Born in Imari, in the Saga prefecture in August 1980.
After graduating from Nakamura Culinary School in Fukuoka, he worked for 3 years at La Rochelle (Shibuya, Tokyo), owned by Sakai Hiroyuki, a chef he admired, and 3 years at Le Pirate in Myogadani. That’s how he learned the basis of French cuisine.
In 2007, he started visiting the world, first in France, then in Asia, Middle East, Africa, and America, all while perfecting his cuisine.
During summer of 2009, Yoshitake participated in a food contest in Singapore, where his cooking skill caught the eye of a Singaporean investor. He got an offer to open a restaurant in Singapore. That is how in September 2009, the French restaurant Hiroki88@Infusion opened with 80 seats (terrace seats included).
In December 2010, he opened the Restaurant Sola with Youlin Ly. In March 2012, after only a year and three months of business, he was awarded a Michelin star. He gathered fans, not only from Japan, but also from the whole world. He managed to make his restaurant grow into a very unique one in Paris, a place regarded as the city of food.
http://youlinly.wixsite.com/restaurant-sola
Born in Niseko, Hokkaido, in July 1976.
Takuya Watanabe started his career in a sushi restaurant in Sapporo, and after working as a head chef in a Japanese restaurant, he became independent at 28.
He opened four restaurants in Sapporo, first starting with Taku Maruyama, a Japanese restaurant where he could freely express his ideas, and Taku Sushi, where he made sushi using red wine vinegar.
In January 2013, he opened 仁 JIN in a small street across Saint-Honoré Street in the 1st arrondissement of Paris, where the Louvre Museum is located.
He received a Michelin star in 2014.
http://nfd-taku.com/
Emiko Sano is the third generation of the Chocolate Shop, started 75 years ago by her grandfather, and loved by all in Hakata. The shop was opened in 1942 by Gensaku Sano.
She has been working in Paris since 2008.
In February 2017, she opened Les Trois Chocolats in Les Marais, an area extending in the 3rd and 4th arrondissements of Paris.
The name Les Trois Chocolats (“The Three Chocolates”) has two meanings. First, it refers to the three types of chocolates: white, milk, and sweet. Then, it also refers to her family’s three generations of chocolatiers: the founder and first generation Gensaku Sano, the second Takashi, and the third Emiko.
As the third generation, she aims at making her family’s chocolate shop tradition reach the 100 years mark.
http://les-trois-chocolats-paris.com/
http://www.chocolateshop.jp/
After graduating from the Tokyo Culinary and Confectionery Arts Academy, she worked for 5 years at Hotel Okura.
She then went to France to work in various places such as Dordogne and Nice, and came back to Tokyo to work at L’Oasier in Ginza.
After that, she went to France again to work at Sola as a sous-chef.
Born in Osaka in April 1981.
Owner of Okomusu Paris.
Kanako Tabuchi started a business in 2005 during her student years, and then moved to Paris in February 2012.
During a party held in Japan in 2010, participating French people told her that “okonomiyaki is really good!”. Hearing this, she decided to open an okonomiyaki restaurant in France.
In March 2014, she opened Okomusu Paris in Les Marais area. It is now becoming a popular place even among the very demanding Parisians.
http://www.okomusu.com/
Born in Kasuya District, Fukuoka, in November 1982.
Masayoshi Hanada started working in Sushi Kappo Kogyo in 2001, and left in 2011.
In 2012, he went to France, and started working as a chef at Zenzan in the 1st arrondissement.
In December 2015, he started working as a chef at sushi-B Paris, a restaurant that has branches in Swiss, Milan, Ginza, and Singapore.
He earned a Michelin star in 2017.
http://sushi-b-fr.com/
Muscle, muscle~♪, muscle, muscle~♪
They are a group of performers who make shaved ice at high speed with a manual machine, all while shouting enthusiastically!
Kinniku Kakigori is centered around Noriyuki Okubo, the leader of the group GOLD U-35 from Imari City.
This time, you will be able to enjoy shaved ice made by Kinniku Kakigori flavored with syrup made by Emiko Sano.
Born in Fukuoka in 1984.
After graduating from a hotel school, she started working at Hotel Okura in Amsterdam, Holland.
She got fond of French wine, and after training at French restaurants and wine bars, she became a sommellier.
After that, she spent a year in France, and two years in Tokyo to train more, and then became the shop manager of a wine bar in Fukuoka.
This time, she will be helping us for wine pairing.
https://tabelog.com/fukuoka/A4001/A400104/40038995/
Born in Omuta, Fukuoka, in July 1977.
In 2001, Suguru Tokubuchi started Bassin Bacchus at Fukuoka’s Plaza Hotel, and worked as a supervising manager for food at Plaza Hotel Tenjin.
Since that time, he has been gathering knowledge of food, sake, and tea around Japanese cuisine.
In 2012, he opened Yorozu, a tea and sake shop in Akasaka, Fukuoka.
Besides Japan, he is also active in Japanese tea-themed events in Paris and New York.
This time, he will be helping us in tea pairing.
https://m.facebook.com/yorozu109/
Born in Itoshima, Fukuoka, in July 1961.
Third generation of Niku no Yashima.
Following the Second’s idea, he decided to open a yakitori shop using the meat from his family’s meat shop.
In 1983, Katsunori Yashima opened Yakitori Hachibei in Maebaru.
“Hakata’s yakitori, better and even more enjoyable!”, “Butabara To The World!”. This is what he is striving for with his restaurants. He wants everyone around the world to enjoy Hakata’s yakitori.
After that, he opened multiple branches: one in Tenjin, Fukuoka, in May 2000, one in Roppongi, Tokyo, in December 2008, one in Taiwan in December 2014, and one in Hawaii’s Chinatown in January 2017.
He currently manages 13 restaurants, including those licensed outside Japan.
https://hachibei.com/?page_id=1564