i. Biography
His career links Provence to a precise Japanese form. In 2020, Koji Takahashi led the kaiseki program at Sushi Ii in Newport Beach, California, United States. The work reads in control rather than display: measured technique, calm sequencing, and a kitchen manner that favors clarity over flourish. Across settings as different as coastal Southern California and the French countryside, Takahashi has carried a disciplined sensibility from one room to the next.
Coming Up
Koji Takahashi first stepped into leadership on the kaiseki side of the kitchen at Sushi Ii in Newport Beach, California, USA, from 2020, shaping the restaurant’s program with a precise, quietly assured hand. In kaiseki, where balance, seasonality, and sequence matter as much as flavor itself, that kind of steadiness becomes its own form of artistry, and Takahashi’s approach suggests a chef attentive to rhythm as well as detail. The work at Sushi Ii, in 2020, placed him at the center of a culinary language defined by refinement and restraint, allowing the program to unfold with clarity and intent. He also served as Executive Chef at Le Carillon in Goult, France, bringing that same disciplined sensibility to a new setting. The name alone evokes a different cadence, one rooted in Provence and its particular sense of place, and Takahashi’s presence there speaks to a career able to move fluidly between cultures while remaining anchored in exacting technique. At both Sushi Ii and Le Carillon, the throughline is not theatrical flourish but control: a chef working with precision, letting the structure of the meal carry its own elegance.
Signature
Koji's signature dishes include Tamagoyaki. Tamagoyaki, in his hands, is a compact measure of his approach: modest in appearance, exacting in execution, and dependent on timing, texture, and restraint. It is the kind of dish that rewards attention and shows the discipline behind the kitchen without asking for extra decoration. For Takahashi, signature does not read as excess or invention for its own sake, but as the ability to present something familiar with composure and finish, letting technique speak plainly.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Koji
Where did Koji Takahashi work before?
Koji Takahashi's earlier career included Sushi Ii and Le Carillon.
