24/05/2021
Restaurant: Hajime Restaurant Gastronomique
Where You'll Find Him: Osaka, Japan
Signature Dish: Chikyu (shown), "Planet Earth" in Japanese, includes 110 different ingredients to represent land and sea
Born in Osaka, Japan, in 1972, Hajme Yoneda actually began his career as an engineer, working to save money to attend Osaka's culinary academy.
Training at restaurants in his home city and Kobe, he earned his first Michelin stars (three of them!) in 2010, helming a French-style restaurant. When he chose to ditch the French cuisine and cook his own style, he lost two Michelin stars. But he persevered and, in 2018, once again received the coveted three stars.
