Seiji Yamamoto

Born in Kagawa prefecture in 1970, Seiji Yamamoto is now heralded as one of Tokyo’s
finest chefs, he’s specialty are traditional cuisine with twist and he is the owner of
Nihonyori Ryugin in Tokyo with 3 Michelin stars. His cuisine combines perfectly
mastered flavours and skill, with creative ideas, rooted in culinary tradition.The
restaurant – simple and clean – has 18 seats, dish that offered to the customers make
them feel the smooth and relaxing atmosphere of the restaurant, which is based on
different seasonal, native ingredients and techniques. Currently considered to be the
leading exponent of avant-garde Japanese cuisine, chef Seiji Yamamoto takes his
inspiration from harmony, "Wa", and Japanese culture to devise a daring, creative,
culinary offer, rooted deeply in tradition. Using highly seasonal, local, raw materials of
the highest quality, he creates dishes which seek to capture the essence of his country
through taste and the senses. A ritual which begins in meditation, continueing even in
the market to capture the sense and taste of the country .After he graduates in Kagawa
School at the age of 19, he trained in establishments which enabled him to gain a deep
understanding of traditional Japanese cuisine and, later, haute cuisine and modern
techniques. In 2003 Yamamoto opened his own small restaurant Nihonryori Ryugin in
Tokyo, where he fuses kaiseki ryori with molecular cuisine. By the year 2008 he already
boasted two Michelin stars; two years later, he made it onto the list of the World's 50
Best Restaurants; and in 2013 he rose to 22nd place. In spring 2012, he opened his first
branch “Tenku Ryugin” at the 101st floor of the ICC building in Hong Kong. In autumn
2014, the second branch “Shoun RyuGin” was located in Taipei, Taiwan.