THE KIKKOMAN KITCHEN CABINET
Meet Our Inner Circle of Culinary Innovators
In 2022, we launched our inaugural class of Kitchen Cabinet partner chefs, a group of leading-edge chefs who collaborate with us on foodservice recipe development, industry outreach, trend forecasting, and more. And each year, our Kitchen Cabinet grows with the addition of a new class of culinary innovators. Here’s a look at the Kitchen Cabinet chefs who have inspired us over the last few years, with some of their innovative “inspired by Kikkoman” recipes.
KITCHEN CABINET 2025
MEHERWAN IRANI
Chef-Owner, Chai Pani Restaurant Group | Asheville, SC
IG: @meherwanirani
Championing the Flavors of India
Chef Meherwan Irani is a James Beard Award-winning chef who’s on a mission to revolutionize Indian cuisine in America. Originally from India, Meherwan brings his heritage to life through his restaurants, including the acclaimed Chai Pani in Asheville, NC and Decatur, GA. He is known for his bold use of spices and creative interpretations of traditional Indian dishes, and his culinary vision continues to shape the way people experience Indian food, making him a pioneering figure in the modern American dining scene.
Shota Nakajima
Chef-Owner, Taku | Seattle, WA
IG: @chefshota
Elevating Japanese Cuisine
Born in Japan and raised in Seattle, Chef Shota Nakajima trained under Michelin-starred chefs in Tokyo before returning to the Pacific Northwest to open his acclaimed restaurant, Taku. A fan favorite on Top Chef Season 18 and a multiple James Beard Award nominee, Shota continues to elevate Japanese cuisine in America with his innovative and comforting dishes
Diego Ng
Chef & Co-owner, Temple Street Eatery | Fort Lauderdale, FL
IG: @chef_diegong
Asian-Latin Pioneer
Chef Diego Ng is the culinary force behind Temple Street Eatery, where he masterfully blends his Chinese and Latin American heritage into a unique dining experience. Born in Venezuela Diego brings a rich, multicultural perspective to his cooking, combining traditional Asian flavors with the vibrant tastes of Latin cuisine. Since opening Temple Street Eatery, he has garnered a loyal following for his innovative dishes that pay homage to his roots while pushing culinary boundaries.
Ian Ramirez
Founder, Mad Honey Culinary Studio | Holland, MI
IG: @chefianramirez
Culinary Innovation Guru
Chef Ian Ramirez, founder of Mad Honey Culinary Studio, is a culinary innovator with over two decades of experience across fine dining, retail, corporate dining, and catering. His studio develops groundbreaking flavors, menus, and strategies for both commercial and non-commercial clients. From collaborating with restaurant chains to discovering the next big culinary ingredient through his imports business, Ian is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of the culinary arts and delivering exceptional dining experiences. Ian is also the Grand Prize winner of Kikkoman’s first-ever INSPIRED BY KIKKOMAN Chef Competition
Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon
Chef-Owner, Kalaya | Philadelphia, PA
IG: @kuhnnok
Celebrating Thai Tastes and Traditions
Chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon has transformed the Thai dining scene in Philadelphia with her authentic, bold flavors at Kalaya, the restaurant she opened in 2019. Originally from Southern Thailand, Nok’s dedication to traditional techniques has earned Kalaya a spot on Bon Appétit’s Hot 10 list and a James Beard Award in 2023.
KITCHEN CABINET 2024
Angel Barreto
Chef-Owner, Anju | Washington DC
IG: @angellbarreto
Korean Cuisine Reimagined
Chef Angel Barreto is the executive chef at Anju, a popular modern eatery in Washington, DC offering a new take on classic Korean cuisine. Angel is of Puerto Rican and Black descent, but he is also a lifelong student of Korean cuisine thanks in large part to his mother, who spent a number of years in the country. Chef Angel developed the Anju menu through years of studying Korean food and history, as well as a trip to Korea sponsored by the Korean embassy. In 2019, Anju received three stars from The Washington Post and in 2021, Chef Angel was named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Chefs”.
Nando and Fernando Chang
Chef-Owner, Itamae AO | Miami, FL
IG: @itamaeao
Peruvian-Japanese Inspiration
In Peru, Nikkei cooking combines influences Peru and Japan And these days, one of the best places to experience the cutting edge of Nikkei cooking is in Miami, at the restaurant of Chef Nando Chang. Itamae Ao is a seasonally inspired tasting-menu concept. The restaurant has been named to almost every “Miami’s best restaurants” list and received recognition from the Michelin Guide.
Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu
Chef-Owners, Jun | Houston, TX
IG: @jun_bykin
Exploring Chinese and Hispanic Roots
For chefs Evelyn Garcia and Henry Lu, cooking is a form of storytelling through ingredients and flavors. At Jūn, their wildly popular restaurant in Houston, the stories these talented chefs want to share are all about the foods they loved to eat in the culturally diverse households of their childhoods. For both chefs, Kikkoman has been a household brand and a kitchen staple for as long as they can remember—and it’s a brand that’s still inspiring their cooking today in signature dishes, drinks, and desserts.
Christine Ha
Chef-Owner, The Blind Goat and Stuffed Belly| Houston, TX
IG: @theblindcook
Southeast Asian Fusion Visionary
Chef Christine Ha is a blind cook best known for winning MasterChef season 3. She specializes in Southeastern and modern Asian cooking, pulling flavors and techniques from Vietnamese, Thai, Japanese, Korean, Chinese and Indian cuisine. Chef Christine’s first restaurant in Houston, The Blind Goat, was named a semi-finalist for 2020 Best New Restaurant in America by the James Beard Foundation. She was also named a James Beard finalist for Best Chef, Texas, in 2022 and a semi-finalist for Outstanding Chef in 2023 for her former restaurant, Xin Chao. Her first cookbook, Recipes from My Home Kitchen, was also a New York Times best-seller.
Roberto Perez
Chef-Owner, Del Mar Ostioneria | Los Angeles, CA
IG: @delmarostioneria
Contemporary Mexican-Japanese Seafood
Chef Roberto Pérez is one of two chefs behind Del Mar Ostioneria, a game-changing food truck in Los Angeles that serves high-end Sinaloa-style seafood with a Japanese touch. Pérez is a self-taught chef, born and raised in Chicago, IL with roots in Ponce Puerto Rico. In 2021, Chef Roberto partnered with Francisco Leal, a chef from Sinaloa (a destination known across Mexico for its seafood) to open Del Mar Ostioneria. There, the chefs prepare a variety of dishes like ceviches, kumamoto oysters, and an aguachile negro that comes with a black umami sauce dusted with chiltepín powder.
Yuu Shimano
Chef-Owner, Restaurant Yuu | Brooklyn, NY
IG: @yuushimano
Upscale French with Japanese Style
Chef Yuu Shimano is the chef behind Restaurant Yuu, a brand new high-end French restaurant in Brooklyn, NY. Chef Yuu is best known for his time as executive chef at Mifune, an upscale French-Japanese restaurant in Manhattan. Before his time in New York, Chef Yuu graduated from Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, Japan, and Lyon, France. He then worked at Guy Savoy in Paris before his time at Mifune. At Restaurant Yuu, the all-Japanese staff provides traditional Japanese omotenashi and high-quality French cuisine.
Lon Symensma
Chef-Owner, ChoLon | Denver, CO
IG: @lonsymensma
The Meeting of Southeast Asia and Europe
Chef Lon Symensma opened ChoLon in Denver, CO in 2010 after extensive culinary travels across Asia. ChoLon’s menu plays on interpretations of traditional Southeast Asian dishes combined with nods to Lon’s classical European training. In its first year, ChoLon was a semi-finalist for the James Beard Foundation Award “Best New Restaurant” in the nation. Chef Lon also earned two stars from the New York Times during his time at Buddakan in New York City. At age 19, Chef Lon won a silver medal in the 1996 Culinary Olympics. He went on to hone his skills as an apprentice in France, Italy and Spain at Michelin-starred restaurants and San Sebastian’s world-famous Arzak.
KITCHEN CABINET 2023
Erik Bruner-Yang
Chef-Owner, Maketto | Washington DC
IG: @erikbruneryang
Pushing Culinary Boundaries
Born in Taiwan and raised in the United States, Erik Bruner-Yang is a three-time James Beard Foundation award nominee and chef-owner of Maketto, a communal marketplace located in Washington DC, combining retail, restaurant, bar, and cafe experiences. He is a multiple-time James Beard finalist, and was named Starchefs’ Rising Star D.C. Restaurateur 2018.
Adrienne Cheatham
James Beard Nominated Chef, Cookbook Author | New York City, NY
IG: @adrienne
Connecting Cultures Through Cuisine
From her time as executive sous chef at Le Bernardin to leading the kitchen at Red Rooster Harlem, Chef Adrienne Cheatham has built a reputation for excellence and creativity. A familiar face on TV, she wowed audiences as the runner-up on Top Chef Season 15. But her talents don’t stop there—she’s also a James Beard Award-nominated author, bringing her passion for soulful, elevated cuisine to life in her book Sunday Best.
Robbie Felice
Chef-Owner, pastaRAMEN | Los Angeles, CA & Montclair, NJ
IG: @robbiefelice
The Wafu Italian Whisperer
If you’re not familiar with Wafu Italian, chances are you will be soon – thanks in no small part to chef Robbie Felice and his pastaRAMEN pop-ups in New Jersey and Los Angeles. Wafu is a Japanese word meaning “Japanese-style,” and Wafu Italian is a popular style of cooking in Japan that reimagines Italian dishes through a Japanese lens.
Ray Hayashi & Cynthia Hetlinger
Chef-Owners, RYLA | Hermosa Beach, CA
IG: @eat_ryla
Asian Fusion, Izakaya-Style
Husband-and-wife chef duo Ray Hayashi and Cynthia Hetlinger are the culinary minds behind RYLA, a modern izakaya redefining the concept of Asian fusion. While the term has often come to describe menus that feature mashups of many Asian cuisines and ingredients, at RYLA, the approach is more personal—and more of a reflection of the chefs’ own backgrounds and points of view. Hayashi was born in the US to Japanese parents and grew up in Gardena, where his parents ran a Japanese restaurant. Born in Taipei, Hetlinger is half Taiwanese. After graduating from an international school there, She spent 5 years as sous chef at 2-Michelin-star Providence under acclaimed chef Michael Cimarusti, a position she held until 2022, when the couple opened RYLA in Hermosa Beach, a few miles down the coast.
Ray Li
Chef Raymond Li (Lis Dim Sum) | Coral Gables, FL
IG: @chefrayjr
Chinese-Latin Fusion with a Miami Twist
Raymond Li , First generation American 1 born and raised in Miami, FL of Latin-Chinese Descent, is known for his passionate, avant garde and precise approach to Modern Asian Cuisine. Graduate from Le Cordon Bleu, Chef Ray culinary training includes high end restaurants, 5 star hotels (The Ritz Carlton / Mandarin Oriental Hotel) and Chef Driven Michelin Starred Kitchens ( Benu & L ‘ Atelier De Joel Robuchon). Chefs Ray’s work as Executive Chef at Palmar caught the eye of “BON APPETIT”, and Palmar was named one of the 50 Best New Restaurant in the US.
Angelo Sosa
Chef-Owner, Tia Carmen & Kembara| Phoenix, AZ
IG: @chefangelososa
Modern Global Flavors
Chef Angelo Sosa seamlessly fuses his Dominican and Italian heritage into his innovative approach to global cuisine. His creative flair and dedication to pushing culinary boundaries earned him recognition as a standout competitor on Top Chef. With a passion for infusing traditional flavors with modern techniques, Angelo has launched celebrated ventures such Tia Carmen and Kembara in Phoenix, where he continues to redefine the dining experience through vibrant, culturally rich dishes.
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