Memories of Cooking with Grandma

−−−What inspired you to become a chef?

His earliest culinary memories are of making gyoza and okonomiyaki with his grandmother every Saturday from age 4 or 5. He loved cooking for friends too, making katsudon at home. A high school job at an independent café led him to enroll at Hattori Nutrition College.

－－－Why did you choose Chinese cuisine?

During a school internship at Szechwan Restaurant, he was captivated by round chopping boards and the intense heat of Chinese cooking ranges — equipment he’d never encountered before. The restaurant manager liked him too, and he joined full-time after graduating.

 

Rediscovering Chinese Cuisine at Hashizumen

－－－What brought you to Hashizumen?

His connection began when he commissioned Hashizumen to develop ultra-thin noodles for a Szechwan Restaurant food court location. Later, a senior colleague suggested he try his hand as head chef at Hiroo Hashizumen.

－－－What stands out from your time at Hashizumen?

Visits to Hong Kong, dinners with veteran chefs, and vegetarian cuisine workshops gave him broad exposure to Chinese culinary traditions. Having felt he’d mastered Szechwan cuisine, working at Hashizumen gave him a sense of rediscovery — and a mission to introduce little-known Chinese dishes to Japan.

The Craft Behind the Yuzu Noodle

－－－What is special about the yuzu noodle?

Co-developed with Hashizumen’s president, this kneaded noodle took considerable trial and error — early versions lost fragrance during boiling.

Now paired with a simple dish of stewed dried scallops and Chinese cabbage, the seasoning is deliberately minimal to let the yuzu aroma and noodle texture shine.