A Part-time Job as a Student Led to a Path to Japanese Cuisine
Getting Motivated to Study in Japan
Tsai Ming Gu (Taiwan)
While studying cooking at the National Kaohsiung Hospitality Management Academy (the current National Kaohsiung
University of Hospitality and Tourism) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan’s second largest city, Tsai Ming Gu started working
part-time at a Japanese izakaya run by a Taiwanese manager. This was Tsai’s introduction to Japanese cuisine. Japanese
TV dramas and music were popular in Taiwan, exposing Tsai to Japanese culture from a young age. So working at anizakaya seemed like a natural extension. “The reason I started working at an izakaya was because I wanted to learn work
skills other than those that I learned at school” says Tsai. He was concerned about his employment opportunities aftergraduation.
After starting to work at the izakaya, the strong impression he got was that Japanese cuisine placed emphasis on a sense of seasons, used a lot ofvegetables, and was rich in colors. “The dishes were sophisticated and the sensibility of using flowers for decoration was refreshing” he said.
After graduating from school, finishing his military service, and starting work again, Tsai chose once again the path to becoming a chef in Japanesecuisine. Gaining experience at a yakitori restaurant and a Japanese restaurant in Taipei operated by the Mitsui Food & Beverage Enterprise Group, Tsailearned the basics from Japanese chefs while studying by reading books and using the internet. “Japanese cooking is not simply about the dishes
themselves. Careful attention is paid to each step. Whether it is about how to cook fish or the time spent on each step of making dashi, each minute andeach second is important and it is a very delicate cuisine.” Although it is said that Japanese cuisine reflects the seasons, the foods “in season” alsochange in accordance with the local ingredients. He sensed the richness and depth of Japanese cuisine in its reflection of each region and the lives ofpeople there.
In this way, Tsai added to his knowledge of traditional Japanese cuisine, while on the other hand, his three years of experience working at Chen
Cuisine, a members-only original Japanese restaurant in Taipei, greatly expanded his range of cooking. He experienced the joy of creating moderndishes, combining cooking styles of various countries such China and Thailand. “It was the restaurant that taught me how to make my dishes shine,” hereflects. Seeking experience outside of Taiwan, Tsai currently works at the Japanese restaurant Senwa Cuisine, which newly opened in Shanghai in
2016.
Tsai’s dish for the WWC is Japanese mini-eggplant and turban shell in spicy yuzu kosho cream. Bringing together the chewy texture of turban shells
with tenderly simmered eggplant, Tsai came up with a refreshing combination. Garnished with purple shiso (Japanese basil) leaves and powdered egg
yolk, it is a festive dish.
Having never studied authentic Japanese cooking in Japan, Tsai hopes that “the WWC will be a major turning point for me,” indicating his motivation
to use this opportunity to connect with many outstanding Japanese chefs and master Japanese cooking.

Japanese mini-eggplant and turban shell in spicy yuzu kosho cream

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