THE SUSTAINABILITY STEWARD

Despite working in an industry that promotes consumption, Ronald Kamiyama, sommelierpartner of The Cicheti Group, embraces how

F&B professionals can play a part in advocating for choices that have a sizeable impact on the planet. These areas include sustainable farming, reducing carbon footprint, food wastage and packaging, recycling, and more. He says, “We are in a position in the supply chain where we can not only give consumers a choice to contribute to these efforts, but our actions can also inform and inspire them to make better choices at home.”

Over the past three years, Kamiyama has been leading the group’s sustainability efforts, from educating staff to making operational changes such as using biodegradable takeaway packaging and reducing food wastage in the kitchens.

The group will factor in sustainability features in the interiors of upcoming restaurants.

As the group’s sommelier, he curates the group’s beverage list—95 per cent of which are sustainably produced, including natural, biodynamic and organic wines. He has a soft spot for small-batch and multi-generational producers and those that use local grape varietals or ingredients. One of them is the Motoshibori sake from Osaka, which he pairs with the Cavolo Nero pizzette at Wild Child Pizzette. The pure rice sake (junmai) is made using organically grown Omachi rice and involves the traditional Yamahai method that involves a yeast starter. He shares, “The Cavolo Nero has an earthy sweetness and umami notes from the Tuscan kale, pickled onions and bagna cauda, which complements the sake that has citrusy, sweet and umami notes.”

Kamiyama’s interest in sustainability was piqued when he was the maître d’ and sommelier at the three-michelin-starred French fine-dining restaurant L’effervescence in Tokyo. He was there for 1.5 years, before joining The Cicheti Group in October 2018. He has also worked at Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza in Singapore and chef Daniel Boulud’s Bar Boulud and Boulud Sud in the US.

While under the tutelage of L’effervescence’s chefowner Shinobu Namae, Kamiyama’s knowledge of sustainable restaurant practices was broadened—sake lees were used in stocks and ice cream, edible stems of vegetables were kept on dining plates, and only natural wines were featured in wine-tasting menus. He says, “Restaurants waste a lot of food, more so at finedining restaurants where everything has to be perfect, but Namae-san was big on not wasting anything.”