Shinobu Namae’s entry into the culinary world wasn’t “spectacular.” It was purely a question of survival – “I had to earn money,” he said with a laugh.
“The easiest way to get a job for a university student back then was to work as a dishwasher. That’s how my career started.”
It wasn’t long before Namae was given onions and garlic to peel at the restaurant in his free time. Although it wasn’t glamorous work, he enjoyed it.
“There aren’t many jobs that elicit an immediate response to your work. When you serve delicious food, you can see it on customers’ faces,” he told CNBC Make It.
“It’s a very, very nice job to be in the kitchen and see happy people.”
It is a skill to develop compassion for others and make others feel cared for. This is a very important part of working as a chef in a restaurant.
Shinobu name
Head chef at L’Effervescence
So began a love affair that led to Namae working his way up in the kitchens of Japan and England for seven years before opening L’Effervescence in Tokyo 13 years ago.
The restaurant, which highlights Japanese produce with modern European cooking techniques, has since been awarded three Michelin stars for the third year in a row.
Most recently, Namae was honored with the Icon Award for his contributions to the food world at the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2023 event. His restaurant ranked 44th on the list.
The 50-year-old chef tells CNBC Make It about his culinary philosophy and what motivates him to keep learning.
From politics to food
Before falling in love with cooking, Namae studied politics at Keio University in Tokyo – a field he says has parallels to the food world.
“I have always been very interested in humanity and what makes us human… Politics is about understanding the relationships between people, communities and nations,” he said.
His work in the food industry helped him deepen this understanding. Food cultures may vary, but what is universal is the desire to connect with others and find joy through food, he said.
“We can amuse ourselves through our ability to … consume or serve fancy food in a great atmosphere,” Namae said.
“But it is a skill to develop compassion for others and make others feel like you care. This is a very important part of working as a chef in a restaurant.”
That’s why he believes it’s the “fundamental skill” of people – not just chefs – to care about something that takes a person to greater heights.
Most people become narrow-minded because they focus on techniques and details (of dishes). These are beautiful things, but we also need to be mindful of our surroundings.
Shinobu name
Chef, L’Effervescence
“That’s the starting point for my job as a chef: If we don’t care about the ingredients, we don’t cook well. If we don’t care about our personnel, we don’t have a strong team and we will be in trouble,” Namae said.
“If we don’t care about the customer – if a chef just cooks what he or she likes… the business won’t be successful.”
Ethics of gastronomy
This “fundamental skill” is what drives Namae’s focus on ethical and sustainable gastronomy – which also “starts with care,” he said.
Although he works in a closed kitchen in Nishiazabu, Tokyo, Namae says his thoughts travel “much further” to major crises around the world and consider their impact on our food resources.
“Most people become narrow-minded because they focus on techniques and details (of dishes). These are beautiful things, but we also need to be mindful of our surroundings,” Namae said.
That’s why all the ingredients used in L’Effervescence – right down to the soy sauce – come from 100 local farmers, producers and hunters.
Namae’s sustainable ethos is also reflected in his signature dish, Fixed Point – a whole zero-waste turnip, slow-cooked for four hours, with brioche, ham and parsley.
The chef’s passion for reducing the impact of fine dining on the climate led him to become involved with WWF Japan in initiatives to reduce illegal fishing.
Most recently, he graduated from the University of Tokyo with a master’s degree in agricultural sciences.
But even after all he has accomplished, Namae says the work of understanding humanity through food is never finished.
“If I could, I would like to continue working like the legendary Jiro-san, who even at 97 years old is still behind the counter making sushi,” he said, referring to the world-famous chef Jiro Ono, who was featured in the Documentary film “Jiro Dreams of Sushi”.
“Never stopping exploring – that’s the hard part of being a chef, but also a very, very exciting thing.”
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