Cafeteria

Began helping out at her parents' Chinese restaurant while still in elementary school, then graduated from Tokyo Metropolitan Agricultural High School's Department of Food Production. She became head chef at the age of 22, also gaining notoriety from her appearance on the "Iron Chef" TV program. She received the Japan Chinese Cooking Association Skill Achievement Award in 2014, has made many media appearances and participated in both educational activities and municipal revitalization projects. She moved her flagship restaurant from Ginza, Tokyo to Atami, Shizuoka in July 2021, offering Chinese fare created with local Shizuoka ingredients. The Atami landslide occurred in the same month her restaurant was scheduled to open, so she collaborated with Komatsuya Seimen, a local shop affected by the disaster, on "Atami Recovery Noodles" as part of revitalization efforts.

The Chef's Inspiration

During the pandemic, my family and I went to my husband's hometown, Atami.
I had had a pop-up restaurant in Izu-Taga for about two months seven years prior, so I was familiar with Atami, but it had been awhile since I had spent a good amount of time there—a place with so few people where I found myself completely captivated by the blue sky, the wonderful breeze and the incredible variety of fresh ingredients. It made me want to open up a permanent location in the area.

I think that good food is intrinsically linked to memory, so I endeavor to create a memorable experience, whether at the opening or closing of your journey, by incorporating ingredients from the area's waters and mountains that are filled with local spirit.

These dishes are also filled with my feelings on Atami's recovery and reconstruction. The month we were planning to open my restaurant there was a terrible landslide. We decided to push back the opening and do what we could to help the locals. So, as we got ready to open, we donated 10 yen for each sale of our tofu-wrapped shumai dumpling (this campaign has since ended). I also created an "Atami Recovery" Tantan Tsukemen (Chinese noodles with dipping sauce) in collaboration with Komatsuya Seimen, a well-known local store that was forced to close its doors for nearly a year due to the landslide that swept through the Izusan neighborhood of Atami. The noodles for this dish were made from Shizuoka wheat, which I think give them a truly local flavor.

It's my hope that the cuisine I have crafted will remain a part of your memories of SAPHIR ODORIKO, and that these delicious flavors will inspire you to once again visit Izu someday.

Aug.2023

Chinese Restaurant MIYU