TETSUYA WAKUDA

The revered chef behind two-michelinstarred Waku Ghin reveals his five sources of inspiration

THE MOTHERLAND

Whenever I travel, I make sure to stop by the local markets of the destination to look at the fresh produce. For me, Japan has some of the best local markets because of the variety of fresh seafood and vegetables available. Even in the countryside, the smaller markets and stores have beautiful produce at affordable prices.

HIS CLOSEST ALLIES

One of the reasons I travel so often is to visit the growers, farmers and suppliers I work with. It’s important that I’m in touch with the sources of my ingredients and foster a personal connection with the people I work with, because when I see the passion they have for what they do, I get inspired to keep going, too.

FRESH PRODUCE

My cooking philosophy is produce-driven. When I have good, fresh produce in front of me, its colour, texture, taste, smell and quality in general get my imagination running. This happens especially with the seasonal ingredients I use; only when I receive them do I then think of a dish to showcase their natural flavours.

DEDICATED MASTERS

Five years ago, a friend introduced me to a skilful fisherman from Japan’s Shizuoka prefecture, which is my home town. He taught me the relatively modern slaughter technique of shinkejime that inflicts less trauma on the fish. This method ensures that you don’t disfigure the fish and its meat remains tasty for longer. I now buy most of my fish from this fisherman.

HARVESTS OF THE SEA

I love discovering fish that I’ve never used before in the kitchen, and even more so when I catch them myself. I’ll cut up the fish to look at their meat and roe, and try different ways to cook them. The ribbonfish, which I first experimented with a long time ago, remains my favourite catch.