Portrait of Issei Yuasa
i. Biography
Tokushima gives the cooking its working larder: regional seafood, citrus fruits, rice, and Awa bancha. At Nogizaka Shin, Issei Yuasa used those materials as more than regional reference points; they set the register of the cuisine. Coast, field, grove, and tea entered the plate through clean seasonal handling and a clear preference for Japanese produce.
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The Making
Ingredient discipline defines the kitchen at Issei Yuasa, where Issei Yuasa is chef. The cooking is built around balance and product clarity, with Japanese ingredients meeting Italian influence without either side being blurred. Restraint is part of the method. Tokushima’s seafood, citrus fruits, rice, and Awa bancha provide the base notes, while Italian technique and feeling add structure and movement. The work is not fusion as display; it is layering: brightness against depth, savor against aroma, familiar forms adjusted by the character of the ingredient in hand.
The Practice Today
Wine pairing sits inside the restaurant’s work with Japanese and Italian-influenced cuisine. The food is built around ingredients from Tokushima prefecture, including regional seafood, citrus fruits, rice, and Awa bancha, each bringing a different flavor register to the menu. Pairing functions as part of the meal’s construction, not as a separate service gesture. Japanese ingredients supply delicacy, minerality, sweetness, bitterness, and umami; Italian influence contributes warmth, structure, and generosity at the table. In Issei Yuasa’s hands, the result is composed but not static, grounded in place and open to exchange. Tokushima remains the through-line. Regional seafood carries the immediacy of the coast; citrus fruits bring lift and aroma; rice gives foundation; Awa bancha adds its own quiet complexity. The cooking gives these elements space within a modern dining language.
Career - Chef — Issei Yuasa, Nishi-Azabu/Nogizaka, Tokyo, Japan
Signature
Signature dishes include Cacciucco and Sturgeon carpaccio.
FAQ What is Issei Yuasa's current role? Issei Yuasa is chef at Nogizaka Shin — Italian, Japanese. What is Issei Yuasa known for? A kaiseki tasting menu with clear Italian influence.
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