Wir stellen Ihnen alle 24 Kandidaten des wichtigsten Kochwettbewerb der Welt, dem Bocuse d’or (23.-24. Januar 2007) vor. Hier der Kandidat aus Japan, Kotaro Hasegawa. (englisch)
Restaurant Sens et saveurs, Tokyo
1992 : Pâtissier at the Bay Sheraton Hotel
1996 : ” The Sumit ” restaurant (Bay Sheraton Hotel)
1998: Time spent in France (particularly at the l’Oustaù de Bamanière
in the Baux de Provence, Jack Maximin at Vence, Richard
Couteanceau at La Rochelle, Le Jardin des Sens at Montpelier)
2002 :Sous-chef, then Chef (2003) at the Sens et Saveurs restaurant,
in Tokyo.
In the beginning…
In the absence of his mother, who died when he was very small,
Kotaro Hasegawa learned whilst still young how to run a household.
“This was how I got interested in cooking, without really realising
it”, he says.
He entered the Musasino Chori catering school at an early age
and then, when he was 16, the Japanese candidate was
employed as pâtissier at the Bay Sheraton Hotel. Four years later
he was promoted to the Sumit, the main restaurant of the hotel.
With his inquiring mind, the young cook took training courses in different Japanese restaurants before arriving
in France to discover French cuisine alongside some of the best French chefs in the land.
Since his return to Japan in 2002, he has been working at the Sens et saveurs restaurant, firstly as a Souschef
and, since 2003 as Chef. Here he offers his guests dishes directly inspired by the time spent at the side
of the Pourcel brothers at Montpelier.
Preparation for the Bocuse d’Or
Kotaro Hasegawa has continued to dream about the Bocuse d’Or ever since he participated in the competition
in 2001. However, he is leaving nothing to chance regarding preparations. ” It’s a race against
time “, he says… And before D-day, every available minute is devoted to preparation.
Outside the kitchen
If he has a few minutes to himself, the Japanese candidate likes to joke that he
takes the opportunity to ” sleep “. He also likes to watch sporting competitions,
which give him the courage and desire to represent Japan.
Between us…
The candidate speaks
Japanese, a little English
and a little French.
What his father thinks of
his cooking:
” He appreciates my
cooking and really likes
my profession. ”
If he were a utensil,
he would be a…
” knife, because you
can’t practise French
cooking without it.
I always have mine
within reach.”
His commis
Masao Ohara worked for two years at the Hiramatsu restaurant in Tokyo, then
was taken on as Chef de Partie Garde Manger at the restaurant “Le Baerenthal
a Sapporo”, in partnership with the Alsatian chef Jean-Georges Klein.
By participating in the Bocuse d’Or, he hopes to gain in maturity.