Executive chef at Azumi shares his favorite things.
By By Hilary Geisbert | Photography by David Colwell | July 2015
TAXI DRIVER: PHOTOGRAPHS BY STEVE SHAPIRO, FROM TASCHEN BOOKS: My daughter gave me this for my 51st birthday. Taxi Driver is one of my favorite films, and I think it’s one of the greatest films in American cinema.
SUNGLASSES: I only have one pair of sunglasses, and I’ve had them for 15 years.
GLOBAL KNIFE: I’ve used this knife for 17 years. I don’t use it now because it’s not sharp anymore, but I did use it for an Azumi tasting. This knife carries a lot of great memories, and it’s also inexpensive.
KARATE: I started karate when I was 12 years old.
Karate’s philosophy helped me out a lot. It’s part of my belief.
VANISHING POINT AND FIVE EASY PIECES: I grew up with American new cinema. These two films greatly influenced my life.
JAPANESE COOKBOOK: For every project I’ve had, I brought this book with me. It’s traditional Japanese cuisine. I always look back to this book for inspiration and to remind me of my heritage.
BURT BACHARACH MUSIC: My favorite song is ‘Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head.’ Whenever I listen to this song I feel everything is going to be okay.
DOC MARTENS GETTA GRIP BOOTS: These boots are so special to me. They are my feet.
CHARLES BUKOWSKI: I love his books—they are so funny and sad, but also kind and warm.
