Ep 52: Chef Masaki Sugisaki
My guest today is the very talented and oh so humble co-owner and head chef of Dinings SW3, Masaki Sugisaki. After selling his family's restaurants outside of Tokyo, Masaki moved to London to work at Nobu, and later formed part of the founding team at the original Dinings in Marylebone. The Japanese food culture and respect for produce governs his whole approach to cooking. He doesn’t compromise on quality, he cooks seasonally and uses the whole ingredient, and has direct relationships with his seafood suppliers (predominantly day boats in Cornwall), and it shows on the plate - fresh, thoughtful, and absolutely delicious. I met Masaki after having lunch at Dinings a few weeks ago and we chat about his background and the change that came with moving from cooking Japanese food in Japan to the freedom of being a chef here, and how he’s experienced the evolution of Japanese cuisine in London. And of course, we talk about his restaurant and his whole philosophy on cooking… I hope you enjoy!