After more than 20 years, acclaimed chef Tetsuya Wakuda, owner of Tetsuya’s in Sydney, continues to capture the hearts and taste buds of audiences around the world.

His love for quality produce, simplicity, attention to detail, and his understanding of satisfying his guests, make him a culinary doyen, and Testuya’s a must-try destination when visiting Sydney.

I sat down with Tetsuya to find out what makes him such a well respected culinary figure. What I found was an unassuming, humble and passionate chef, whose entire face lit up when talking about food and cooking. 

When did you realise you had a passion for food and cooking?

I always had the passion for eating. Around 23 years ago, when I came to Australia I didn't know what I wanted to do. I tried Tony Bilson’s food and that was the big moment, since then I wanted to become a chef.

How would you describe your cuisine and is there an underlying philosophy behind it?

Some people call it Japanese/French. What people call it is very subjective.

My cooking is not so much a cuisine, it’s based on great produce. My approach is first of all to find the finest ingredients. And then two, to think about what is each individual ingredient, to understand the produce and its effect, and to determine whether it is better raw, does it require more acid, herbs, spices etc. I also determine which is the better cooking method, such as steaming or grilling, to extract the best flavour and texture, and to enhance the ingredient.
Insert Roasted Scampi
That's how my cooking is.

When asked to name the three best chefs in the world, many of the chefs interviewed by WOM mentioned your name. Why do you think you are considered so highly amongst your peers, and how does it make you feel?

First of all I feel flattered and lucky really. I don't think any chef says “I want to be famous”, it's not about that. It does not matter what you do, if you have the passion. That's all. And the result, maybe people recognise or like my food or restaurant.

OK this is a job, a business, whatever. That's what cooking and running a restaurant is. But I also enjoy it. Many people have a business that makes money, but not many of them have actually always loved it...been in love with what they do. You know that's something. I love what I do, and other people say thank you to me, and then everyone likes me. Wonderful.

Why do think your restaurant wins so many awards, including being in the top five restaurants in the world?

You know I have much passion for ideas and what I do, but at same time if I don't have a great team, it is nothing, the restaurant is the team. The people make the restaurant award-winning. And I have a great team, dedicated, loyal, they make it. I am very grateful. That's a restaurant.

You know sometimes, no matter how much some people like cooking, or how great their skills and knowledge about food, they've got to fit in with what we have now here. It's been 20 years my own business, Testsuya's. We have a certain thing we do, so they've got to fit in. It's my team. The restaurant is a team effort as I said before. I'm very precious about it.

So how much of your time is spent in your three experimental kitchens?

Every day. I don't have an office. I did have... but this is my office now.

How much time does it take to develop a new dish?

No such thing. Sometimes you think something, you see the ingredients, and think “oh I’ll do this dish”. Or sometimes I make one, then forget about it for a while, and then do it again. It depends. Sometimes it will take a moment and we will make one, and know “gee this is good”. And sometimes even after months I am still not happy. It's case by case really. It depends.

Why do you only do a degustation menu?

Many years we have been doing this. I started Tetsuya’s in 1989 and we had an al a carte menu, and then we have at the bottom a degustation menu – a chef’s menu. So you know hardly anybody ordered from the al a carte, instead they ordered the chef’s menu. I still don't know why. So nobody order it so why bother having too many things to prepare: I had a small team, so very, very difficult. So then ok, nobody order it I take it off the menu. So no more menu, just extend by little bit, and people like it.

How many courses was the degustation back then? (Editor’s note: recent examples below)
Around 8-10, sometimes 12, whatever people requested we did.

And at the same time for my eating habit, it's not so much quantity, I like the variety of the tastes and textures, so yeah that's the way. Even in Japan, even at home, I cook not one by one, but everything on the table. Some pickle, some grilled fish, some steamed chicken or this or that. Always a variety of food on the table to eat. I get bored by only three dishes.

This is the end of part 1. In part 2 learn who Tetsuya thinks are the world’s best chefs, what makes a great menu, what inspires him, and how to make a dish from the Tetsuya kitchen. Click here for Part 2.