Our guest is Cheng Lin who is the chef/owner of Shota Omakase https://shotaomakase.com/ in Brooklyn, New York. After nearly three decades of studying and serving sushi at notable restaurants in New York City, including Sushi Seki, Blue Ribbon, and ITO Tribeca, he opened his Omakase-only sushi restaurant Shota Omakase in August 2023 and earned his first Michelin star within a year. In this episode, we will discuss how Cheng got into sushi, an inspiring book that steered his career as a sushi chef, how he finds unique ingredients from Japan, such as seven-year-old vinegar and a rare sushi rice, the advantage of being non-Japanese as a sushi chef, how to eat confidently at an Omakase sushi bar and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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35:51
Teaching Kids How To Cook And Eat Healthy Food (With Fun!)
Our guests are Mayumi Uejima-Carr and Debra Samuels. Mayumi is the President of TABLE FOR TWO USA https://usa.tablefor2.org/ and Debra leads the program content and curriculum development of TABLE FOR TWO USA’s Japanese-inspired food education program. TABLE FOR TWO is a not-for-profit organization founded in Japan in 2007, initiated by the World Economic Forum's Young Global Leaders. Now its activities have expanded globally and have helped so many people through unique programs. For example, TABLE FOR TWO has offered those in need in the world over 100 million meals so far. Mayumi joined us in Episode #98 in October 2017 and talked about TABLE FOR TWO USA’s mission and its valuable programs. In this episode, we will discuss TABLE FOR TWO USA’s Wa-Shokuiku programs, which aims to educate kids about healthy diet, the importance of food education and how different it is between Japan and the U.S., the new cookbook for children that Mayumi and Debra recently published titled “Japanese Cooking with Kids: 50 Kid-Tested Recipes to Make Together!”, challenges educating children about food and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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46:09
A Humane Catch: How Ikejime Benefits Fish, Flavor And The Planet
Our guest is Andrew Tsui who is the founder and president of The Ike Jime Federation https://ikejimefederation.com/ based in Maryland. Ikejime is a unique, traditional Japanese technique to treat fish right after it is caught. Ikejime dramatically reduces fish’s suffering and extends its freshness. The results are much better taste and flavor, as well as less waste of fish. Ikejime is not known enough outside of Japan, but Andrew is passionately trying to educate commercial and recreational anglers about the awesome technique. In this episode, we will discuss how exactly Ikejime is done, what types of fish are suited to the Ikejime treatment, the difference between Ikejime and Shinkeijime, how you can learn the Ikejime technique and be certified by Andrew’s Ike Jime Federation and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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45:56
Nozomi Mori: A Female Sushi Chef Breaks New Ground In L.A.
Our guest is Nozomi Mori who is the chef/owner of the sushi bar Mori Nozomi https://www.morinozomi.com/ in Los Angeles, which opened in 2024. She got into the world of sushi in 2017, only 8 years ago, and her sushi bar already earned notable accolades, such as a Michelin star and was included in the New York Times’ 50 best restaurant list in 2025. In this episode, we will discuss why Nozomi decided to become a sushi chef, how she studied sushi-making in the U.S., how she had conquered challenges being a woman in the traditionally male-dominant sushi industry, her advice to aspiring sushi chefs, and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
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23:55
Global Kura: Japanese-American Sake Collaborations
Our guest is Timothy Sullivan who has over 17 years of experience teaching about sake. In 2007, he was awarded the prestigious title of Sake Samurai by the Japan Sake Brewers Association. Since 2013, Tim has served as the Global Brand Ambassador for the 100-year-old Hakkaisan Sake Brewery https://www.hakkaisan.com/. Now also as the Director of Education at Sake Studies Center https://www.sakestudiescenter.com/ at Brooklyn Kura https://www.brooklynkura.com/in New York, he has been playing a pivotal role in developing and advancing the American sake industry. Tim is also the co-host of the fun and highly informative podcast Sake Evolution. He joined us on Japan Eats! in Episodes #32, #100, #337, plus #241 with co-host of Sake Revolution John Puma. This is Tim’s 5th appearance on Japan Eats! In this episode, we will discuss the new and notable trends and products in the sake market in Japan and the U.S., successful collaborations between American and traditional Japanese sake breweries, how American sake brands are recognized by the Japanese consumers, and much, much more!!!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What is Japanese food? Sushi, or ramen, or kaiseki? What about Izakaya? Akiko Katayama, a Japanese native, New York-based food writer and director of the New York Japanese Culinary Academy, tells you all about real Japanese food and food culture. With guests ranging from sake producers with generations of experience to American chefs pushing the envelope of Japanese gastronomy, Japanese cuisine is demystified here!
New Zealand