Chef
Taka Sakaeda
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- New York City, New York, United States
i. Biography
Taka Sakaeda’s name is now attached to a service style at Nami Nori in New York City that reads as controlled, fast, and exact. As Chef/Owner of the restaurant, and formerly Executive Chef and Co-Owner, he represents a career built through repetition, kitchen discipline, and the kind of timing that only comes from doing the work floor by floor.
The Climb
The early stages of a kitchen career rarely happen in public, and that is where Taka Sakaeda started: as a dishwasher. From there, the work moved into prep cook duties, then sushi station lead at Sushi restaurant, and later line cook. Each step added another level of control, from cleanup and mise en place to line management and the pressure of service. Read together, those roles mark a conventional apprenticeship, but one that demands real stamina, attention, and trust earned shift by shift. That foundation later carried Taka Sakaeda to Masa in Manhattan, New York, where he became number two. In a kitchen known for its demands, that position indicates a sharpened standard of execution rather than a decorative title. The sequence matters less than the continuity: the same measured rise, now expressed through ownership and day-to-day authority.
Today
At Nami Nori, Taka Sakaeda’s role as Executive Chef and Co-Owner joined kitchen leadership with business responsibility. That combination requires consistency more than flourish: holding standards, reading the room, and keeping the restaurant’s identity intact while it continues to move. The current Chef/Owner title puts him at the center of that work.
Signature
Taka's signature dishes include XO Scallop Temaki. The dish fits the terms of his career: precise, restrained, and built with enough character to register immediately. For a chef shaped by incremental advancement and exacting stations, it serves as a clean expression of control and intent.
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Taka
What is Taka Sakaeda's current role?
As of 2026, Taka Sakaeda is Chef/Owner.
Where did Taka Sakaeda work before?
Taka Sakaeda's earlier career included Sushi restaurant, Masa, and Nami Nori.
What recognition has Taka Sakaeda received?
StarChefs New York City Rising Stars Award, Rising Star Concept Award Winner (2020).
