A Ginza-based Italian food evangelist who casually delights his customer's hearts and palates.

After graduating high school, he was employed at a western-style restaurant. During his six years working there, he learned the fundamentals of cooking. After working at several restaurants, he was hired at the upscale Italian establishment, Trattoria Baffo, in Aoyama. During those eight years of work, he studied abroad in places such as Rome and Verona in order to learn the authentic taste and culture of Italy. In 2002, he opened Tratorria Baffo. Regarding Tsukiji's ingredients as "his ground", he continues to provide distinctive Italian cooking in the Ginza.

From boxer to owner of oden (hot pot dish) stall. And then to French cuisine, in pursuit of the world stage…

He was born in Ibaraki prefecture in 1949. When he was in college, he was selected as one of the candidates to compete in gymnastics for the Olympics, and after graduating, he became a ranked professional boxer in Japan. After wrecking his body and giving up on boxing, he made a 180 degree turn and opened an oden (hot pot dish) stall. However, he says, "That would never allow me to aim for the world stage," and entered the world of French cuisine. He underwent training at a restaurant in Tokyo before going to France. After perfecting his skills for two years in places such as restaurants with three Michelin stars, he returned to Japan, and in 1988, he opened "A Ta Goul" in Ebisu. He took the opportunity to rename his restaurant to "Ne Quittez Pas" when he moved to Gotanda.

Techniques cultivated on Rishiri Island from a younge age. A Japanese chef who is fastidious about "vitality".

With his father cooking at his own shop in Susukino, Chef Kato spent his youth close to the kitchen. He hammered into himself the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine through rigorous training at Kanotei, the culinary ryokan of his father's associate on Rishiri Island. From the knowledge of seafood preparation he gained at that time, even now he's fastidious about the "vitality" of fresh seafood. After ten years of experience on Rishiri, he now exercises his skill in Asashikawa.

Working part-time in restaurants during his high-school days proved to be the gateway to a culinary career

He was born in Hiroshima Prefecture on December 4th, 1972. During his high school days he worked in part time jobs at a variety of food and drink establishments and because of this experience he decided to become a chef. Aiming to become a chef in French cuisine, the most highly regarded in the world, he went to France, and at the age of 20 he graduated from the Tsuji Culinary Institute's school in France. After training in top-class hotels, he returned to France. After training in Lyon and Cannes he came back to Japan. He has been with "Mikuni Hiroshima" since it opened. Carrying on in the spirit of chef Kiyomi Mikuni, he opened "Restaurant Shimamura L'Espirit de Mikuni", which he currently operates.

Our chef's former occupation as an automotive engineer allowed him to transition brilliantly into a culinary architect who lets nothing go to waste.

He had originally worked as an engineer for the automobile industry, but after the Oil Crisis he switched careers to become a chef - a longtime passion. He ran his own food cart while attending culinary school, serving dark beer, which was quite rare at the time. He opened this establishment, "COTTON FIELDS", in 1980. He takes special care in selecting ingredients, and his motto is not to let a single part go to waste, with a special talent for bringing out the unique flavor of each component. He's most famous for his excellent spare ribs, garnished with a secret sauce he invented back in his food cart days.

He continues to strive down the path of cuisine to fulfill his dream of owning his own restaurant

Born in 1959. A native of Saga Prefecture's Karatsu City. His memories of a local Japanese food restaurant led him to enter the world of cuisine, deciding to make food that could move people. After acquiring experience at Hakata hotels and Japanese restaurants, he became head chef of Japanese cuisine at the Yachiyo Royal Hotel in Kumamoto. After that, he worked as head chef of the Yamaguchi Grand Hotel's Japanese Restaurant Miyabi for 12 years. He opened WA FUKUSHIMA in September of 2009, and this is his fifth year with us. He's never satisfied with his own cooking, striving for excellence each day.

Cuisine to be shared with guests that is the culmination of our chef's life experiences

Our chef was born in Mexico in January, 1967. In 1983 he began working at "Crown Plaza Holiday Inn" in Mexico, after which he went on to work in top hotels in America, Switzerland, Japan, and Egypt. Since 2010 he has been head chef at Conrad Tokyo, where he supervises "Bar and Lounge Twenty-Eight".

Experienced delectable Japanese cuisine during his culinary training and decided to devote himself entirely to Japanese cuisine

He was born in Fukuoka Prefecture in 1979. After graduating from high school, he started working part-time at a restaurant. Subsequently, he honed his craft for 5 years at a Japanese restaurant before working at Seafood Restaurant Zauo Main Store. Meticulously preparing fresh dishes, he puts his heart and soul into ensuring that these dishes will evoke feelings from his customers.

Born February 23rd, 1960, a native of Hyogo Prefecture. After graduating from high school he worked at a number of restaurants, before traveling to France. He studied under Bernard Loiseau, the head chef at La Cote d'Or (now called Le Relais Bernard Loiseau), who gave rise to the Asian-inspired French fusion style, which our chef learned. He returned home to work at the Japanese chef of La Cote d'Or Kobe in 1992. As of 2000 he was promoted to the general manager and head chef of the Kitano Kobe Hotel.

Dishes created from the heart by a chef who has always loved to "create things."

Born in January 1958 in Gunma Prefecture. The chef, who says he has always liked to "create and complete things", began cooking through a part-time job. After seeing the depth of the art of cooking, he began to seriously pursue becoming a chef. Each dish is carefully prepared from the heart with the thought that "customers will sincerely say that it is delicious."

Enjoy authentic, hotel-grade Chinese food at this street side venue.

Born on March 25, 1960, in Kyoto Prefecture. Influenced by parents, who were both true gastronomes, he developed a keen interest in cooking, especially Chinese food, from a very early age. In 1980, he began what would become a 7 year training at restaurant Dunhuang in Yamaguchi Prefecture. He was also deeply impressed by the passionate approach of Chef Kazuo Uchida, his senior at the Hotel New Otani in Osaka (currently serving as chef at the ANA Hotel in Kyoto), which further deepened his commitment to the culinary arts. His downtown restaurant's creed is to make luxury hotel-grade Chinese cuisine easily accessible to all.

The traditional homemade food that he finally reached after traveling all over Spain.

He was born in Tokyo in 1979. He found employment for a period after graduating from college, but resolved to aim to become a chef. With just the clothes on his back, he went to Spain and perfected his skills over five and a half years in a total of eleven restaurants, from bars on the street to famous modern Spanish restaurants. He was particularly surprised by the homemade food that he encountered in the rural community of Catalonia. This surprise carried over to "Amets", which he opened soon after returning to Japan. He admired wild game so much that he obtained a hunting license by himself, and he is distinctly characterized by his speedy actions, as he says, "Once I think about it, I do it immediately."

A chef who is constantly thinking up new menus in which the flavors of the drinks and the food complement each other

Born in 1965 in Oita Prefecture, graduated from Tsuji Japanese Culinary Arts College. After gaining experience in Kyoto and Osaka he went independent, starting his own restaurant in Kyoto. In 2006 fate brought him to "Ristorante Misato", where he shows off his skills daily as the lead chef.

A chef with a wealth of experience whose genius was recognised by Chef Baba

Koji Itou was born in Saitama prefecture in 1976. His part-time job at university led him into the world of cooking. In 2002, he went to Italy and honed his skills at the famous restaurants of Emilia-Romagna and Piedmont. He returned to Japan in 2005, and worked for 2 years at Taverna Messina in Jiyugaoka. After that, he worked for 4 years at an Italian restaurant in Hiroshima before coming to Tharros in 2012. In the spring of 2014, leadership of the kitchen was handed over to him by Chef Baba. Chef Itou hopes that just as before, he wants to make the unique food culture and atmosphere of Sardinia more widely known.

Treating customers to carefully prepared dishes that follow in the traditional spirit of this long-established restaurant.

He was born in 1948 in Fukushima Prefecture. Chef Saito was born into the third generation of the family-owned Fukuzumi Ryokan, established in 1912. In in order to inherit the family business, he set his heart on becoming a chef. In 1979, he devoted himself full-time to running a restaurant specializing in yakitori (grilled chicken) while running a hotel, which he continues to do into the present. Chef Saito prizes highly the feeling of "gratitude to one's customers", and has opened three Yakitori Fukuzumi restaurants within Iwaki city. (The Hirono shop is currently closed)

Realizing his childhood dream, he stands in the kichen.

He was born in Hong Kong in April 1960. He had admired chefs who displayed brilliant skills at restaurants since he was young, and so he chose to be a cook with the desire to become a chef able to make many people happy. He works hard every day to bridge the gap between Japanese and Chinese food cultures.

By strictly enforcing standards of quality cultivated in the meat industry, we provide the finest quality beef.

Born in Mita city, Hyogo prefecture in 1956. He spent eight years in the meat industry, and obtained the qualification 'Diploma in Meat Technology', which is designed to ensure meat quality. He became interested in 'Mitaya' after hearing about their domestically-reared fillet steak set menu, which attracts customers to his home, Hyogo prefecture, from other parts of Japan. It was not long before he joined the company, where he is now putting the skills and experience he cultivated in the meat industry to work in his role overseeing all of their branches.

Particular about charcoal, a chef who pays attention to the details when grilling.

He expertly prepares the ‘Kirishima Chicken' of Miyasaki one by one by hand, and provides the skewers, even adding the finishing touches to the grilled dishes. At ‘Torigen, Kamata branch', he calls himself the ‘Char-grilling Craftsman.'

Unforgettable gyutan (beef tongue) at Rikyu

He is from Miyagi Prefecture, and used to eat gyutan (beef tongue) at Rikyu when he was a student. When he went outside the prefecture for work he tried gyutan at various restaurants, but he never encountered a taste that satisfied him. When he moved back to Sendai he joined Rikyu, where he had always dreamed of working.

It all started back when I used to help my mother in the kitchen.

He started training in traditional Japanese cuisine at age 18. He endeavors to ascertain exactly what his guests want by chatting with them as he prepares their delicious meals.