i. Biography
Katsuaki Yoshida is the chef behind Megriva in Tokyo, where Italian counter dining is handled as a working format: close range, measured pace, and direct contact between cook and guest. The value of the room is in its mechanics. Plates move quietly, service stays controlled, and the meal develops within arm’s length of the counter. In 2018, a restaurant-logo article identified him as owner-chef and tied the name to two markers that frame the restaurant’s identity: people and food coming together, and the nearby Meguro River. Yoshida’s own summary of the method is plain: “I was taught in Italy exactly as I am doing it.” The line points to continuity, not novelty. That continuity gives Megriva its character. The Italian counter format is treated as a disciplined way of working rather than a stage effect, and Yoshida carries the method from Italy into Tokyo without softening its edges. The setting and the name draw meaning from the city around them, while the counter makes the experience immediate and tactile. The result is a room that keeps the diner close to the work, and the work close to the plate.
The Essentials - Signature work: La Caff Roll Cake, a 2025 coffee roll cake collaboration made with sponge from premium eggs and fermented butter, plus cream infused with Terra Coffee’s fruity, nutty beans. The dessert reads as an exercise in balance and texture, with the softness of sponge, the richness of butter, and the aromatic pull of coffee folded together into one carefully composed slice. As a collaboration, it carries the polish of a shared idea; as a roll cake, it retains the comfort and familiar pleasure of a classic form.
Signature
Katsuaki's signature dishes include La Caff Roll Cake. The name itself signals the meeting point of coffee-house fragrance and pastry-shop tenderness, and it fits Yoshida’s broader approach: precise, restrained, and attentive to how ingredients speak to one another. In that sense, La Caff Roll Cake reads less as a flourish than as a clear statement of method, where craft stays legible and the composition stays exact.
Profile updated August 2026
FAQ
Asked of Katsuaki
What is Katsuaki Yoshida's current role?
As of 2026, Katsuaki Yoshida is Chef.
What is Katsuaki Yoshida known for?
Italian counter dining.
