Star reclaimed: Chizuko regained the Michelin star that her late husband Shunei won three years ago for their restaurant in Paris - AFP
Chizuko Kimura has become the first female sushi chef in the world to win a Michelin star, fulfilling a promise she made to her dying husband to continue his legacy.
The 54-year-old Japanese chef regained the Michelin star her late husband Shunei Kimura won three years ago for their Sushi Shunei restaurant in Paris.
For Shunei, the star was a dream come true. However, the joy was shortlived. He died from cancer just three months later in June 2022 aged 65. The following year, the restaurant in the heart of Montmartre lost its star.
Chizuko insisted that the new star is still down to her husband.
“If Shunei had never received a star, I wouldn’t have been particularly attached to obtaining one myself,” she said.
“But he was proud that his restaurant was recognised. So this star has become very important to me,” she said in her tiny traditional “sushiya”, which only seats nine.
The Michelin was glowing in its praise, saying a “sensorial journey is guaranteed thanks to the dexterity with which the nigiri are made, the use and working of superb fish and the subtle seasoning”.
But Chizuko never set out to be a top chef, only falling into the business when her husband, who had worked in France for decades, decided to open his own restaurant.
“He was already ill at that time, and that’s when I started helping him. I was working as a tour guide and lost my job due to Covid-19,” she said.
She learnt at his side how to cut the fish, cook the rice and how to run the restaurant while caring for him as he grew more ill.
“I got better day by day and I still train on my days off. I am always studying,” she said, travelling back to Japan when she can to continue her training there.
After her husband’s passing, Chizuko took over the reins of the restaurant.
Traditionally, becoming a master sushi chef requires at least a 10-year apprenticeship. Chizuko got her star in just five.
“If this recognition can inspire or encourage other women, I will be very happy,” she said. — AFP
