Photos Courtesy of the Gohan Society. All Star Chef Charity Dinner at Matsuri.

From the designer behind Whimsy & Spice’s branding to a rising young chef with a love for private dining, Gobbl works to bring our readers an inside glimpse of the restaurant world from many an angle. Today’s Insider brings you the perspective of the executive director of the Gohan Society, Taeko Takigami. Though founded only a few years ago, the Gohan Society has quickly become a noteworthy force, holding master classes for prominent chefs as well as organizing high profile events like the Tofu Competition earlier this summer.

Gobbl: How and when did the Gohan Society begin?
Taeko: Our founder, Saori Kawano, has a business selling restaurant equipment. As a Japanese person doing business in the US, she wanted to do something for the US. She thought it would be best to do it in the restaurant industry because that’s what she was very familiar with. She founded Gohan, a non-profit organization, about 2.5 years ago. In the beginning, we really relied on her contacts for our events – chefs like Michael Romano and Jean-George. It’s funny – 25 years ago, Chef Jean-George just walked into her business store and became one of her clients. Like Jean-George, many of our chefs have long term business relations with our founder.

Gobbl: What inspired you to join the Gohan Society as its executive director?
Taeko: Before becoming the executive director of the Gohan Society, I was always in either publishing or public relations. In those capacities, I worked with both American and Japanese clients as a business coordinator. Later, I met with Saori who was thinking about this idea of a Japanese culinary society. Maybe it had something to do with age or my dreams to do a non-profit but I took the job. The contacts and networks I had made, through my career, I was finally able to use these contacts for something meaningful. I really thought I found a launching spot for my life. We are now very good friends and work very hard to achieve our goal.

Gobbl: What were some of your past events?
Taeko: The Tofu Cookoff is an example. Housefoods was having so much difficulty getting the chefs for the competition, and the Gohan was asked to help contact chefs. The competitors (Wylie Drufresne of WD-50, Erik Battes of Perry St., Edward Higgins of Insieme, and Akinobu Suzuki of Sakagura) all agreed immediately. Michael Romano on our board of directors took a role as a judge.

We also worked to introduce Kaga cuisine and we wanted to introduce the cuisine to people who have influential power so we planned a dinner at the Japanese embassy. We invited the guests like Jean-George, Eric Ripert, and Michael Romano, and George Sape, a lawyer who is known as a fine wine collector. He has 16,000 bottles in his collection. We wanted him to know about the sake collection. It was a very exclusive dinner.

Photos Courtesy of the Gohan Society. [Left] Guest book signed by Jean-George [Right] Eric Ripert being interviewed by the press.

Gobbl: What are your future projects?

Taeko: We really want to focus on implementing hygiene programs for raw fish. Raw fish is so popular now and many chefs handle them but 20 years ago, only Japanese chefs were handling raw fish. In Japan, there are very strict guidelines for handling raw fish so we want to do a Japanese instruction on hygienic handling of raw fish. It’s very important because if someone has food poisoning in the U.S., it kills the reputation of Japanese cuisine.

The Gohan Society is also planning to publish a book about Japanese cuisine. It’s very informative, describes many Japanese ingredients in detail, and has interviews with many chefs.

We’re also planning a program for high school students in early August. First week is at the Japan society; the second week at the Astor Center. Teaching kids isn’t necessary but I want it; maybe the kids will want to learn Japanese in college or go visit Japan when they’re older. Chef Kobayashi from Megu will be the main instructor. Chef Kobashi was asking about the level he should be teaching the students and wanted me to describe the level on a 1-10 scale. I told him to teach at 1, at a very basic level. It should be very fun – we will get to see how soba is made, do tea ceremonies, and much more.

Chef Kobayashi of Megu [Left] demonstrates how to property slice tofu during a class on tempura.

Students learn to make miso soup as Director Takigami [Left picture, on the right] looks on.

Gobbl: The Gohan Society really focuses on teaching master level classes on Japanese techniques to already prominent chefs. What, in your opinion, is unique about Japanese techniques?
Taeko: I once read an article on a very famous chef and he said that if French cooking is a master course at the university level, then Japanese cuisine is a Ph.D. You must have level of master course understanding in cooking to learn about Japanese Cooking. Japanese Cuisine is a really detail oriented cooking.

Gobbl: What kind of techniques have these master level classes focused on?
Taeko: Earlier in May, we had a sushi grand master, Toshio Suzuki from Sushi Zen, demonstrate how to prepare the live fish in the Japanese way. We used the live fluke and eel. Then we moved to the kitchen where al the chefs (18 of them) had hands on training. But this time, the chefs prepared sashimi with fish that was not just killed. We later compared the texture of the fish – just killed versus not. Everyone was so amazed that they could see a significant difference in the texture. They were so appreciative because no one gives classes on this level, this deepened level in the U.S. The chefs who participate are like executive chefs, Mark Lapico from Jean-George, Wylie Drufesne of WD 50, Marco Canola and Edward Higgins from Insieme, Chef Lon Symensma from Buddakan, and Fred Mero from the Four Seasons Restaurant. Besides Chef Suzuki, Tadashi Ono of Matsuri and two other Japanese chefs were there. They were all saying that they weren’t sure how much they could teach in such a short time but because of the level of the chefs participating, everyone could catch on quickly even from just hints and clues. It was totally different. We are planning on another master class on Japanese vinegars or rice; we’re still discussing with the James Beard foundation.

Gobbl: To what extent are the chefs you regularly work with already familiar with Japanese cuisine?
Taeko: Many chefs involved with the Gohan Society have personal relationships with Japanese cuisine, and they are much more knowledgeable about it than anyone could ever expect. For example, David Bouley has been working closely with Yoshiki Tsuji, the president of the Tsuji Culinary Institute – a very prestigious culinary school in Japan. Michael Roman has a Union Square branch in Japan; it’s very popular in Japan. Marcus is opening in Tokyo (Aquavit), and Jean George has Matsugen. Chefs oftentimes meet Japanese business contacts through our events. It is also our hope to provide the meeting opportunity to chefs and business contacts.

Gobbl: Why do you think the Gohan Society has been able to achieve this success?
Taeko: We are really sticking to our mission and there was this need. So many chefs wanted to learn about these new techniques. It’s good for the known Japanese chefs and for chefs working in the United States. And also so many Japanese want to share the goal with us, of introducing the Japanese culture to the US.

Photos Courtesy of the Gohan Society. Sake Tasting Event at Sakagura.

Tags: Gohan Society, Monday Morning Master Classes, Taeko Takigami