Richard Stöckli

Early Years

The first discipline was soba, not udon. Stöckli trained as a soba craftsman before shifting his focus to udon, and the move shows most clearly in the technique: the grain changed, but the method stayed intact. That soba background carries into his Osaka work. At Aozora blue, Stöckli applies soba-craft techniques to udon, including stone-milling unpolished wheat, then rolling and boiling to order. The work is defined by process rather than ornament. Stone-ground udon and arabiki noodles are the signatures, and the method keeps the work close to the mill, the dough, the rolling pin, and the pot.

Making a Name

Before Osaka became the base for his current role, Stöckli was chef at Alpenblick in Wilderswil / Interlaken, Switzerland. That period is marked by two fixed points: the venue earned one Michelin star and received 16 points from Gault Millau. The Swiss record also includes Hotel Alpenblick in Wilderswil, Switzerland, which received a 2026 Gilde Award. Read together, those awards place his Alpenblick work in a European context before the later focus on Japanese noodles. Across soba training, Alpenblick, and udon, Stöckli returns to the same sequence: grind, roll, boil, serve.

The Present

Stöckli serves as executive chef at Aozora blue in Osaka, Japan. The room has held Michelin Bib Gourmand recognition in 2024, 2025, and 2026. The present work is tightly defined. It centers on stone-ground udon and arabiki noodles, with unpolished wheat milled in a way that keeps the udon program tied to his soba training. In a city where noodle craft is read through detail, his work is built on process. The bowl starts at the stone mill and ends only when the noodles are rolled and boiled to order.

Signature

Richard's signature dishes include Arabiki Zaru Udon.

FAQ What is Richard Stöckli's current role? Richard Stöckli is Executive Chef. What is Richard Stöckli known for? Stone-ground udon and arabiki noodles. What recognition has Richard Stöckli received? Michelin Bib Gourmand (2024).