Shota Nakajima

The three-time James Beard semifinalist, owner of Taku, and Top Chef finalist Shota Nakajima talks about bringing Osaka to Seattle and what he likes to do in his time off with his border collie, Dodger.

A man wearing a black apron smiles while standing in front of a rustic food stall. The stall features decorative items and instant noodle cups on shelves. Blue curtains partially cover the top left corner. Chef Shota Nakajima of Taku in Seattle Ryan Dearth

ON RESTAURANT DESIGN AS AN ART FORM

I’ve always been into art, and designing my restaurant spaces is almost like having my own gallery. I wanted Taku (Nakajima’s divey-by-design bar serving karrage, Japanese fried chicken; 706 E Pike St; takuseattle.com) to feel like you’ve walked down a narrow alleyway bar in Japan where you can grab food and a drink before heading to another spot. In Japan we call it hashigo—ladder—eating: a bite of something, drinking one drink, and jumping to the next bar.

 

ON HIS LOCAL FOOD-AND-DRINK SHORT LIST

I feel like I’m back in Japan when I’m in [Seattle’s] Chinatown-International District— it’s very community-driven, and people know each other. I’ve gone to Uwajimaya (*600 Fifth Ave S; uwajimaya.com) once a week since I was a kid, when I would get free fortune cookies while shopping with my mom. I like the older spots like Kau Kau Restaurant (656 S King St; kaukaubbq.com), and Gan Bei (670 S Weller St; facebook.com/ganbeiseattle) and Itsumono (610 Jackson St; itsumonoseattle.wixsite.com/home) are my favorite places to take Dodger.

 

ON HOW HE SPENDS HIS DAYS OFF

I love to show off nature when people visit from out of town—Taylor Shellfish (*2182 Chuckanut Dr; taylorshellfishfarms.com) near Bellingham is a great spot, and Hama Hama Oysters (*35846 N US Hwy 101; hamahamaoysters.com) is an incredible place to watch the sunrise (I’m a morning person). Dodger and I also like to run around and forage for mushrooms along the Forest Service roads off of I-90, and hike at Tiger Mountain in Issaquah. If I had tomorrow off, I would probably drive up to Mount Rainier and car camp, and spend the next day exploring around the mountain.

 

ON GETTING THE CALL FROM TOP CHEF

I didn’t know if I was ready. But I slept on it and realized that being scared was probably a good sign. My mentor tells me that success often means being uncomfortable. So I decided it was time to get comfortable being uncomfortable.

 

*Visit Seattle Partner

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