Yoshihiro Murata, the self-taught chef


For hundreds of years, we have been making dashi the wrong way, says Chef Yoshihiro Murata of the three Michelin-starred Kikunoi restaurant in Kyoto. Photo: The Star/Faihan Ghani

He is one of Japan’s most respected chefs today and runs three highly rated restaurants: Kikunoi, a 100-seater fine dining kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto which has three Michelin stars; kappo-style Roan Kikunoi, also in Kyoto, a 50-seater, and Akasaka Kikunoi, a 50-seater tea house-style Kyoto cuisine restaurant in Tokyo.

But Yoshihiro Murata had not always wanted to be a Japanese chef. His father and grandfather were both kaiseki chefs but he hated the life and wished to run away from his fate.

The Star Christmas Special Promo: Save 35% OFF Yearly. T&C applies.

Monthly Plan

RM 13.90/month

Best Value

Annual Plan

RM 12.33/month

RM 8.02/month

Billed as RM 96.20 for the 1st year, RM 148 thereafter.

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

Next In People

Frank Gehry, master architect with a flair for drama, dies at 96
Teen saving India's ponds 'one pond at a time' says everyone can be a leader
'This could have been me': British-Somali boxer pays it forward at refugee camp
Running for a reason: He ran 1770km through 169 towns to help sick children
Miss Universe Malaysia 2025 Chloe Lim is driven by a sense of purpose at upcoming global competition
This Malaysian wildlife biologist uses conservation genetics to protect nature
How this Malaysian researcher is preventing extinction, one tiger at a time
Award-winning Malaysian scientist turns natural resources and waste into energy
Stuttering doesn’t define him, it's just a part of who he is
Richard Quest on the evolution of storytelling in a digital age

Others Also Read