Interview with a experienced Chef specializing in Japanese cuisine

Tony, a qualified western-style food chef yet working in a typical Japanese restaurant for years. From the interview, Tony introduced a branch of knowledge of Japanese food relating to the Japanese culture.

As he said, there are three popular types of Japanese knive which are used in differet ways. They are usuba, the deba and the yanagiba. Essentially, Usuba is used for cutting vegetables while deba and yanagiba are both used for fish. The Japanese knives are not designed to cut, but make food tatier. For example, if the Japanese steel knife has spots of rusts and you keep using them, the steel taste is transferred to the food, while ceramic and stainless steel prevent that.

He also explained what a "kappo" restaurant is.
"The word Kappo is shortened form of katsu shu ho ju. It means “cut first, then simmer”, stressing the belief that the beauty of cooking starts from cutting. When people say Kappo restaurant, it means the place where a chef cuts or cooks food in front of you. For example, if you order sashimi, a chef will cut the slices from a prepared fillet in front of you. If you order tempura, they will deep-fry the food in front of you. A Kappo restaurant often has an open kitchen, and it is enjoyable to watch what the chef is doing. There may be some tables in a Kappo restaurant, but you would like to seat yourself at the counter to watch how your food is prepared. There’s the difference from a Kaiseki or Ryotei restaurant. A Kaiseki ryotei takes a great deal of care with their service, highly trained waiters and waitresses, in a beautiful tatami mat room with a zen-like garden. Their food is elaborate for special occasions. "

He believes that understanding people and culture leads others to understand cuisine even more deeply. When I asked him how Western cuisine is different to Japanese cuisine, he told me that Japanese food has been regarded as the healthiest food in the world as the basic Japanese dishes are made of cruciferous vegetables and seafood. You have to pay much more attention on practicing your cutting skills.

By the end, he recommended us some special dishes of Meiji Japanese Cafe, where he is currently working at. Despite those traditional Jap- dishes such as sashimi, sushi, tempera and soup noodles, their KAMAMESHI is the most popular dish. It is Japanese traditional pot rice, cooked with meats, vegetables in a special machine with secret recipe. We can only have KAMAMESHI in their café in Australia.

I'm looking forward to have a taste of that KAMAMESHI, who wanna go to Melbourne with me?