Aiste Miseviciute Instagram – Originally from Tokyo, soba master Katsuki Sakurai, the head chef of @yenparisfr, always wanted to live abroad. When the ready-to-wear company he was working for offered for him to move to Paris, he did not hesitate for a second.
To perfect the complex art of making soba, he spent a year working alongside one of the best masters in Japan, Takahashi Kunihiro, as an apprentice in Kyushu. He then moved to Paris, where he has been the head chef at restaurant Yen for over 20 years.
While the process for making soba might appear quite simple at first sight, it demands real technique and expertise. Water and buckwheat are the only ingredients used to make soba noodles; thus, their quality is essential. For his restaurant in Paris, Katsuki Sakurai imports buckwheat from Japan, before mixing it with water and cutting the soba every day.
The speed at which the noodles are cut is also a crucial factor. The best soba will never be too dry, will always be perfectly al dente, and will possess the beautiful flavour of buckwheat.
* The short article written by me was originally published by Pen magazine. @penmagazine @penofficial
https://pen-online.com/travel/katsuki-sakurai-europes-best-soba-maker/
In the pictures:
– Cold soba with sea urchin
– Chutoro and sea bream sashimi
– Fried mochi with bottarga
– Zucchinni flower tempura (when in season)
– Otoro and sea urchin temaki
– Black cod
– Hot soba | Posted on 25/Jan/2025 18:28:21
