Chef’s Corner
Discover the hottest trends in cooking, need-to-know news, and your next best-selling dish.
INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN: CHEF KEVIN LEE
A 2025 Kikkoman Kitchen Cabinet inductee, this celebrated chef has built a career defined by reinvention – and rediscovery. His greatest breakthrough? Learning that the most powerful ingredient is knowing who you are. Chef Kevin Lee’s story traces more than a culinary career – it maps a search for identity. Born in Oklahoma to Korean parents, he grew up ping-ponging between Korea, Connecticut, Seattle, and back to the Midwest.
CHEF KEVIN LEE: MODERN KOREAN WITH HEART & SOUL
CHRISTINE LAU: CONNECTING THE DOTS
Chef Christine Lau doesn’t just blend cuisines—she connects the stories behind them. Discover how her cross-cultural cooking fuels fresh flavors and global creativity.
CHEF CALVIN ENG: CANTONESE AMERICAN COOKING FROM THE HEART
At Bonnie’s in Brooklyn, every plate tells a story — the story of a kid who grew up between Chinatown and Brooklyn, who once tried to blend in, and who now proudly celebrates the flavors that shaped him.
CHEF KEVIN LEE: MODERN KOREAN WITH HEART & SOUL
At Birdie’s in Oklahoma City, chef Kevin Lee is redefining modern Korean cuisine—blending fine-dining finesse with plenty of soul.
SMALL BUBBLES, BIG IMPACT
This simple technique turns sauces into flavor pearls that burst on the palate. It’s an easy way to wow guests and elevate your menu.
The Ultimate Sriracha for Foodservice
Some srirachas can be challenging to source. Not Kikkoman. We offer a dependable, consistent Sriracha Sauce that foodservice operators can count on—with the added benefits of umami and gluten-free goodness.
CHEF KEN ORINGER. GLOBAL FLAVORS WITHOUT THE GLUTEN.
Boston Chef Ken Oringer shares how going gluten-free expanded his culinary world—without sacrificing flavor or fun.
Feeding Students’ Hearts, Minds—and Healthy Appetites
Executive Chef Matthew Ward is raising the bar on campus dining with food that’s bold, balanced and built for sustainability.
Chef Tiana Gee: Blending Heritage, Soul, and Kikkoman in Every BiteÂ
At her SoulPhil pop-up, Chef Tiana Gee redefines fusion cuisine with Filipino-inspired soul food, featuring Kikkoman® Tamari and Panko in dishes that balance heritage and innovation.
Global Flavors, Campus Favorites: Chef Nathaniel Malone’s On-Trend Recipes
Chef Nathaniel Malone shares five bold, global-inspired recipes using Kikkoman products that keep students excited about campus dining. Discover how to bring flavor, fun, and creativity to your menus.
Flavor Without CompromiseÂ
Discover how Kikkoman’s less sodium lineup helps you stay on target—without sacrificing taste.
Flavor-Forward Campus Dining: Winners of Kikkoman’s 2025 Broker Culinary Contest
Discover bold, globally inspired recipes that won Kikkoman’s 2025 Broker Contest. Explore trends in campus dining and get inspired to elevate your next menu.
Introducing the Kikkoman Terrace at The Culinary Institute of America Â
This fall, we were thrilled to announce the dedication of the Kikkoman Terrace at the Culinary Institute of America. This milestone commemorates a 40-year partnership between Kikkoman and the CIA, dedicated to fostering culinary excellence and innovation.​
The Kikkoman Student Innovation Challenge: Year Two
See how seven talented CIA students fired up their creativity for the chance to win the trip of their dreams: a culinary apprenticeship in Japan.
FOODSERVICE TRENDS FORECAST, 2025
5 visionary chefs share the trends and ingredients they’re most excited about in the year ahead.
Japan. Exploring the Art of Simplicity.
Chef Brian Redzikowski won the grand prize—a trip to Japan—in our 2024 INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN Chef Competition. Here’s how that trip changed his culinary vision.
Q&A with Chef Diego Ng
A 2025 inductee to the Kikkoman Kitchen Cabinet, our inner circle of leading-edge chef partners, Chef Diego Ng’s cooking tells his life story on a plate.
INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN: CHEF NOK SUNTARANON
Explore the inspiring journey of Chef Nok Suntaranon, a new addition to Kikkoman’s Kitchen Cabinet, who brings her passion for Thai homestyle cooking to her celebrated restaurant, Kalaya. Discover her unique flavors, favorite Thai ingredients, and the role Kikkoman® Soy Sauce plays in her recipes.
Q&A WITH CHEF MEHERWAN IRANI
A recent inductee to the Kikkoman Kitchen Cabinet, our inner circle of leading-edge chef partners, Chef Meherwan Irani is a man on a mission: to revolutionize Indian cuisine in America.
CHEF SHOTA NAKAJIMA: FRESH TAKES ON SOY SAUCE
Born in Japan and raised in Seattle, Chef Shota Nakajima moved to Osaka when he was 18 to apprentice under Michelin-starred chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto before returning to the Pacific Northwest to open his acclaimed Seattle restaurant, Taku. A fan favorite on Top Chef Season 18 and a multiple James Beard Award nominee, Chef Shota is on a mission to elevate Japanese cuisine in America with his innovative and comforting dishes.
Joe Urban x Butterball Partnership
Real good recipes for real-world school kitchens. Chef Joe Urban of School Food Rocks teamed up with Kikkoman and Butterball to create kid-pleasing, flavor-forward recipes that meet the realities of today’s school kitchens and standards.
MEET THE WINNERS OF THE 2024 INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN CHEF COMPETITION!
For the second year, the INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN Chef Competition challenged foodservice professionals to showcase how Kikkoman® Soy Sauce sparks their culinary creativity—with a grand prize trip to Japan on the line! After hundreds of submissions and an exciting fan voting round, the winners have been crowned.
The Kikkoman Student Innovation Challenge 2024
See how seven talented CIA students fired up their creativity for the chance to win the trip of their dreams: a culinary apprenticeship in Japan.
CHEFS EVELYN GARCIA & HENRY LU: INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN
At JĹ«n in Houston, two chefs are celebrating their Chinese and Hispanic roots in what they call “New Asian American Cuisine”Â
Trend-Forward Flavors
Discover innovative and flavor-forward recipes created in partnership with leading high-volume chefs from top brands like Brinker International, Landry’s, and Hello Fresh. Explore how Kikkoman® Soy Sauce and other products enhance global flavors in these trendsetting dishes.
Seven Chefs. Eight Great Grilling Hacks.
We asked seven members of the Kikkoman Kitchen Cabinet, our inner circle of leading-edge chefs and operators, to share some of their favorite grilling tips using Kikkoman products.
Japan-Adjacency in Action: Six Smart Ideas from the Chefs of the Kikkoman Kitchen Cabinet
See how our Kitchen Cabinet chefs are tapping into Japan-Adjacency to differentiate menus, boost sales and build business.
CHEFS NANDO CHANG AND FERNANDO CHANG: Inspired by Kikkoman
In Miami, a family of chefs is taking Nikkei cuisine to new heights of craftsmanship and flavor.Â
Inspired by Kikkoman Ryla
At RYLA, this chef duo is redefining Asian fusion on their own terms.
Inspired by Kikkoman Chef Robbie
Chef Robbie Felice is on a mission to make Wafu Italian the next big thing
What Japan Taught Me -Ian Ramirez
Chef Ian Ramirez won the grand prize in Kikkoman’s Chef Competition: a trip to Japan. Here’s what the experience taught him about cuisine, craftsmanship, culture, kindness, and some very cool ingredients. Â
MEET THE WINNERS OF THE INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN CHEF COMPETITION
Check out their innovative creations!
How Kikkoman’s Brand Power Can Build Your Business
A new study shows restaurant patrons care about soy sauce, and the brand they prefer is Kikkoman. Here’s how to put that brand loyalty to work for you.
Take Out Tips
These days, takeout and delivery matter more than ever. Here are some strategies to build your off-premise menu.
Our Holiday Greatest Hits
Some of our most popular recipes to serve with love all through the holidays.
Fat Washing
What is Fat Washing? It all began with bacon. Back in the mid-2000s, when bacon-infused everything was the flavor trend of the moment, mixologists began experimenting with ways to make bacon-flavored cocktails. At the New York craft cocktail bar Please Don’t Tell, bartender Don Lee created the Benton’s Old Fashioned, a Bourbon Old-Fashioned, flavored with […]
MEET THE WINNERS OF THE INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN CHEF COMPETITION
Discover the chefs, explore their creations, and get inspired by their recipes.
AAPI Heritage MonthÂ
Celebrating Kikkoman’s Asian and American HeritageÂ
An Icon Turns 60
Celebrating our beloved dispenser
THE STORY OF SOY SAUCE
Even people who love soy sauce and use it all the time are often surprised to learn what it is and how it’s made. We make ours from just four simple ingredients—water, soybeans, wheat, and salt. Those ingredients are transformed through a traditional brewing process—much like making wine or beer—that has remained unchanged for centuries.
Soy Sauce 101