What motivates you to work as a chef?

People meeting him for the first time might not be able to tell from his gentle smile and easy-going demeanor that he has a fighting spirit inside him. However, even before he opened this restaurant in 2017, Yusuke Ikui, the chef at Hiroo's innovative French restaurant Ode, must have been thinking about the path he would take in the future. He has spent his time so far with such passionate feelings.

Chef Namai was awarded one Michelin star for ``Chic Putitre,'' where he served as chef before opening ``Ode.'' The restaurant lost its star once, but then opened a store in a new location in 2017, and finally regained its star in 2019. Furthermore, in March 2020, he was ranked in the ``Asia's 50 Best Restaurants'' for the first time. This was a remarkable achievement, ranking 35th in all of Asia.

“Of course, it is very important for customers to enjoy our food.However, on the other hand, I feel that it is so obvious that we don't need to mention it.So what else is there? I think it's because of the feeling that ``chefs are creators,'' which is no longer uncommon overseas.There are many different restaurant awards around the world, and there are as many evaluation criteria as there are, but I think it's the ideal that I think of. I've always thought it would be great if I could express my worldview through cooking."

Even when you're learning, it's important not to ignore your own voice.

He is a unique person who originally wanted to pursue a career in music, but he discovered the fun of cooking and decided to pursue this career at the age of 25. At that time, it was quite late for a chef to make his debut in this industry. However, compared to a teenage boy who begins to learn cooking step by step following the teachings of his master, Namai seems to have had a ``reopening'' in a good sense. He absorbed the essence of building his own unique world view from all his encounters with his mentor chefs, owners with whom he had relationships, customers, and the owners of the shops where he bought ingredients.

``There were some hurdles that I couldn't complain about, such as my late start and lack of training experience at a star-rated restaurant.However, I'm a little hesitant because I think people might think I'm being cocky, but what can I do? I wanted to create everything based on my own worldview, even down to the way I placed the small herbs that accompanied the dishes.At that time, there was something different between me and the customers. Maybe I didn't like having that element mixed in with me, but I'm sure that feeling kept pushing me to move on."

As the owner-chef, I now lead a staff of 9 people inside the restaurant, and being ranked in ``Asia's Best Restaurant'' is a great medal for me. When she received an email from the organizer informing her that she had been ranked (she was not informed of the ranking and was asked about her intention to participate in the award ceremony), it went into her spam folder and she did not notice it for a while. Chef Namai feels more than anyone else the feeling of opening up new possibilities beyond Michelin. You should definitely come and experience the powerful atmosphere that fills the quiet interior, which is decorated in gray and charcoal.

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YUSUKE NAMAI

Born in Tokyo in 1975. After graduating from high school, he aspired to pursue a career in music, but later found interest in cooking, and began serious training at the age of 25. After working at Restaurant J in Omotesando and Masa's in Karuizawa, she became the chef at Chickputtere in Hatchobori. In 2017, he became independent and became the owner-chef of "Ode".

Ode

ST Hiroo 32F, XNUMX-XNUMX-XNUMX Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

12:00-13:00 (last entry)

18:30-20:00 (last entry)

Closed on Sundays

Lunch: Approximately 7,000 dishes using seasonal ingredients ¥XNUMX

Dinner: Approximately 13 dishes using seasonal ingredients ¥15,000

* Excluding tax and service charge

Premium X A new generation of chefs promoting Japanese food for the future

The Japanese food and beverage industry is dominated by excellent restaurants, including not only Japanese cuisine but also French, Italian, and Chinese cuisine. However, if you look deeper than that, you will see that a new generation has sprouted that will carry the future of Japan's food on their shoulders, and they are showing remarkable success. The "Premium Japan" editorial department selected 12 chefs who face food beyond all boundaries. I asked him what vector he was aiming for.

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