Yoshiyuki Okuno

The Path

Since 2016, La Brianza in Tokyo has been the place where Yoshiyuki Okuno’s cooking has been read most clearly: Italian tradition handled with Japanese precision. The work there sits between recognition of classical flavor and a controlled sense of update, with technique used to keep the food direct rather than ornamental. Yoshiyuki Okuno started as chef at Local Italian Spot in Tokyo, Japan, then worked as trainee chef at Al Rododendro in Piedmont, Italy, trainee chef at San Giorgio in Genoa, Italy, and trainee chef at Al Bersagliere in Verona, Italy, before becoming chef-partner at Magari in Los Angeles, California, USA (from 2022). The sequence shows a method built through repetition, travel, and close study of place. The group of kitchens under Yoshiyuki Okuno’s name has expanded in steady increments: founder and chef of Via Brianza (since 2003), founder and chef of Brianza 6.1 (since 2014), founder and chef of La Brianza (since 2016), founder and chef of Focacceria La Brianza (since 2018), founder and chef of Brianza Tokyo (since 2021), and founder and chef of Pasta Magari (since 2022). Taken together, the openings trace a consistent practice rather than separate ideas, each one extending the same Italian framework into another setting.

The Work Today

The work is guided by a stated rule: "While respecting the roots of Italian cuisine, I continue to create new value by incorporating Japanese sensibilities, seasonal ingredients, and inspiration from around the world." That line explains the house style without overreach. The emphasis is on respect, seasonality, and the use of Japanese sensibility as a working tool, not a slogan.

Signature

The signature dishes point to a kitchen built around contrast handled cleanly: truffle oven-baked egg, linguine with fresh basil pesto, Focaccia di Recco with Stracchino cheese, grilled aged Wagyu beef, and sweet tomato spaghetti. Each dish depends on control of texture and balance, from the stretch of the focaccia to the weight of the beef and the clarity of the pasta.

In Their Words “While respecting the roots of Italian cuisine, I continue to create new value by incorporating Japanese sensibilities, seasonal ingredients, and inspiration from around the world.”