Chef Seiji Yamamoto – Pushing Japanese Cuisine to New Heights

Japanese restaurants are certainly giving other restaurants offering European cuisine a run for their money.  Just take a look at how many Japanese restaurants have made it to the list of El Pellegrino World’s 100 Best Restaurants 2009.  One of these restaurants is Nihonryori Ryugin, the 68th best restaurant in the world.  The credit for this should be given to its chef Seiji Yamamoto.

His restaurant has definitely captured the fancy of food enthusiasts and critics – that is not an easy feat as all chefs know.  However, he has achieved it simply by preparing foods that are fit for the gods.  He is also quite known for his inventive and imaginative cooking.  Some would say that he exhibits a particular brand of wildness in his culinary experiments and creations.

Chef Seiji Yamamoto takes pride in his cooking, and he not apologizes for his refusal to conform.  Everything about culinary arts is an adventure for him.  He is constantly thinking of new dishes.  He is constantly driving himself to be more inventive and innovative in his cooking.  In truth, you can liken his cooking to molecular gastronomy – if he admits that he does adhere to it.  He, however, places molecular gastronomy at an entirely new level.

The culinary world is debating about the merits of molecular gastronomy.  He, however, merely shrugs off the argument.  His methods may be unconventional, but it is definitely working out for him.

Chef Yamamoto discovered his love for cooking at an early age.  In fact, as a young boy, he would often attempt to whip up delicious dishes just to impress his mother – and he often succeeded with his experiments.  Nobody was surprised when he decided to pursue a course in the culinary arts.  After finishing his course in a culinary school, he then joined Aoyagi and worked under the Chef Koyoma Hirohisa.  He stayed here for a long, long time.  In 2003, he decided to start his own restaurant, Nihonryori Ryugin.  Yes, it is a bit difficult to pronounce the name, but it is actually inspired by a Zen poem about a dragon’s strength.  Five years after the opening of his restaurant, he received his first Michelin star from the Tokyo Michelin Guide.

Chef Seiji Yamamoto made history when he cooked and presented the Silkscreen of Squid Ink with Squid Carpaccio in 2007 Madrid Fuision.  It was this dish that earned him the respect of his colleagues.  There is no doubt about it – this chef is a superstar when it comes to Japanese cuisine.

About the Author

Chef Matthew, the owner of ProChef360 Blog, is an expert in culinary arts. 
He is after all an outstanding chef, having had worked in some of the finest resorts, hotels and restaurants in the world.

His interest, however, in social media was awakened when he started his own websites. 
Over the years, he took it upon himself to learn everything he can about social media.

Delicious Nippon #2 (Japanese Rice)

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