Chef Collaboration
Japanese chefs bring deep knowledge of the ingredients — their seasons, behaviour, and the producers behind them. UK chefs bring different techniques, a different pantry, and questions that would not arise in a Japanese kitchen.
When these perspectives meet over the same ingredient, something new becomes possible.
Chef Masuda
Masuda Takahito cooks in Kyoto. In Japanese food culture, いただきます and ごちそうさま — spoken at the beginning and end of a meal — reflect a deep respect for the lives within the food we eat. Masuda’s practice is rooted in this: listening to the voice of ingredients, and expressing that voice through cuisine.
He looks forward to collaborating with chefs who share this perspective — aspiring together to refine and elevate their craft.
The Exchange
A koji that behaves differently in London’s humidity. A miso used in ways the maker never anticipated. The conversation starts from something concrete — an ingredient on the counter — and opens into craft, technique, and context.
KOTOBUKI connects Japanese chefs like Masuda with UK chefs working with the same producers’ ingredients. The relationship is ongoing and developing as both sides discover what these materials become in different kitchens.