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Jul 1, 2015
Feast On Shizuoka
The Heart & Soul Of Shizuoka
When Chef Tetsuya Wakuda sings high praises about a particular ingredient, it is evidently the real deal. But the relationship between Chef Wakuda, Yuko Unno, and the following suppliers extends above and beyond a mere business transaction; what they share is a connection so genuine and deeply rooted, you know it is built for life.
Maeda is truly a master who knows how and when to prepare a fish so its umami would be fully developed by the time it arrives on my table. Impeccable timing. Shizuoka should be positively proud of having Maeda.”
Seafood
Naoki Maeda,
General Manager, Sasue Maeda
Fish dealer Naoki Maeda is at the helm of Sasue Maeda, a 60-year-old family business that boasts two arms – supply top-quality seafood like Amadai (tilefish) and Hata (grouper) sourced from Suruga Bay to F&B outlets, and also sell them at their own retail shop. And going by Maeda’s strong work ethic, it’s easy to see why Sasue Maeda enjoys a constant stream of demand from established chefs and customers alike.
For starters, the ability to tell the age and health of a fish based on its appearance and the way it breathes and swims sounds either like a superpower or a phenomenal feat. Well, Maeda is no ordinary man. Such is his esoteric knowledge of seafood that the abovementioned skill has become second nature to him! Not one to compromise on quality, Maeda and his team work remarkably hard to maintain the standards of the marine produce they prepare from the moment the catch arrives at the fish port, right down to when it is delivered to the F&B outlets. Case in point: They store the produce only in seawater, which ensures the quality of the fish – colour, texture, and flavour – stays consistent. Also, Maeda stresses that not all seafood is best served fresh; in order to optimally develop the umami in the meat, certain types of seafood have to be marinaded, while others have to be kept for hours or days before they are treated – once again, an intimate knowledge that examplifies Maeda’s dedication to his craft.
When asked what fuels his drive, Maeda says, “The fishermen whom I get seafood from are my friends. They are away from their families for months on end, risking their lives every second they are at sea to bring back marine produce of the highest quality. That’s why I hate compromising – I would not be able to live with myself knowing I had let my friends down otherwise.”
(TEXT TAN LILI PHOTOGRAPHY NORIO NAGATA, YOKO FUJIMOTO & TETSUYA ONODA)
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