I dove into the world of food because I wanted to make people happy through my food.

I was born in Kitakyushu City on March 10th, 1978. When I was in elementary school, I helped my parents cook, and their happiness was what made me enter the world of food. I decided to become a chef because I wanted more people to eat food that I prepared. I worked at and honing my skills in a hotel for 7 years, and I also worked at a wedding parlor in Fukuoka City for 9 years as assistant chef. Afterwards, I became independent, opening "Le Coeur et Kokoro." I have an establsihed reputation for preparing authentic French cuisine, using my many years of experience.

A master craftsman of French cuisine inheriting the Grande Maison tradition

He was born in Tokyo in 1959. He was influenced by a senior in his high school field hockey club who decided to go down the path of becoming a chef, so eventually he too went to culinary school. After graduation, he worked for four years at the prestigious French restaurant called "Piaget," where he built a strong culinary foundation. In 1983, he entered Apicius, and diligently studied under the wings of Chef Tokuo Takahashi, one of the most esteemed French chefs in Japan. In 1997, he became a sous chef, and then eventually moved on to his present position as head chef in 2008.

Took the path to become a chef naturally.

The chef loved to cook since he was young. Naturally, he chose the path of becoming a chef.

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)

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.'

She entered the world of cuisine due to the influence of her husband, a Chinese chef.

She was born in Taiwan. She came to Japan with her husband, also a chef, and opened Yokohama Chinatown Shumien. While her husband managed the restaurant, she got the idea to serve Taiwanese food, and began to study Taiwanese cooking. From 1990 onward she proudly added Taiwanese dishes to the menu and took over the management, serving as the smiling public face of the establishment.

Living with Japanese cuisine for 25 years. Good food backed up by experience and sense.

Born in Hyogo prefecture in 1966. When he was a student, he was looking for work and became a chef. That's when he came into contact with the deliciousness and delicacy of Japanese Cuisine. He stayed with it for 25 straight years. He has very strict judgement concerning fish and takes taste very seriously. He is aiming for food that will make the customer happy with its taste and appearance, so he continues to hone his skills day and night.

Keeping the words "learn from the past" close to his heart and valuing the traditions of Japanese cuisine, he naturally started his career as a chef

Born in Ehime prefecture on August 20, 1975, he grew up in a family who were running Ajisho. So, from a young age, he understood from experience both the severity and joy felt as a chef. Although he had his heart set on becoming a stockbroker while studying at college, he began his career as a chef in order to succeed his father. After graduating from college, he trained in Japanese cuisine and sushi and headed to Ajisho 12 years ago. He continues with devotion every day to being the chef he visualized himself as at a young age, while valuing the traditions and the words "learn from the past" close to his heart.

A restaurateur who continually seeks to provide a customer-tailored experience.

Born in Tokyo in 1970, he embraced the dream becoming a chef and opening a restaurant with his father. Upon graduation from a culinary school, he honed his skills at hotels and Japanese restaurants in Tokyo, Chiba, and Kanagawa. He became head chef at Onzoshi Matsurokuya in June of 2012. He strives daily to offer true hospitality by utilizing best-quality ingredients to make food that keeps you coming back for more.

Carefree with fun, delicious food.

He was born on February 1st, 1958, in Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture. After twelve years experience in four different restaurants, he opened Restaurant Mecante in his hometown of Funabashi. Always ambitious, during his days off he visits other restaurants to study them. With a love of Italian cooking, our chef has created a restaurant with a comfortable atmosphere anyone can enjoy, and is always striving to improve.

Since deeply enjoying chicken as a child, he headed straight on the path to being a chef.

A chef with strong roots, his father worked as head chef of Tokyo Kaikan and cooked chicken roasts on his days off. Because of his enjoyment of chicken, he set out to be a yakitori (chicken skewer) chef from the age of 19. Since leaving home he spent 20 years leading his siblings at the famous "Kushi Ginza," before opening "Hinaizidori-Yakitori Maekawa" in 2011. Since then he has only used Hyuga Dori and Nagoya Kochin chicken from the best hand-rearing farms in the country. He continues to search for new ways to use the best ingredients.

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.

This chef decided to devote his life to cooking after meeting the president of the company.

After meeting the president of Sanin Sakaba Kamiari, Chef Inoue was startled by the extent to which they shared the same thinking and decided to move from an unrelated industry to become a chef. His eyes shine as he tells us how fun it is for him to receive direct, positive feedback from customers. He also feels that this work, where he gives shape to his own ideas with the design of the menu and flavoring of the food, has real meaning. Each day he works to continue to produce delicious food.

It's been my dream to be a chef ever since I was little.

Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1986. I've loved cooking ever since I was little and have always had the dream of becoming a chef. Be it a la carte dishes or main dishes, I spare no effort in making each and every dish.

Attracted to restaurant management since he was a child

Born July 24th, 1970, in Aichi Prefecture. He has loved to cook since he was a child, and every time he went out to eat at a restaurant he was fascinated by the ambiance, and wound up wanting to own his own establishment when he grew up. After graduating from high school he attended the Osaka Abeno Tsuji School of Culinary Arts, where he trained to become a traditional chef. He then built up experience at a variety of restaurants before opening Mamecho.

Owner of "Shanway", carrying on a tradition of flavor

Born in Tokyo in 1963. Spent 18 years training in Harajuku's Hangzhou cuisine restaurant. He then polished his skills cooking Chinese cuisine throughout the metropolitan area until opening "Shanway" in 2003. Since 2010, he has cooked at "Chinese Restaurant Lotus Moon Shin Marunouchi Building".

Our chef adds a stylish presentation to Hong Kong-style Cantonese cuisine

Our chef was born in May 1965 and is a native of Miyagi Prefecture's Sendai City. His interest in cooking started around the age of 20. On a visit to Hong Kong at the age of 24, the flavors of the authentic dishes he experienced there impressed him so profoundly that afterwards he sought out Hong Kong-style Cantonese cuisine. He moved to Tokyo at 29 and, after training mainly at hotel restaurants, including the Tokyo and Maihama Sheraton Hotels, he participated in the opening of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Tokyo. Three years later, he achieved his first one-star Michelin rating and, after another four years, he opened Cantonese "Tsubame" KEN TAKASE.

Our chef feels it's his true calling to provide excellent service to his customers at the counter

Born in 1977 in Fukushima Prefecture. He worked at a sushi shop in Sendai for 14 years before becoming a chef at Sushidokoro Koya, and now he's the owner of Sushidokoro Koya Sendaisushidori Store. He loves to sell sushi over the counter and see all of his customers' faces - he feels that it is his calling.

His own love of Okinawan soba motivated him to pursue the perfect dish

Born in Okinawa in 1985, our chef was raised on Okinawan soba and his love for it is unmatched. His fascination with the dish grew as he went from restaurant to restaurant, observing differences in flavor, until at last he decided to become a chef himself. Of particular importance to him is the balance of bonito and pork in flavoring the dashi broth. His aim is a taste that is refreshing, yet never boring, and he devotes himself wholeheartedly to that pursuit to this day.

After all, the love of cooking lead to this profession.