Chef Seiji Yamamoto –Reinventing Japanese Cuisine and Making It His Own

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Nihonryori Ryugin is one of those restaurants that have captured the attention of culinary enthusiasts not because it offers the best food, but because it offers the most imaginative ingredients.

Let’s Get to Know Yamamoto

Indeed, its chef, Seiji Yamamoto, is known largely for its wild culinary experiments. Ironically, traditional cuisines may actually the result of inventiveness and innovative thinking for him. Everything about cooking is an adventure to him. This puts molecular gastronomy – if he regards his cooking to be so – at an entirely new level. Debates about this new method of cooking rages on, but he shrugs off all these debates and go about his merry way of cooking. His methods – no matter how unconventional they may seem to some – actually work for him.

As a young boy, he experimented with various dishes just so he can impress his mother. It was inevitable, however, that he would eventually pursue a career in culinary arts and enroll in a culinary school. After graduation, he joined the kitchens of Aoyagi and worked chef jobs under the tutelage of the famous Japanese chef Koyoma Hirohisa. He stayed with Hirohisa for more than a decade until he started his own restaurant, Nihonryori Ryugin in 2003. The name of the restaurant was actually inspired by this Zen poem which basically describes the strength of a dragon. He was then 33 years old. By 2008, Nihonryori Ryugin was awarded its first Michelin star by Tokyo’s Michelin Guide.

Chef Yamamoto made history in 2007 when he joined the Madrid Fusion and created the Silkscreen of Squid Ink with Squid Carppaccio, a dish which earned him the applause and respect of his colleagues. This chef is undoubtedly a superstar when it comes to Japanese cuisines. Who can refute his ingenuity when it comes to merging molecular gastronomy with the sacrosanct traditions of Japanese’ kaiseki. It’s not surprising why culinary masters like Ferran Adria and Joel Robuchon have made the pilgrimage to Tokyo just so they experience the dishes of chef Yamamoto.

Visiting Nihonryori Ryugin

Nihonryori Ryugin is relatively small compared to some of Michelin-starred restaurants. The dining space can only contain about 26 guests. It is, however, difficult to secure a seat. The staff especially the Sommelier speaks English quite well, so you won’t have a hard time communicating with them. Unlike other restaurants, however, Nihonryori Ryugin delivers the best food. Every dish and every bite will simply blow you away. You won’t find anything overcooked. Everything is flawlessly executed and presented. And of course, you can give all the credit to its chef, Seiji Yamamoto.