Cover Master chef Masayuki Okuda (Photo: Courtesy of Brand Cellar)
Master chef Masayuki Okuda (Photo: Courtesy of Brand Cellar)
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Ahead of his exclusive omakase dinner running from May 12 to 21 at Amara Hotel, the celebrated proponent of washōku cuisine shares with Tatler Singapore how his home country inspires him
With nimble fingers and a nimbler attention to detail, master chef Masayuki Okuda painstakingly brushes pristine sushi with a layer of oil and salts—a simple innovation, but a revolutionary one. Christened ginza olion sushi, it is the world’s first sushi accompanied not by the typical shoyu soy sauce, but a flavourful concoction of oils and salts sourced from all over the world that adds unfounded dimension to the traditional way we eat sushi today.
It’s the perfect emblem of Okuda’s bold, cuisine-bending career that nonetheless holds great respect for washōku, or the traditions of Japanese cuisine. At only 31 years old, he started his own restaurant Al-ché-cciano, a Japanese-Italian fusion restaurant that has been praised for its innovative cuisine with premium ingredients. Behind kind eyes he displays a wealth of knowledge accumulated over a storied career that has seen him venerated in Japan as one of the biggest proponents of washōku and lauded with a host of awards, including the Gault & Millau Japan Terroir Award 2023 and the Gourmand World Cookbook Award Grand Prize in 2016 and 2020.
Now, he’s in Singapore serving up an exquisite omakase dinner for nine nights only, from May 12 to 21 at Amara Singapore. Who is the man behind the genius? How did he reach the stature that he possesses today? We know that he was born in 1969 in Tsuruoka, Yamagata, and grew up around his father’s restaurant, which taught him the basics of Japanese cooking. It inspired him to follow in his footsteps and become a chef. Years and years later, his father’s lessons continue to form the basis of his culinary practice, alongside French and Italian culinary techniques picked up from his apprenticeship. Those techniques are used to craft some of the finest dishes in Japan made with the pristine ingredients from his native Shônai region in Yamagata.
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Above Chef Masayuki Okuda at work
Chef Masayuki Okuda at work
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“The Shōnai region is located near the mountains and because of its position, it has one of the most varied climate changes,” Okuda shares. “The seasons are clearly defined, and it is possible to gather a wide variety of ingredients including 141 kinds of seafood, 40 kinds of river foods, 90 kinds of wild plants, and 80 kinds of natural mushrooms.” It’s an area rich with agricultural abundance and historical significance, with “50 types of crops from the Edō period” that can only be found there. “The Shōnai region is every chef’s dream where the ingredients are full of nutrition and vitality,” he asserts.
It’s not just the special quality of Shōnai ingredients—it’s his personal connection to them. “I enjoyed all these ingredients growing up and that is why Shōnai is so special to me. These ingredients have given me wide insight and knowledge, to expand my mind and have given me inspiration in being a chef,” he says. “My culinary practice is inspired by the idea of how to best harmonise the local ingredients and nature of the Shōnai region. I want to ensure that my food harmonises nature and people.”
Since 2000, Okuda has headed Al-ché-cciano in Tsuruoka, Yamagata. It’s where he has formed his signature style, blending the synergies of Japanese and Italian cuisine into a unique explosion of flavours that have enthralled critics and gourmands alike. It’s where he developed his revolutionary innovation—the ginza olion sushi, eaten not with soy sauce but oil and salts. “Japanese sushi has not changed since 200 years ago. But when I saw the diversity of food culture all over the world, I understood that now is the time to create and innovate a new way of eating sushi,” Okuda says. “I thought about the future of sushi and wanted to pair it with wine. The feature of wine is that it neutralizes the oil and fat content of the food. The oil is used because it brings out more flavour and depth.”
The ginza olion sushi is the pinnacle of Okuda’s approach to Japanese-Italian fusion. “Japanese cuisine places great importance on seasonal ingredients, and over a long period of time we have not eaten oil since tempura was served. Italian cuisine focuses on bringing out the flavours of the ingredients with oil,” Okuda explains. When Italian olive oil is used with sushi, it is complementary “without compromising the taste of the sushi and ingredients. That’s when I started using different oils to exquisitely match different ingredients to create new flavours. I imagine that as a result, it would lead to people getting to know and enjoy the taste of the highest quality Japanese ingredients.”
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Above Spread of ginza olion sushi
Above Chef Masyuki Okuda brushing oil on sushi
Spread of ginza olion sushi
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One would think that a chef as decorated as he is would be more befitting of popular food capitals like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, or even London, Paris and New York. Yet, despite christening himself a “food evangelist in Japan and overseas”, Okuda has maintained his stronghold in his hometown of Tsuruoka, “located far away from cities”. It’s an important decision not made lightly. “The number of Japanese rice farmers is decreasing, due to lack of support for producers and agricultural industries in Japan,” he tells us. “However, there is so much potential and good quality produce in regions like Shōnai. I want to introduce Japan’s produce through my food to people around the world.”
Okuda’s passion for elevating Japanese produce and gastronomy has certainly helped to lift the profile of the Shōnai region. “The Shōnai region became known to many people as it was passed on through word of mouth, and people visited it, and it was also featured by mass media. As a result, a synergistic effect was created, people came to the town and agriculture was revitalized, and after that, Tsuruoka was also certified as a UNESCO creative city of gastronomy. I feel that continuing to create that chain is important as it leads to the development of food culture.”
It’s this loyalty and dedication to the culinary riches of the Shōnai region that has earned him the titles of Goodwill Ambassador of the Food for Shōnai Region, Yamagata, and the Tourism Ambassador for Tsuruoka City, Yamagata—titles that he takes great pride in holding. “My role as an ambassador will contribute to keeping beautiful farmland for the future generation,” he says. “Agriculture and food production is the main industry in Yamagata, so for me to be an ambassador, is to give back all my appreciation to my home country.”
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Above Fresh sashimi from the Shōnai region
Fresh sashimi from the Shōnai region
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How does he handle the pressure of upholding a standard of excellence and representing Japanese washōku cuisine worldwide? “Through three difficult and labourious elements,” he tells us. “The first being utmost concentration and focus, the second being persistence in the face of difficulties and lastly with the affection of my home country.”
Throughout this interview, a very gentle love of Japan has emanated from Okuda. It’s a trait that is perhaps the reason for his incredible success both at home and abroad—a sincere and honest desire to share with others the culinary riches of his home country, and partake in its joys that he has certainly found refuge in. Ultimately, his goal is to “let people know and enjoy Japanese food and culinary skills” and “enable food producers to export Japanese food all over the world”. “I believe this will further expand Japanese farmers and the agricultural industry in Japan,” he muses. True to form, when asked what’s next for him, his answer is simple—to “nurture the next generation and pass my vision to them. I believe that this move will bring a brighter future to Japan.
Ethan Kan was Tatler Singapore’s dining writer.
