Japan Eats!

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by San Francisco's Chef Richie Nakano. In 2010, Nakano opened Hapa Ramen as a pop-up food stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. A few years later, after launching a successful Kickstarter campaign, he opened his first brick-and-mortar ramen noodle shop and earned a 2013 StarChefs Rising Star Community Chef Award. His involvement with Hapa ended, but Nakano continues to experiment with new recipes and host pop-ups, as well as writing for First We Feast as well as Rising Stars Magazine.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by chef and entrepreneur Makoto Suzuki, owner of several restaurants in Brooklyn, including Bozu, Samurai Mama, Momo Sushi Shack, The Brooklyn Ball Factory, and Samurai Papa. Suzuki talks about how he struggled to open his first restaurant in the not-yet-cool Williamsburg 13 years ago and how he keeps his restaurants staying popular for years. Masa Urushido's favorite bars in Tokyo: Bar Trench (in Ebisu) Fugulen (in Shibuya) Tableaux Lounge - cocktail & cigar bar (in Daikanyama) See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Masahiro Urushido, bar manager of Saxon + Parole in New York's East Village. Urushido learned the craft of classic cocktails, mastered the art of ice carving, and perfected his overall technique in Tokyo, before moving to New York in 2008. Urushido has since achieved national recognition for his creative approach to drink making and has had a major contribution in Saxon + Parole’s award as World’s “Best Restaurant Bar” at the 2013 Tales of the Cocktail Spirited Awards. In 2014, Masa won the Chivas Regal Masters global competition, a huge accolade in the cocktail world.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by Nick Sakagami, the only Certified Seafood Master by Tsukiji Fish Market (Tokyo) who resides outside of Japan, bicoastal fresh tuna importer, and expert in branding/marketing of higher-end seafood. Nick is also a supporter and educator of responsible fisheries globally.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in studio by chef and udon specialist Joji Uematsu. Uematsu is the vice president of Dining Innovation New York and a managing partner of TsuruTonTan Udon Noodle Brasserie at Union Square, where he gives New Yorkers an unique opportunity to taste udon noodles made masterfully with traditional Japanese techniques.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the season premiere of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Douglas Diaz, a visual artist whose work has been strongly influenced by the Japanese countryside.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the season finale of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Chef Mutsuko Soma, formerly of Seattle's Miyabi 45th. Soma studied the age-old art of making soba in Japan and brought her noodle-making skills to the west coast. Currently, Soma experiments at her in-home soba studio, and curates her series of Kamonegi soba popups.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by David Kinch of Los Gatos' Manresa. David tells us about cooking in the midst of California's various microclimates, a chef's relationship to farmers, and what he draws from Japanese tradition.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Luca Catalfamo, chef and owner of Casa Ramen, the first restaurant dedicated to ramen in Milan, Italy. While working as a chef in cities such as Sydney and London, Catalfamo learned about Japanese cuisine, which helped to hone his ramen skills, from learning about dashi to Japanese cooking techniques. Thereafter, he decided to open a ramen shop in his native country of Italy. He moved to Japan for a month to research the different types of ramen available, typically consuming three to four bowls a day. His second ramen shop, Casa Luca, opened in May 2015.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Edwyn Ferrari, head chef of Great Northern Food Hall. "Scandinavian" might not be the first thing you think as you're considering which culture's cuisine to dine at, but that's what patrons get at this food hall – a group of counters and stands – within the commuter hub that is Grand Central Terminal.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Shota Nakajima, the chef and owner of Naka in Seattle. Chef Shota began his culinary journey at the age of sixteen, working for a well-acclaimed sushi restaurant in his hometown of Seattle, WA. At the age of eighteen, Nakajima moved to Osaka, Japan to learn about the art of Japanese cuisine. In Japan, Nakajima had the opportunity to work for Michelin Star rated Chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto. As one would expect, this experience changed Chef Shota’s perspective on cooking. Since returning to Seattle, it has been Nakajima’s dream to convey Chef Sakamoto’s approach to hospitality and Japanese cuisine in the United States.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Leonard Phillips, the owner of Ambassador Wines & Spirits in Midtown Manhattan. Leonard’s original calling in life was to be a biochemist and ultimately become a physician in the military, but he found his true passion in working for the business his family started in 1973. In addition to wine and liquor, Ambassador's selection of Sake, Soju and Sochu is one of the best in New York City.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Elizabeth Andoh was born and raised in America and is not ethnically Japanese, but Japan has been her home for more than four decades. She received her formal culinary training from the Yanagihara School of Traditional Japanese Cuisine in Tokyo. In 1972, she began her own culinary arts program, A Taste of Culture, that combines spicy tidbits of food lore with practical tips and skill-building lessons on how to prepare Japanese food. Andoh lectures internationally on Japanese food and culture, and is the author of six books on Japanese cooking, including two IACP award-winners, An Ocean of Flavor (Morrow, 1988) and Washoku (Ten Speed, 2005). She was Gourmet's Japan correspondent for more than three decades and was a regular contributor to the New York Times travel section for many years.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Stefen Ramirez of Tea Dealers, which aims to introduce premium teas to America by offering only rare, single origin teas from Japan, Korea, China, Taiwan, and India and pairing them with contemporary artisanal ceramics from around the world. Stefen first started in the tea business at the NYC flagship of one of Japan’s largest tea companies as a tea specialist and buyer in 2003. Two years later, Tea Dealers began, exclusively, as a private client business that curated luxury tea collections for high profile individuals. In April 2015, Tea Dealers made its selections available to the public online, and also at its first retail store. It is located inside of the Japanese restaurant, 1or8 in the south side of Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and offers free weekly tea tastings on Tuesday and Sunday afternoons. There is no reservation needed and you are welcome to walk in anytime.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at htt

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined by Hiroko Shimbo, an authority on Japanese cuisine who has earned world-wide recognition. She is a chef-instructor at respected culinary schools, a consulting chef to diverse food service industries, and a cookbook author based in the United States since 1999. Her latest book, Hiroko’s American Kitchen: Cooking with Japanese Flavors, was selected from among 500 books to receive the IACP 2013 Cookbook Award as the best American cookbook of the year. Hiroko’s American Kitchen offers an entirely new perspective on Japanese cooking. Rather providing instruction for preparing authentic Japanese cuisine, the book focuses on a larger audience of cooks by integrating Japanese flavors and cooking techniques with readily available produce, meats and seafood to recreate dishes already familiar to the America table but with unique added appeal.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-i

Today on Japan Eats, we're joined by restaurant consultant Atsushi Nakahigashi, who's swinging by New York all the way from Kyoto. Nakahigashi is from a long line of chefs and restaurateurs, but before settling on a career in food, he tried his hand at professional bass fishing for several years.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Tomoko Kato, an alum of Bouley and Le Bernardin who is behind the dessert bar at Patisserie Tomoko. A unique pastry shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, Patisserie Tomoko combines French and European style pastries with a touch of Japanese inspired tastes and flavors.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by managers Luke Davin and Emma Kramer of Osakana fish market. Osakana is a Japanese-style fish retailer dedicated to providing high-quality, local, and seasonal seafood to the community. Here, customers will find fresh, expertly sourced fish, prepared and presented with respect by the team behind Okonomi. They offer a careful selection of local seafood for customers to purchase, and also provide a community space in which people can learn more about these ingredients through discussions, meals, tastings, and classes.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On the season premiere of Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Henry Sidel, president of Joto Sake. Joto is Japanese for “highest level," and is the exclusive importer for several multi-generational, family-owned breweries in Japan. Their bottles feature English-language labels with producer names, locations and helpful tasting notes. With distribution in over 35 states, and top wholesale distributors in each market, Joto is recognized by distributors, buyers, consumers and the press as the finest sake importer in the category.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Japan Eats, host Akiko Katayama is joined in the studio by Shingo Gokan, head bartender of Angel’s Share and winner of the Bacardi Global Legacy Cocktail Competition. Tune in to hear them discuss how he began bartending in Japan at the age of 18 and came to New York in 2006 not knowing a word of English, only to become the “World’s Best Bartender” a short time later.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.