Japan-born Soichi Kawabata brings 26 years of traditional and hyper-focused knife-wielding skills to South Yarra's Yakikami as Head Chef in its Wagyu Omakase offering. Growing up in Fukuako a coastal city known for its seafood culture, Soichi spent his younger years on fishing trips with his father. Here, the pair would catch different types of fish and bring them back to the family to share, and create something special. To respect and identify quality produce was something he was taught on these trips, igniting Soichis love affair with cooking and confirming his destiny lay within the walls of a kitchen.
Soichi began his professional career under Mr Fukuuako where he spent the next five years building a strong and refined foundation of haute Japanese cuisine. The high standard of this position, along with his unwavering work ethic saw him quickly move up the ranks. Before leaving, Soichi obtained his certificate in Fugu a sought-after licence allowing one to prepare and serve the Japanese delicacy, Fugu (pufferfish). Fascinated with the cultural identity of Australia, Soichi decided to widen his culinary journey and moved in 2005 where he found himself at Neil Whites Pure South. Further advancing his techniques and learning what it took to create a full dining experience Soichi spent many years learning and familiarising himself with Australian produce and a new customer palette. You can listen to the podcast here.
How did you enjoy it last time?
Oh, it was so good. I've been telling everyone about it. It was delicious. And you've got so much information to share as well.
That is part of my job. Koji and the other staff, including me but mainly Koji create the menu. And then I'm the front dude who entertains the customer. I like your earrings, knives.
Yes I like my knife earrings as well. And you've had a long career using knives. Where did you learn those techniques?
Basically it was in Japan. First I went to a very famous restaurant in my area, in Fukuako. My father was really good friends with the really nice restaurants owner. And he was also the chef. When I was young, I always went to visit him and eat the food. I really liked the cooking. So when I was 18, I went to him and said I wanted to be a chef. I thought it would be easy getting in there because he was my father's friend, so I thought he would give me a position, or I would do the fish. But basically he used the opposite way to teach me how to be a chef. He said, I know you can cook at home. I know you can fillet a fish, but not as a professional. Are you confident with knives? When he gave me this question, I thought, no, I don't think so, but that's why I'm here. But he said, it is too fast for you here, too early. You must go to the fish market. He sent me to the fish market, at 2.00 am every morning until eight o'clock or nine o'clock just working on fish and then I would go to the sushi restaurant and start washing rice, washing veggies, cutting stuff, sometimes clear the tables, all sorts of jobs. And then step by step working my way up. By the time five years later, I went to take the national exam for the puffer fish, I was ready. And then I came to Australia when I was 27 and I went to pastry school, cookery, because I wanted to get Permanent Residency. Then basically in Australia, I didn't work much in Japanese restaurants. I was working in Italian, French, sometimes in a cafe, because I was really interested in Western cuisine. I wondered why cafes were so busy at 7.00am, why were people coming then, because that is unusual for Japanese. We have breakfast at home unless you have a meeting or something like that. And now everywhere you can have breakfast, but not as much as over here. So I was thinking, hmm, chefs are not only working at dinner time, so let me see the egg, because I saw scrambled egg, just twist them on the pans and poached egg, in boiling water. I saw there was an art, a skill behind it. And then theres the pressure, because at breakfast people can choose whatever they like. At an omakase restaurant, you can't say, oh, can you add this? I want this. But at breakfast, people say, I want avocado, I want a well-done toast, crispy bacon, medium rare poached egg. This was normal and then you get like a whole lot of dockets, unlimited dockets. And then one by one you have to do it under pressure. As a chef, I thought that was fun. Then I did fine dining, caf, bistro, takeaway.
You've done everything.
Pretty much.
But now you've come back here to your roots, I suppose. How old were you when you started?
18, so almost 28 years now. That sounds long but I still have a long way to go. This never stops.
That's interesting that you say that. So how can you keep improving?
When I see Koji cooking, when I see other people cooking, not only presenting food, but the way also they cut vegetables because they learned in a different area. And then when I look at it, I think it is interesting. It is the same thing peeling vegetables, people have a different way. I start thinking, hmmm, what's the reason behind that. Like a scientist, what's the word scientists use? It is hundred per cent or concrete. It is the same with cooking, nothing is concrete, nothing is perfect. So that's why it's interesting.
I was amazed at all your knowledge, the way that you talked about the food and the region it came from and all of those sorts of things. Do you read widely?
I read and we share ideas with each other because we come from different parts. And then when I see the customer, customers are not always the same, not every customer wants to hear the explanation. So I switch and talk more about the weather, holidays. And then a little bit of food and then slowly, slowly lead the people into the cooking. And then try to explain how Koji made the nice food. It isnt scripted. Because people and food are always different. We entertain people from the beginning to the end. That's my whole concept with facing the customer. If it's in the kitchen, I talk with my plate because I can't go to every single table to say this is how I did this, instead I have a messenger which is the waiter or waitress. But sometimes there can be miscommunication, sometimes front of house are under pressure.We are also under pressure because we have 10 to 12 people to serve, we have to be well prepared, well detailed. And then on top of that entertainment, we are showing our skill, and the things we want to you guys to understand. When you study maths back in elementary school, we might not remember all that, but when you went on an excursion with your friend, you clearly remember and this is the memory you actually put into your heart page. So I don't want to say, this is this and this comes from here. No, the whole set is like one show. Every chef has a different talent. Maybe we can make same quality food, but how we present it to the customer, how we let the customer understand and then feel comfortable and enjoy the time spent here and not just the taste. I want you guys to use your whole senses. And then sometimes we let you guys talk, discuss, chat. You might have come here and not seen each other for 10 years. I'm not going to say, Hey guys, listen to me, you know what I mean?Even with 10 people here, not every single person will want the same thing. Some people are shy, some people love to ask their questions. Some people like to keep talking with their friends. I have to manage each customer to keep the same level when they walk up from here, when they, when they come in, they have all different people. It's interesting but sometimes I can feel there are customers I didn't make happy and then I go back and think about that because the food is always the same. Why is this customer super happy and why is another customer not, maybe I was wrong in my approach. Everyday, besides cooking I have to think about what was the customer's feedback or how did they feel. That's important as well.
Wow. That sounds stressful for you.
No, I enjoy it.
And you had two sessions. I was amazed because you gave everything to us in that six o'clock session and then you had a whole other new session at 8.15pm. It was amazing you had so much energy.
But all this confidence, my energy is because we are a team as. I'm not the main chef. The main chef Koji actually gives me the confidence to face the customer. I tell everyone that our concept of the cooking is all for one and one for all. I used to play rugby, so I like this word, you know? That's why I can face the customer and be full of confidence and I can talk.Because I have these people and we are together.
But all this confidence, my energy is because we are a team as. I’m not the main chef. The main chef Koji actually gives me the confidence to face the customer. I tell everyone that our concept of the cooking is all for one and one for all. I used to play rugby, so I like this word, you know? That’s why I can face the customer and be full of confidence and I can talk.Because I have these people and we are together. ~ Soichi Kawabata, Yakikami
And what you're doing here at Yamikami is quite different to other omakase because you are using Wagyu. Can you tell me a little bit more about the Kobe beef and why that's so special?
Ah, okay. So first of all, why we can do the omakase because I'm more towards the seafood side. I start working with Wagyu Ya for seven years. Wagyu Ya gave the knowledge of the wagyu, but Koji has been working with this company for I think four years. He gave me a lot of ideas as well. A lot of knowledge. But why is Kobe so special? Because Kobe is actually the only breed that is never crossed with another region. They are only located in Kyoto. Kobe has a pure natural DNA. Traditional wagyu is called Tajima wagyu. 95% of the whole wagyu in Japan comes from Tajima wagyu. The environment is different in each area. What they feed is different in each area. The weather is different, different temperature. The drinking water is different; hard water, soft water. And then they think, oh, these people make beautiful beef, these other people make beautiful beef, oh, let's cross over. Maybe we can get better quality. Only with Kobe does this never happen. That's why people trust it. And then Kobe, if I call a Kobe meat supplier say, ah, I got a restaurant, can I buy some Kobe, they will say no. We can only use Kobe if we can assure the quality. That's why I showed you the brown medal. That's the certificate. It's not like it just sit there looks nice ad Kobe gives it to us as decoration. It's not like that. That's the meaning of it.
So do you have to cook it in a certain way then?
After we receive the meat, they're not going to say how they want us to treat the beef or cook the steak. Every chef has a different palate There are 10 restaurants using Kobe beef, why doesnt everyone have an equal profit? Because when we receive the Kobe, it's up to the chef's skill, the restaurants skill, the environment, the taste, the right way to cook the steak.That's the concept. If one mistake, you might lose all your customers. Especially nowadays with the internet. If we get a bad review, bad score. That's why a lot chefs now are going overseas to get some more ideas. To improve themselves.
Now I can see some action with the Josper. What do you use it for?
Basically for grilling. And smoking as well. Roast beef, for example, we bring up the really high temperature with Japanese binchotan. And then when the outsides get really nice and gold we'll add whatever flavour you want to throw on. Before here, I had never used a Josper. Koji and I went to the Josper factory. And got all the information about the Josper, but still I was doubting, because I had always used the traditional oven I had never used the oven to cook steak at a temperature of 500, 550 degrees. Normally 250 or 300. So it was almost like double the temperature. Is it not going to burn? Wont it lose moisture? But once I used it, I was converted. Outside nice golden-brown colour. Nice crispy, beautiful char, smoky flavour. But not too strong. And then once you cut the steak inside is really moist, nice and juicy and pink.
I feel like everything here is done perfectly. You were telling us the other night about the sauce you make that takes a long time.
About five days. Yes. I have to start from today, but the reason we spend such long hours on that sauce is because we don't use any starch or any thickener. It is all natural gelatine from the veal bone, chicken, and then we use pork. And then there's the ultimate zone. Its not a scientific discovery yet, but the ultimate zone is just before the boil, you keep the stock in there and then best flavour is coming up. It's not scientific, but from my experience cooking, this is it. That's why I can't boil it, which means the cooking time is going to be longerand it takes five days. Today is Friday, it will be finishing by Tuesday or so.
Simmering for five days non-stop?
I can't say that because of fire safety but during the day, the heat is a little bit stronger. But when we go home, we put it on low and then we put the on the safety net. Then we go home and then next day there is a beautiful skin so we skim that off. The first 27 to 30 hours we spend making a fond brun and then remove the whole bones and and then we add vegetables, even the vegetables, I only use three ingredients. A lot of people use onion skin, carrot skin. I only use leek, onion, celery. That's it. Because I don't want the sauce to get too sweet. I want little bit of sweetness to come from the natural flavour. And then after the fond brun, we reduce it about five times. The other day you had a wagyu bone soup. Its like that. That's why we spend so many hours to get these flavours.
How many people work here? I feel as though there are lots of staff.
In this section we have six chefs. But we have a rotation. Every day we have three staff. And two front of house. Then in the Yakitori section, they have six on weekdays and then eight on the weekend.
I heard lots of laughter before and that sounded great. It must be a good place to work.
Yes. We don't have any hierarchy or anything like that. Everyone is not totally equal, but we don't say, hey, listen, do what I say. It's not like that. Koji is the backbone of the business and he brought out most of the other chefs. We all learn a lot from him.
Yakikami,150 Toorak Road, South Yarra