and coaching expertise from Sam Chee. His coaching course of for younger cooks is so meticulous, which is a giant assist in creating assured employees. My position is to assist create the menu with our crew and to show and practice our crew to ship the most effective product doable.
Diners can anticipate conventional Japanese methods with fashionable twists; dishes which might be acquainted but progressive and inventive. I take pleasure in working with completely different uncommon cuts of fish to showcase completely different flavour profiles.
Bluefin tuna is a really delicate and sophisticated fish to work with. It’s a valuable ingredient for me. The ageing course of dramatically adjustments its flavour. At any time when I open a brand new fish field supply and I see a bluefin tuna, it looks like I’m opening a birthday current. I
can’t describe the sensation in some other means.
My major ardour is sushi and sashimi, and platters are my means of showcasing creativity and method. There may be a lot discuss introducing them to our visitors in Melbourne.
I prefer to put flowers, native greens and branches from native suppliers with seafood from our fishermen who ship from Australia and Japan onto one platter that blooms like a flower and demonstrates my expertise and imaginative and prescient in addition to our crew’s efforts.
We provide platters relying on the seasons and what’s in the most effective situation on the market with our trusted seafood suppliers. We hope to create some recollections.