How Master Sushi Chef Kate Koo Charted Her Own Sushi Path - Omakase
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- čas přidán 25. 02. 2019
- On today's episode of Omakase, we're in Portland, Oregon, hanging out with Kate Koo of Zilla Sake.
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I bet her adopted parents are so proud and so happy. What a blessing
She seemed messed up if you asked me
@@jomangeee9180 how
@@kiranabayaratna749 Just a feeling! She had to go all the way to Hawaii to feel that she fit in, had her adopted family made her feel "at home" she would have felt at home with them
JO MANGEEE
Thing is, feeling like you “fit in” is way more than just fitting in at home. Wouldn’t expect the entire environment, especially school and work communities to treat you equally as a minority in the US so it makes sense to me.
She seems like an incredibly educated and lovely lady to me.
@@jomangeee9180 dead ass wrong
Interesting.. According to Eater, She's also a Certified Sake Professional, accredited by the Sake Education Council of Japan, and was awarded with distinction the International Wine and Spirit Education Trust's Level 3 Award in Sake. 🍶🍶
Way to go lady 👍👍
Amazing. Damn i got chills very much like the first time i read dumbledore’s name and title.
I wonder if she has her blowfish certificate as well
@@whitealliance9540 most likely.
Amazing chef
How TF does she say her gender and ethnicity made it a challenge? She's literally doing the most stereotypical job of an Asian woman 😂
She's the definition of a Global Chef. Despite being a Korean, she's making a Japanese dish and trained in a country that's on the opposite of the home country of the dish. Just respect.
Josua lost that respect when she used a knife to hammer a nail.
@@kentcowthe some people really find any negative anywhere, it aint your blade, why does it matter? She's killing it, might it be jealousy?
@@kentcowthe As if she uses the blade to whack that nail.
There are other *WELL KNOWN* chefs that doesn't care about the blade of the knife which tells that they DON'T sharpen their OWN knives.
@@kentcowthe In japan, the knife used to butcher unagi has a thick and spine and uses metal that is very sturdy specially since they are used to cut through bone. Using it as a hammer is fine for the knife, given that it is well made. Its also a way for a chef to show off the quality of their knives. Trust me, the knives that are capable of doing that do not come cheap.
@@kentcowthe you talk like you know what material the blade is made from. This aint some cheap dollar store knife.
I love that concept: Do it right or do it over.
Note to self, use that on future children.
Idk that kind of concept for cooking may lead to a lot of food wastage
Another one that helps is
Do it
Delegate it
Or deleat it...
I love her voice, seems like voice of tough person 😀
i agree
Totally agree
first i thinked its not her voice !
Sounds like Chanel Preston
Yeah, extremely talented, persevered through a few challenges to get where she is today e.g., female in male dominated profession (sushi chef), Korean born, adopted my an American couple and building a successful sushi restaurant here in the states. Oh, and a self-proclaimed non-whiner, so not a snowflake, you go girl!
‘Standing Applause’ what a beautiful orchestra i just saw
Cant imagine the head ache it is having to rely on many different vendors from different countries to get all those fish imported. Props
Who is in your profile photo because i think i saw it somewhere but i don't remember where
@@tabitapana9345 it's from darker than black.
@@rhquan3695 thank you
Always enjoyed watching those folks who are "self made" being successful at their craft/art.
Chef Kate Koo is not just a chef but an artist to her work. I amazed with her details, very precised!
agree 100% with you! this is not only a job, it's an art! if you work thinking at this only like a job you will never reach these levels.
It's not good enough if you take the standard that high; I would say she is definitely a chef, a masterful one
i wanna punch your pretentious ass in the face
aren't chefs also artists tho
@@lmWombo.... Huh?
Yes!! If your rice isn't good then no matter what, your sushi will suck. Unfortunately it's about 90% of the sushi restaurants in the U.S, but not to worry because 90% of the sushi customers can't tell the difference between cheap rice and high end rice.
or good and bad vinegar. Or in the case of super market sushi, no vinegar. yuck.
@@lalrinpuiiralte3712 where did you get it then? At a restaurant or st home
TBGDAILY exactly. if the high end product is so indistinguishable from the reasonably prized one then whats the point 😂
Sorry about the comment earlier. I let my frustration for a lack of access to good sushi make me type a snobbish remark. You ever had sushi where the moment it enters your mouth it explodes without you having to chew? The sweet and tangy marinade of the rice is so deliciously pronounced that it lingers like good wine. You can't achieve that effect without high quality rice and skilled chef's that know how to perfectly marinade it. What I find around me are restaurants with unqualified sushi chefs using cheap and sometimes plain unmarinated rice, while charging almost the same price as big city sushi. What you get from that is this gummy, cold, dry ball of chewy, starchy rice. And I was perfectly content with that until I graduated college and started traveling frequently for work. Now I can't enjoy sushi unless I drive 1.5 hours to the nearest decent size city. Man ignorance was bliss!
The vast majority of those 90% are ironically Korean owned. Best bet is to visit Japanese owned establishments. And even then it’s still a gamble.
"Rice is the heart of the sushi."
This is true. I've been to plenty of "high-end" sushi restaurants just because they can get a hold expensive-quality fish, but know nothing about making their rice. I hope to someday eat at Kate Koo's restaurant.
You should go check it out if you ever in Portland. I used to work there back in 2016 as her sushi helper, that woman is the real deal.
0:51 her smile brings me joy ☺️
Her eyes are open or closed?
Omg that wasabi she bought is worth so much
I was just thinking about that lol
Locally grown, not from Japan. So it is much cheaper.
MIchael Wiggler
Check out a CZcams video called “Visit to a Rare Wasabi Farm”, it’s a wasabi farm in Oregon.
The thing we people of the west don't get is the importance of rice to those in the east. I live in Cambodia now, and Ive seen that rice isn't merely a side carb, it is the staff of life. It is the single most important food in their world. In the west meat is the centrepiece of the dish, whereas in the east rice is the food, anything else is just flavour enhancement.
wmg111 yes!! healthier too for this reason.
West are more to wheats.
The pre-Asians, at least for the most part, are known to have been nomads that drank sheep and goat milk, ate yogurts, and ate wheat based noodles. But some settled in East Asia, and survived in East Asia by cultivating the Japonica type rice. Later, new techniques emerged where rice was more abundantly harvested, and small kingdoms formed. These kingdoms clashed to become nations. So yeah rice was really important in East Asia. However, due to European pastries, which are fun to eat, and toast, and burger buns, consumption of wheat is at historic highs. Maybe not yet nomad high, but more than 50% of grains consumed in places like Japan, Korea is pretty high, as it used to be like 80% back in the days for these countries.
Very true, I'm Asian and we never eat meat or any dishes without rice. Rice is our main source of food in the Asian culture.
In West Peru, rice is also very important. The chinese got it here and we took a liking to it 😋
Pretty tasty. Didn't try until my 40s. Now in my 60s and my tummy is growling! 🤣🤣🤣 thank you chef.
my father was a sushi chef he started n ichiban too I miss him he was a grate man
Sorry if I spelt any wrong English is not my first language
In Malaysia Ichiban exactly fishing tackle brand
You’re doing fine! Keep it up
"DO IT RIGHT OR DO IT OVER" Asian life motto
Lol I readd this comment exactly when she said it 😂
Such a passionate person! Love the feeling she puts in her work! Amazing
She's so inspiring, I wish I could like this a million times
I NEED MORE OMAKASE SERIES
We*
Just incredible to see UH Hilo Alum doing such amazing things x
Omakase is one of my favourite series and I always like to see new episodes, but as a recent graduate and Hilo resident, this one was really special.
Thank you Eater, and congratulations Chef :)
mr kai...fellow Hilo Native Vulcan alum....cheehuu!!!
Awesome! I'm just across the bridge so it's nice to see a local sushi place like this. I'll be checking that out for sure
Love her energy and her drive. I love watching the passion and hard work that goes along with doing what you love. Seems like it would be a pleasure to dine at her restaurant
she got a deep natural voice, like Elizabeth Holmes type but genuine
Dog alpha therasushi
I would love to see more videos of her
Very interesting story, amazing skills
Must be a joy to be able to share the same room with her
So many obstacles and she did amazing, that's cool as hell
Kyle Nguyen no obstacles but go off
Cool as hell?
She seems so genuine. I enjoy learning about her
Always love how passionate the chefs are. Respect
I wish I could get sushi from her. So much respect her after watching video.
Wonder why people dislike this video...
She is an inspiring character
Probably to get the CZcams algorithm to stop showing them food/sushi videos in their recommended
Because it has meat and vegans get offended by it
That's true Nuwan..
How TF does she say her gender and ethnicity made it a challenge? She's literally doing the most stereotypical job of an Asian woman 😂
@@cooliipie She literally said that in the video.. not that that's what made it in a challenge but those were just some of the obstacles in her career
I LOVE how she knows every single field of her work.
Greetings from the Netherlands.
This is a beautifully produced clip. Everything about it is perfect, from the photography, editing, the soundtrack, her perfect diction, and graceful manner to work in the kitchen and bar. I miss eating raw food. Sushi, especially.
7:17 bluefin tuna toro...im sure that one dish costs about $30....looks so yummy though
I haven't even eaten a single sushi my whole life and i enjoy watching these.
You're really missing out mate. Nothing beats good sushi..Maybe an amazing steak but little else.
@@davevd9944 for real? I'm filipino and im afraid of any raw food. But im slowly trying it. Should put sushi on my list now. Thanks!
@@SammyAme you can start off with cooked fish/seafood! like shrimp, eel, etc. still delicious
@@Allpall will do asap!
You aren't missing much
her skills are truly a joy to watch
So much respect to you!! Absolutely love your whole ideology when it comes to being behind the bar and furthermore the way you execute your sushi!! Simply amazing is what you do and I love to see that! I’ve been doing sushi for over 15 years myself and I’m also Korean but born on the army base so I’ve always been “lost” in who I am?? But doing sushi has made me the person I am today and for this I’m forever grateful for what this career has brought to me! Keep up the great things you do, you’ve inspired me to want to be a better sushi chef and on top of that you’ve inspired me to want to try and become a better me! Thank you for this insight into your life as it has uplifted me in ways I didn’t think that I could be just by simply looking into the life of another?!
Lover her. Love her tenacity. I bet her food ROCKS!
I'm from Portland oregon and this is the best sushi I've ever had🍣🍥🥟🍙
garreton smith same!
I showed up here hammered once, and let me tell you, this hit the spot.
Zilla Sake is so good. My wife and I go there as often as we can.
That rice looks so good! I’m always so impressed with anyone who has mastered anything in life. Respect.
a great teacher is always a student
Fascinating watching her work.
That block of fish at 7:37 looked SO SATISFYING
inspirational video. thanks for sharing.
When Sushi is an Art !
amazing, very inspiring and the sushi looked like master sushi chef level, would love to have a taste.
I loved watching her hands thru out the piece they were so experienced and mesmerizing you could say just very beautiful you could tell she has a passion for what she does
Respect! She stated that her gender had a really big impact on her becoming a Sushi Chef! We will see more & more Female chefs in the future. Congratulations.
Born korean, american raised, serving japanese cuisine.. What an interesting life..
Korean food is boring, so
Just the seriousness know how and patience itself,also artistry is so spectacular!Much respect and many blessings in your future endeavors Ms.Lady.
Chef Koo is so inspirational!!!! for Worldwide new sushi chef.... Good work on this video.... Respect... And Thank you Eater
She is absolutely beautiful and an amazing chef!
When i wash rice I have always felt a peaceful , quiet & and some what calm felling . It's almost spiritual I can't describe ...
Calm tf down youre washing rice
@@1bonbri840 and you don't have a spirit by the sound of things. It's got a story
@@brownmumbapanda7791 jesus youre washing rice stfu quit with your spirit third eye yoga bs
Be one with the rice . Be the rice
@@brownmumbapanda7791 kill me
Respect for her. Wow. And her sushi looks amazing.
Hilo Hawai’i!! My home!!! Shout out to chef for giving our little island in the middle of the pacific some acknowledgment!!!!
Wish I lived there, would love to try her sushi, it looks breathtaking!
@xin stun What? I didn't ask a question, but in regards to your answer, ice cream has no bones.
Wow! I live down the street and have been several times but she’s never been there when I have been. Guess I will have to go back and see if I can support her.
Mayan McDermott did you ?
She is so invested in her talent love this episode
This is one of my favorite videos, the chef is so down to earth and cool...'sushi chefs are professional rice makers' LOL
Never tried sushi but I love watching omakase series
This is the best series ever! Love it so much! 🍣
I ate at Zilla for the first time a few weeks ago. She was amazing to watch prepare every piece of art she put in front of me. Wonderful that's all i can say .
i love how fearless chefs are with new products, helps me overcome some "gross" feelings when having to gut fish
Chef's kinda cute hahaha.. 😍😁
Really cute
wtf. get ur eyes checked. shes average
Adi Jefri as an Asian American I find her cute with some flaws
Any Oregonians?🙋🏻♀️
I cry a little. Fantastic craft. A master provide shortcuts on his way. If you go on your path the work is fantastic but the result is unique.
Oh, I really like her calming voice❤️
salute, I wish to become someone like her one day.
Such passion!
Such dedication!
If one masters his field as this
There's none stopping him
I don't eat fish but
This channel might succeed
In changing my mind
As a Korean American myself I can relate to her path. It's great to see her be so successful. Congratulations on all her future successes to come as well.
Some people are soooooo lucky to have Chefs like her in their cities. I'm so jealous.😭🇫🇷
This is great Eater content, not that paid shill appliance stuff.
Oh no how dare they have to make money to keep making "great Eater content" they should jsut do this for freeeeeeeeeee
@Deserve Not Desire you're right I'll be sure to tell the researchers, producers, cameramen, editors, sound editors, etc. that they shouldn't sell their souls for money. not like it pays rent or buys groceries or anything who needs money when you've got the validation of CZcams.
@Andrew Kim Hey, I get it, but would you consider those advertisement style videos to be on par with ones like these. All I way saying is that this is the stuff I'm subbed for.
@@ItsMeMas Whether those are on par with this vid is subjective, some people might really like knowing about new appliances so that's just your personal taste. But even if they were "objectively" worse in some way, for you to enjoy these kinds of vids Eater has to make money and the Ad videos allow them to do so. It's fine if those aren't your cup of tea but don't talk badly about some of their other content (which other people on their crew still work hard to produce btw) while reaping the benefits of those very videos you're criticizing.
If you want to say "this is the stuff I'm subbed for" then it is actually possible to express your enjoyment without putting down another portion of their channel, which, I CANNOT SRESS ENOUGH, allows for them to even MAKE videos like this in the first place. So unless you can singlehandedly fund the entire channel, they still need to make ends meet and to criticize them for doing so is wrong-minded.
@@ItsMeMas nah, you went from "not that paid shill stuff" to "I was just saying this is the stuff I subbed for"
pretty insulting, demanding language for getting free content.
I SEE OMAKASE..
I CLICK
Feel the Same ? 😂😂
Wow that's dedication and hard work
Went to UH Hilo and used to live there. That's so awesome!
It’s nice to know she had a linguistics degree but ended up doing something so different and becoming a sushi chef!
Don’t really care for Portland (too big for this small town kid) but I’ll be hitting this place up.
I just saw this video, this chef is amazing!.. nothing better than self teaching a tradition that’s hundreds of years old.. I’m willing to drive the 10 hrs from the Bay Area to try that Tako :)
I enjoyed watching her work. She clearly takes pride in her work.
12 dislikes
Person who's allergic to seafood but still watch chefs cooking it
TiltedPotatoe Salad im allergic but liked it cuz she’s a badass lol
I'm living in Hilo, I'm from Puna but Hilo has better jobs an more opportunities.
Zilla Sake is an unassuming and quiet spot on a street of vintage PDX. In a town with lots of decent sushi places, Zilla stands out. Plus! All kinds of sake!
What a wonderful human being!
At 3:43 u can actually see the Descendants of the Aliens from Independence Day with Will Smith...
the perfect girl doesn’t exis...
beauty , intelligence and a wonderful human im in love 😍
Alvin Macalalad ik she freakin hot
Alvin Macalalad
Marry her lah.....!
T.
My husband and his siblings were also adopted from Korea and raised here in Oregon.
Very skilled chef in my life experiences I have to had many years of culinary opportunities to have worked in Hong Kong Tokyo and Japan including Mexico and I know it's very hard work but I have much respect for this chef cause of her experience and her Beauty
Zilla Sake in Portland has a really inconsistent yelp rating recently compared to the past years... Kate, you doin' okay there?
should i have a degree to be an executive chef ?
YAAAS! Portland, OR, represent!!
Her voice is sooo soothing
I know Ichiban is a very popular name for sushi restaurants as they came up in the US. There was an Ichiban in Minneapolis my family would travel up to for birthdays and special events every year since we moved to Minnesota in 1987. Though I think there is a chain now that is a different company altogether. However, one of the 2 sushi chefs there was a woman from Japan that my mom would talk to as she was born and raised in Japan.
I'm not sure how gender plays into the role of a sushi chef though. It has been uncommon for me to see female chefs. But I have seen more than a few across the US and abroad. I'm sure that finding an apprenticeship in Japan for a female could be more difficult than in the US. But really if you're a woman and want a woman mentor it is going to be hard because it is not a common profession women go into. It is continuously challenging career path and there are few real chefs out therewith the skills and passion we saw here.
All of the chefs I've met had a passion for it and strove hard to do it. Regardless of gender. Doing proper sushi is not easy and it takes a lot of discipline and continued practice. It is ridiculously hard and takes a large investment of time. Most I've talked to apprenticed for 2-3 years before they started their restaurants. All have said they could have done 10 years easily. A chef I have been friends with since the opening day of his first restaurant still goes back to Japan every couple years for a month or two just to apprentice again and try to keep up his skill.
There is a caveat in that not everyone calling sushi are actually making traditional Japanese sushi. Now I find most places don't serve traditional sushi in the US as they don't season the rice. They serve cooked short grain sushi rice with no seasoning and play into the stereotypical confusion of sushi refers to the fish. So it is more a Korean kimbap instead of traditional Japanese sushi. Only one chain in my city even attempts to season the rice. Even then they don't serve it at the right temperature because the local population want the fish on top and inside the rolls to be cold so they feel it is safer to eat.
Sushi on the level we see chef Koo doing is also more than the rice. It is proper cleaning and processing to get the right textures and know the right amounts of everything to combine. Wasabi is almost never put between the fish and the rice today in most "sushi" restaurants. But it is very traditional in sushi and it is used to cut the fattiness of different fish. Chefs need to know this balance so it enhances the flavor of the fish and the seasoned rice carries the flavor instead of detracting or overpowering. Temperature of the rice and fish also play into the flavors. Without a mentor to pass on these things it takes trial and error and experimentation to develop the best taste and texture with each bite.
It is weird to have been eating sushi for over 30 years and from Florida to Victoria to Hawaii, Japan and China and see how it has evolved and changed to fit local tastes. The American cheese singles on top of some nigiri in China is still the most surprising to me.
Sushi has indeed changed, partly due to its emergence into the mainstream. As well as the local health codes being more stringent on sushi businesses.
Did you know that sushi rice has to either be lab tested for pH or the establishment must keep a regular log of pH of the rice using a pH device? As well as the temperature of the rice must be maintained at a certain temperature depending on it's pH. Failure to comply will result in a fine.
That, as well tailoring the food towards Americans (as I'm assuming you are American) has changed sushi here a whole lot.
This was amazing, except for the part where she used the knife to hammer the nail... that poor knife...
I love coming back to this video periodically. I hope chef Kate is doing well!
i live in oregon... planning my foodie adventure asap... can not wait to try her food!!
Check out Cascade Brewery for a taste of sour beer if you haven't yet! I highly recommend it! As well as any Bamboo sushi around town. Bamboo is so unique in it's interpretation of pnw sushi that you will never find it anywhere else in the world!
Somehow I see Asa Akira when I look at her
You see a pornstar when you see a successful Asian woman?
it's almost jarring to watch the shot as the camera goes into the restaurant then stops on the chef and instead of hearing irrashaimase like you do almost every other time, you hear "welcome to zilla sake" . and that's not a bad thing
She proves it! So proud! This rocks!
Can confirm the omasake here is top notch. Also got a great sake selection, with a great staff to help you choose stuff if you're unsure what you'd like.