Revelations: Jun Tanaka, chef-patron, the Ninth, London

We delve into the life and inner thoughts of a top chef. This week: Jun Tanaka, chef-patron of the Ninth, London

 

What was your best subject at school?

 

Music – I used to play the cello and the piano

 

What was your first job?

 

A paper round when I was 12

 

What was your first job in catering?

 

Le Gavroche. I can still remember the very first job I had to do: to julienne three celeriac for rémoulade. It took me all morning and I cut myself a dozen times

 

What do you normally have for breakfast?

 

Greek yoghurt and blueberries

 

What do you do to relax?

 

I eat out with Ink, my wife

 

Which is your favourite restaurant?

 

Can’t choose just one, so it’s between Lyle’s, Perilla and Planque, all in London

 

What’s your favourite hotel?

 

Castello di Reschio. It’s a 1,000-year-old castle on an estate, hidden among the rolling hills of Umbria

 

What is your favourite drink?

 

Coffee

 

What is your favourite cuisine?

 

Japanese

 

Which ingredient do you hate the most?

 

Red amaranth micro cress

 

What flavour combinations do you detest?

 

Strawberry and sea bass. I was served this in a hotel… why?!

 

Which person in catering have you most admired?

 

Danny Meyer. His book Setting the Table was truly inspirational. I admire how he runs his business and the culture he has created

 

Which person gave you the greatest inspiration?

 

John C Maxwell. His book Leadershift was the first book on leadership that I read and it inspired me

 

Tell us a secret…

 

I love instant ramen. I have to stop myself from buying them or I would eat one every day

 

What irritates you most about the industry?

 

The staffing shortage

 

Who would play “you” in a film about your life?

 

Sung-Ho-Kang. I’ve been asked a few times ‘Are you that guy from Fast & Furious?’

 

What’s your favourite book?

 

Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara

 

What is your favourite prepared product?

 

Japanese pickles. My favourite is pickled aubergine and cucumber