Interview ~ We sat down with Michelin-star chef and restaurateur Tomoharu Nakamura of Wako

YT: Please tell me your brief background, you’re from Ehime right?

TN: Yes, I was born and raised in Eihime and I went to Matsuyama Jonan High school. The high school had a culinary arts program so I chose this high school because I could obtain a culinary certificate upon graduation and then I applied for and received a culinary license. My first job was in Osaka.

YT: How old were you when you started to have an interest in sushi?

TN: My first job, the first restaurant I worked at was a Japanese restaurant that served seafood and sushi. My first in depth experience was when I was around 18. I worked there for about a year. The owner/ chef said that I should get more/ other experience and he recommended me to the Executive chef at a ryokan. So after graduating from high school, I started working at the ryokan. I worked there for 6 years.

YT: Kaiseki?

TN: Yes, I cooked kaiseki for 6 six years at the ryokan. And from there, I was introduced to a hotel and worked there for 2 years.

YT: Was this all in Osaka？

TN: Mostly in Osaka, the hotel was in Shiga. And from there, I thought I’d like to do something different and so I traveled to San Francisco.

YT: From Shiga to San Francisco? That's a leap.

TN: Yes.

YT: Interesting, and what made you decide on San Francisco?

TN: I knew someone in San Francisco. He was from Osaka and had been living in SF for a long time so I decided to visit him. He now works for JFC International. Visiting him was the inspiration. I decided to find a job while I was visiting (for 3 months), and I did. I was offered a position at Sanraku.

YT: That was lucky. While you were working at Sanraku didn’t you receive something like the Sushi Chef of the Year award?

TN: Right, there was an annual competition and I won 3 times.

YN: Sushi competition in the US？Does it still exist?

TN: It was called the ‘Sushi Master’s Competition’, and no, not anymore. They held it 4 times, the first year my senpai won. He went back to Japan and has a sushi restaurant in Roppongi now. And the remaining 3 times I won. They even had prize money, but after that they decided that it was too expensive to hold the competition so they stopped it.

YT: Was it held by a Japanese organization?

TN: No. The California Rice Commission.

YT: I love that. It’s like the new tuna hatchery off San Diego has the support from the Illinois Soybean Association. So how many years were you at Sanraku and when did you open Wako?

TN: I was at Sanraku for 11 years and then I opened Wako after that. Sushi Wako has been open for a full 5 years going on to year 6.

YT: Your interest in food/ cooking wasn’t because of your parents, they didn’t influence you?

TN: It was my interest and desire to be in the culinary world. When I was little in my spare time, I used to make donuts and cookies from scratch.

YT: You enjoy it and it shows in your food. What are the things that make you happy or feel fulfilled as a sushi chef in the US?

TN: Close proximity to my customers. And having the opportunity to feed them while talking to them and seeing the expression on their faces. That is certainly a good thing.

YT: Sushi chefs are notorious for having the sharpest and most acute sense of hearing, I know as a fact that you hear me when I’m whispering to my dining companion. I can tell by your expression….

TN: Just in case… you need something.

YT: How about the challenges, what are the things that you have found difficult?

TN: The biggest issues / problems that I have here are human resource issues.

YT: Right. There aren’t human resource managers in a small sushi restaurant.

TN: No, they don’t exist at sushi restaurants. It can be difficult, people just quit. There tends to be some turn over.

YT: What are your thoughts regarding the world wide sushi boom, it’s a little nuts.

TN: I think in general the quality of sushi has improved. And with the abundant information available on the internet, customers are more knowledgeable which is great, positive. But as more and more shops (sushi) open there are less fish.

YT: I see, a supply and demand issue.

TN: Yes, there are tuna ranching operations in Japan, Europe and beyond, and their quality of the tuna is very good. I believe that as the technology improves, we will have a better supply both in quantity and quality.

YT: And what do you think about the future of sushi, let’s say in 10 years?

TN: We can’t escape the rise of the cost of seafood so it’s not going to be for everyone. The price is only going to go up. It will be tough, competition could get fierce, perhaps places that don’t have a strong following might have a difficult time. Then again if the prices are too high, customers won’t come either.

YT: So better enjoy it now. And some sushi shops may not survive.

TN: Finding the fine balance between quality and price is the key and there are so many sushi restaurants in San Francisco.

YT: You (Wako) was ahead of the curve.

TN: Yes we were, maybe by a year and a half or two years before others started popping up.

YT: Tomo-san, I remember when you first opened you had delicious a la carte items besides sushi. Any thoughts on offering a la carte dishes again?

TN: I’m actually thinking of another place in the near future. Something different from what I’m offering now and I’m slowly preparing for it.

YT: Oh fantastic! Please keep me posted.

Wako 211 Clement Street, San Francisco, CA +1-415-682-4875

*During SIP in San Francisco, Wako is open for pick up only, Tue-Sat for lunch, dinner, and Omakase, don’t take my word for it, check with them.

*Photo credits: Sushi Wako. Photos will be updated after SIP