Mister “T”: Kiichiro Asano Is An A-Team Plater

Kiichiro Asano comes from the family who founded Japan’s respected Inagiku restaurant brand. He’s long since sold his stake in Inagiku, but has brought that restaurant’s tasty trademark tempura to the newly opened Restaurant T, which also specializes in high-quality kaiseki.

What is the one lesson a Japanese chef has to learn?

To be clean, tidy and to look after their uniforms. They must also learn how to cut correctly – that’s an art.

What dish represents home to you?

Anything healthy and simple. Chicken with fresh vegetables and rice is good. I prefer it to be light and very tasty.

What do you love and hate to cook?

I love to cook tempura, and hate cooking anything that smells too strong and smokes out a room.

If you could steal one country’s cuisine and make it “Japanese,” what would you choose?

It’d have to be Italian – specifically, northern Italian cuisine – because it’s the most similar in taste.

Which dish best represents all that you stand for?

The hassun (the second course in a kaiseki meal, usually featuring several seasonal cold dishes arranged on a wooden tray) is very important.

If you weren’t in this industry, what profession would you be in?

I’ll be honest, I’ve never thought of being outside the industry. There was a time when I was a university
graduate and worked for Japan Airlines. I eventually came back though, and took over the family business.

Do you prefer front of house or the kitchen?

I prefer the role I play now as front of house. I enjoy talking to customers
about the food, Japanese history and hearing their recommendations.

What’s your favorite Chinese restaurant in Beijing?

Da Dong. Certainly the most famous, and has classic Peking duck.

What effect has the earthquake in Japan and the subsequent nuclear crisis had on Japanese restaurants in Beijing?

It’s definitely had an effect on most Japanese restaurants. Some import a majority of ingredients, so that’s an issue. Since the crisis, customers have been anxious about dining at Japanese restaurants.

How are you dealing with this?

We source the highest quality ingredients from China. Around 80 percent of our ingredients are domestic.

Meat or seafood? Rice or noodles? Love or happiness?

Seafood. Noodles. Hmm … happiness.

Kiichiro Asano's 5 Things That Should Be Considered Art

“Exquisite chinaware”
“Leaves and flowers and decorations on a plate”
“Special presentation of dishes”
“Air. It has to smell clean and be at the perfect temperature”
“Sincere service”

Photo: Judy Zhou