Today we’d like to introduce you to Jake Takao.
Hi Jake, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in a major fishing industrial town in Japan; therefore, Sushi/seafood cooking has been a part of my culture and life. And I’m very good at either traditional or trendy Sushi creation. After selling our family restaurant, I placed myself on a discovering/searching/learning journey to improve and to create many exciting menu items by taking short terms and consultant type jobs. And it’s my time to put all my idea and experience into the right company/restaurant.
One of my strengths is to introduce a very exciting menu, which will set a trend with flavorful and dynamic taste, and those menu items are carefully designed to reduce wastage.
Growing up in one of the best fishing villages and living in wine country, I’m familiar with various types of seafood and farm-to-table cooking, blending the right ingredients together.
My menu is best described as “Pacific rim, Nuevo Izakaya & Wine county cooking”, which covers a wide range of regions including Sushi, Asian dishes, Global Tapas, refreshing salads, creamy or clear soup with or without spice, great numbers of appetizer items, sweet & spicy, colorful side dishes, savory herb seasoned items, perfect wine reduction sauce to all natural premium grade Sushi and much more, and I’m able to create these exciting menu items after placing myself to visit other regions such as East Coast, Southern states and West coast as a restaurant opening staff and a sort of consultant.
I respect every aspect of kitchen work from dishwashing to leading chef position, and I have done every section of kitchen work; therefore, I really understand each department in-depth, and at the same time, I’m usually capable of judging each person’s skill level.
Another important part of BOH jobs is purchasing, storing and rotating of products, safety, sanitation and temperature control, and these are achieved by years of experience to select higher quality ingredients within a budget, providing ordering sheets, dates and time labeling, inventory checklists, creating temperate checklists and providing safety and sanitation programs and training classes besides daily training of good working habits.
As my motto is “Clean as you cook”, by the time a chef finishes his cooking, cleaning should be done more than halfway.
In the end, since I’m the administrator of over 16,000 Sushi chef members FB site “Sushi Chefs and Restaurants, I’m always on top of current menus and upcoming trends.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The restaurant industry is known for a drama and chaotic business, where we meet staff and customers with various backgrounds; therefore, to make everyone happy is an impossible idea. After making many mistakes and improving my coaching skills, I can cope with daily problems and prevent them from happening; however, unless all the management team is on the same page, it won’t be easy. Since if I say, “Yes” to the customer’s request, it establishes a president, so I usually say, “Only this time”, escaping from the future commitment. And for scheduling staff, whenever I give enough hours, they tend to call out, and this has happened at every single place I have worked. And the schedule is made depending on each staff’s skills and personalities. For my menu, I always want to be a trendsetter, creating something new to the area and improving them at a regular base. To meet the owner’s request is another great challenge, and I often have to explain why I’m using some particular products.: however, I might be wrong depending on the result.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Creativity has a huge role in exciting and truly good menu creation, and it originates from a thought, developing to an idea, moving into modification in my head, and finally, I put it into an action/cooking/tasting with actual ingredients which I like to promote something from local products. Then, I improve it on a regular basis.
What does success mean to you?
To a chef, at the moment when the customer comments, “Great job, food and etc.” However, as a businessperson, we have to show it in the positive numbers; therefore, a certain compromise is necessary to be able to reach a successful stage.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hideawaycuisine.com
