A Singular Path to Excellence

Noriyuki Hamada, French Chef In a high-rise building in central Tokyo is a premium Japanese-style inn where the head chef is 41-year-old Noriyuki Hamada. In 2013, he took third place at the world's most prestigious culinary competition, becoming the first Japanese to win a medal. And he continues to attract international attention. In Hamada's cooking, high-end fare such as foie gras and caviar are nowhere to be found. Instead, he uses atypical ingredients such as shiitake mushrooms and carp to dream up exquisite culinary creations. Hamada's original and creative menus don't originate with flashes of genius. He learns everything about his ingredients, turning out astonishing dishes by trying out various pairings and cooking methods hundreds of times. "Everyone else just zooms ahead like a jet plane", he says. "But I crawl forward one step at a time. People like me who lack good taste and talent have no choice but to advance step by step. I think only of what's right in front of me, and how delicious and enjoyable to eat I can make it. All I can do is keep trying. That's my only talent".