Japan

Who is Toshi my sushi chef teacher?

by

Toshi is a well known Executive sushi chef and sushi instructor in Los Angeles. He has almost all the movie companies in Hollywood as customers and do also have celebrities as private clients. He has 40 years of experience as a Executive sushi chef.

Toshi has a Japanese approach to sushi and a way of life. The Japanese culture is very result-oriented when it comes to work and sport. If I pracise kendo in Japan my progress will be tested every day.

When having af teacher like Toshi there are a few Japanese rules that I must follow. When I address him I must call him Toshi sensei or sensei. Sensei means teacher in Japanese.

When I show up in his restaurant I have to say “Ohayogozaimasu” which is a way greeting each other in Japan. Toshi speaks a little English and when he speaks you must be quite. When answering Toshi you say “Hai” which means yes in Japanese. He do not wants to hear the word Yes.

Toshi will test your skills or creativity every 14 days.

In a skill test you are tested on the following,

How sharp your sushi knife is?
The level of your sushi techniques?
The presentation of the sushi you have madee?
How long it took you to make the sushi?
How clean your chef uniform is?
How clean you have kept your work space?

The result of such tests is placed on a wall in the kitchen so everyone can read it.

He will also test your performance in the sushi bar. He will look at how you work as a sushi chef and how you handle customers.

Beside thay you will also have to learn all the ingredients and raw materials in Japanese.

In 2012 I was in LA where he introduced me to a nigiri technique that takes 20 years to master.

I have learned a lot from him. When I go to LA in September I look forward to learn new things.

Read more about Sushi chef & Sake sommelier Zoë Escher

_
Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Is there a difference in the quality of sushi in Japan?

by

Yes, there is a difference in quality in Japan. As in Denmark, the quality of sushi differs but the range is much bigger.

At the lowest level, you will find Running sushi, which most people outside of Japan have heard of. In Japan, most of the students eat at running sushi.

In Japan, there are several levels of gastronomy. Most people in Denmark consider three star Michelin restaurants as the highest. In Japan, the level is also very high but there is a level above Michelin restaurants. Yes, you heard right!

This is because there are restaurants that the Michelin Guide has not discovered.

There are also restaurants that are so popular that they are removed from the guide.
There are restaurants that are so in demand that they are unable to accommodate the many guests.

There are also chefs who are so high in age that they have chosen to slow down and only cook for their regular’s guests. The type of restaurants tourists rarely hear about.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

_
Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Memory: Japan’s most famous kendo dojo

by

I am jumping a bit in time for 2017.

In summer 2017 I was in Tokyo and I had an appointment with my teacher that I should have some kata practice.

I had to be dressed and be ready for training at. 6.00 am. When you have an appointment with my teacher, you will NOT be late unless you have been run over by a bus.

I showed up at the address and couldn’t get through the grid gate to Noma dojo. The Noma dojo was built in 1925 and it is the most famous kendo dojo in Japan and, to train, one must be invited.

Next to the building is a police station. All police officers in Japan practice kendo it is part of their job. Some of the best kendo athletes in the world are police officers. I went in there and explained to the officer who did not speak English that I was going to Noma dojo to practice.

He went along to the grid gate. I show him my teacher’s business card and point to the gate. He called spoke to a woman lady and, shortly after, the gate was opened. He points out which way to go.

During my stay I practiced a few times in Noma dojo. For me, training in such a beautiful and historic kendo dojo is a great experience.

The photo shows my teacher Hirakawa sensei (older gentleman) and a colleague Okada sensei that is very famous in Japan.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

_
Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

What is the biggest challenge as a beginner?

by

There are many challenges if you’ve never made sushi before.

There is of course a big difference if the sushi is made at home or in in a restaurant.

There is a few challenging such as,

Selecting the Japanese ingredients and raw materials used for sushi.
To cook tasty and perfect rice.
To fillet and cut fish in the right quality for sushi.
To prepare various raw materials for sushi
Create tasty sushi so the raw materials are in harmony and becomes a unique dinning experience.

My most important task at the different sushi classes  that I give is to teach my attendants the Japanese tools to make tasty sushi in a quality that you can delight family and friends with homemade tasty sushi.

Please read more about Sushi course for beginners

_
Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Gem

Which temple in Kyoto is the most beautiful?

by

 

In Kyoto there are 1,600 temples and all of them are unique and beautiful in their own way. There are temples that stand out more than others.

The Golden Temple also called Kinkakuji in Japanese, is the most visited temple in Kyoto. The temple is located in northern Kyoto about 40 minutes by transport from Kyoto station.

The large temple is located in a large beautiful Japanese garden where flowers and details of the garden are highlighted in the most beautiful way.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

_
Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

How often do the Japanese order take-away food?

by

 

The Japanese order take-away food often and here I think of those who live in a big city. There are several reasons for this.

Most Japanese work 10-15 hours a day. Of course, there are exceptions depending on the industry you work in. That means the average Japanese does not have time to prepare and cook when they get home.

There are many Japanese who choose to buy take-away food on their way home from work. On almost every street in the major cities, you will find a small eatery. They often specialize in making healthy and tasty take-away dishes that are freshly prepared and ready to take home.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

_
Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

That’s why the quality of Japanese gastronomy in Tokyo is so high!

by

Over the past few years more and more people have become aware that Tokyo is the city with the most Michelin stars.

In general, the food and especially high-quality food is very important to Japanese people. I see that as soon as I arrive in Tokyo.

Japanese schools have a food scheme that makes very high quality organic food for the children. The classes with youngest students the food that they are having for lunch is part of the lesson.

Before the kids are allowed to go for lunch the class teachers review the menu with the school children. The children learn about the different ingredients that are included in the food. The children do also learn about the nutritional content of the various dishes.

Teaching children about healthy food and give healthy food for lunch the children gets healthy diets. It helps fight overweight children and future lifestyle diseases.

Read more about Sushi chef & sake sommelier Zoë Escher

_
Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

How much fish does a Japanese eat in average?

by

The Japanese have a little different relation to fish than the rest of the world.
Japanese children learn from very small to eat many different kinds of fish cooked in many different ways.
In Japan it’s a bit reverse. The Japanese population eats as much fish as the European eat meat. On the other hand the Japanese eat significantly less meat than the rest of the world.
They eat as much meat as we eat fish.

The large amounts of fish are a contributing reason why the Japanese look 20 years younger than their age.

You can read more about Sushi course for beginners

_
Zoë has held sushi courses and cooking classes for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Did you know that nori seaweed is the healthiest vegetable?

by


Dried seaweed nori used for sushi is the healthiest vegetable in the world.
It is the vegetable that contains the most vitamins and minerals. One piece of sushi nori corresponds to 600 grams of vegetables.

In Japan, sushi nori is found in many different qualities depending on whether it is produced. China, Korea and Japan produces different kinds of seaweed nori for sushi.
As the range of seaweed is very large in Japan the Japanese have the opportunity to choose the types of seaweed that suit them best.

On the Sushi course for beginners I speak more about the different types of seaweed.

_
Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.

Gem

What type of soy sauce uses exclusive Japanese sushi restaurants in Tokyo?

by

Exclusive Japanese sushi restaurants differ from other restaurants. In Europe, most people are using the Michelin guide as a yardstick that is not the case in Japan.

In Japan there are many exceptional restaurants that never find their way to the Michelin guide. In these types of restaurants the sushi chefs use a unique soy sauce for the sushi pieces that cannot be bought in shops.

It is a soy sauce that the sushi chefs have often developed themselves but it does happens that it is a recipe that has been passed on for generations. Unfortunately, the soy sauce is secret.

Read more about Sushi course for beginners

_
Zoë has lectured and held sushi courses for A. P. Moller – Maersk, Hugo Boss Nordic, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Velux, Gorrissen Federspiel, Beierholm revision, Elbek & Vejrup and many more.