Chef revelations: Yasuda Akinori, head chef, Sumi, London
What was your best subject at school?
Music
What was your first job?
I worked in a food factory in Japan
What was your first job in catering?
My dad had a restaurant in our family home and I helped out from a young age. I did everything from waiting tables to helping in the kitchen
What do you normally have for breakfast?
Fruit
What do you do to relax?
I like to spend an evening watching films, or videos on YouTube
Which is your favourite restaurant?
Okina Soba in Tokyo
What's your favourite hotel?
I wouldn't say I have one specific favourite hotel, but I love a Japanese ryokan hotel. It's a traditional inn found all over Japan that is very simple and minimalistic, just with mats on the floor rather than a bed
What is your favourite cuisine?
Japanese
What is your favourite drink?
Japanese sake – all types
Which ingredient do you hate the most?
I don't like MSG or anything that is too floral
Which person in catering have you most admired?
My father
What daily newspaper/website do you read?
Metro
Cast away on a desert island, what luxury would you take?
My knife
What's your favourite film?
Anything by Studio Ghibli, a Japanese animation film studio
If you had not gone into catering, where do you think you would be now?
Doing something with sports, such as running
When and where was your last holiday?
I went to Japan last year
What irritates you most about the industry?
The long hours
What's your favourite book?
I love anything by Yukio Mishima
If you had more time, what would you do?
Spend more time with my kids
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