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(Continue from last post…)


Through working in a field I love and being able to connect with so many people,
I feel the incredible potential of the world.
I realized how vast the world is.

As the saying goes,
“If we have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.”

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone.
As both a chef and a person, I’ve learned so much that words cannot fully convey.
It’s been a truly fulfilling time, one that I’ve accepted in its entirety, both the sweet and the bitter.

I have made it through these three years.

___

From mid-January, I will be returning to Japan and continuing my career at a wonderful place while preparing for my own projects.

While cherishing my family and the new life that is about to be born, I’d like to reflect on Japan from a new perspective and share it with the world again.

This challenge is far from over.
What lies ahead is a new beginning.

Also, I plan to use my sns to slowly reflect on these past three years and share them, hoping it will become a new organic connection.

It’s been quite long.

When I finished this sentence and went outside, I could not believe it was January, with sunshine and snow.

I wish for everyone to have a warm and fulfilling New Year.

Leave no doubt.
To see the wide world.
To find a new version of myself.

January 2025
Ryo Haga

Happy New Year.

At 7 a.m. on January 2nd I am writing this.

The night has not yet dawned and for just a moment I could see faint stars, giving hope that the sky would clear up. However, snow began to fall, reminiscent of a blizzard.

It’s quiet, dim, and I like the Nordic winter for its increase in reflective time

___
Now, my life in Denmark is coming to an end in just under two weeks.

Thinking back, it all started with my intern at Kadeau in 2021, and the time spent at Noma has now lasted for two and a half years.

This period, which began just as I turned 30, has undoubtedly been the greatest challenge of my life.

Living in a foreign country for the first time, there were many difficult, hard moments.
There were times when I struggled a place to live.
___
But far beyond all that, I've had so many unforgettable moments, truly countless ones.

I worked with all my heart every day
There were moments of joy so intense that they made me tremble.
I made friend I can truly call my best friend.
I met so many people, visited beautiful places, and saw stunning paintings and landscapes.

Above all, I encountered many flavors, and their deliciousness moved my heart.

And in every moment,
I had companions and friends who worked alongside me.
I’m aware that I’m not always easy to get along with.

Still, so many people helped me,
interacted with me, and
reached out to me.
I began to believe that there might be nothing more important than trying to understand others, accepting differences, and communicating over time.

__

Even if the mother tongue is different,
when I could touch the subtleties of human emotion and connect beyond words,
I was truly happy.
Tears came to my eyes.

At the two world-top restaurants,
I was surrounded by so many talented colleagues who are better than I am and who are trying to be better as person before they are chefs.
and the fact that I can call them my friends.
This is treasure in my life.

(Continue to next post….)

A year and 10months

【Guest Chef Ryo Haga Dinner】
Team AC house のメンバーとともに @ryohaga__ が5日間の営業を行います。

ACはこの期間ストックホルムでのイベント参加となります。こちらも追ってご報告いたします！
5月最終週に東京とストックホルムでMidsummer な北欧の風を感じれる内容となっておりますので、皆さまと同じ時間を共有できること、心から楽しみにしています。

5/26 (Tue) – 5/30 (Sat)
Lunch 12:00〜（※土曜日のみ）
Dinner 19:00〜

・Food + Alcohol Pairing　¥35,000（Tax included）
・Food + Non-alcohol Pairing　¥33,000（Tax included）

※お料理は一斉スタートとなります。
※ご予約は「TableCheck（AC HOUSE）」より承っております。

独立前の貴重なPop-up Dinnerとなります。
席数に限りがございますので、お早めのご予約をおすすめいたします。

⸻

Chef Ryo Haga

東京での修行を経て、京都のレストラン「monk」にて2年間勤務。
自然や風景を料理へと昇華する哲学を学ぶ。

在職中にはデンマーク「Kadeau Copenhagen」にて研修を経験し、伝統・土地性・美しさを表現する料理の完成度に深い感銘を受ける。

2022年より「noma」にて勤務。
部門シェフとして2025年1月まで在籍し、
“time and place（時間と場所）”の思想を探求。

A touch of pure Japanese
日本人としての新しい料理表現を追求するため、
現在は国内外を視野に入れ、開業準備中。

_
父と子の関係というのが実感としてはあまりよくわからない。
1日のほとんどの時間を外にでて動くことで掴んできた自分にとっては、時間の流れの違いにも戸惑うことも多い。
が、最近わかってきたことがある。
血のつながりに甘えても父と子という関係にはならないのでは？ということ。
それぞれの関係があって素晴らしいし、その時、その距離でできる最良をする。
子にとっての父が何なのか、いつかわかったらいいな。大きくなったらぜひ息子に聞いてみたい。

自分のレストランを始める前、年内に本を出すべく、この1ヶ月ほどは自分の言葉と書くことに集中しています。
形ができてきたそれらを新しい次元へ持ち上げてくれる方との良い出会い、良い仕事ができたらと思っております。

Beautiful moment 2022

"いやぁ、あれだわ
夏の甲子園より熱い冬だわ"

とか言っちゃって。ほんとそうだわ

part 2

As a restaurant that maintains one of the highest standards in the world, it surely isn’t always easy.
But rather than looking away from that reality, there was always a determination to keep trying to make things better.

It was not a long time, but being surrounded by such incredibly talented people — and being able to call them my friends — feels like a rare piece of luck in my life.
And one more thing.

I have never chosen my career simply to collect famous names on my résumé.
Of course, taste matters.
But so do the atmosphere of a place, the people who are there, and how I can become a better person within that environment — how I can continue to refine my heart.

One day, the next generation — and the generation after that — will carry this world forward.
That is why, as a Japanese chef, I consider this experience a true treasure, and I hope to continue doing better work because of it.

Even today, I have deep respect for the team that continues striving to do their very best.

@nomacph

Thank you to everyone who shared those intense and beautiful days.
I will always be grateful.

@nomacph
For me, having had the chance to work at Noma is something I will always consider a great fortune.It will remain one of the foundations of who I am.

After completing my final two months as an unpaid intern, I was offered a position.Even at that time, it already felt as though the restaurant was beginning to move toward its next chapter.
In the mornings, we greeted each other with high-fives before heading to our stations.Even in those moments, I had the feeling that this would become one of the most important experiences of my life.

The days were positive, stimulating, and progressive, yet also filled with a very human warmth.
The pressure I felt was never something imposed by anyone in particular.Rather, it came from asking myself whether I could become even a little better today, and from the shared challenge of moving forward together as a team.
And around me, there were always people walking in that same direction.

Whenever something came up, we would sit down with someone and talk it through ー sometimes even sharing personal struggles before returning to work.
There was a genuine passion for the work we loved, and a real affection for the craft and the industry.

Of course, there were moments of conflict.(I was probably one of the people who clashed more often — I have never been very good at controlling my emotions.)
Still, we tried to face our work with sincerity and support one another whenever it mattered.Those days were truly joyful.

When it came to things like my visa, my partner’s visa, opening a bank account that seemed impossible at first, or struggling to find a place to live, it was always someone from Noma who stepped in to help.
And not just for me, but for everyone.
The generosity of the people supporting the team outside the kitchen was also a big part of what shaped this place.

Why does a culture like this come into being?I believe it is because a clear vision, creativity, and a genuine desire to invest in people and improve the environment were truly shared across the entire organization.

Of course, this is only my personal perspective, shaped by the two and a half intense years I spent there.

(Part 2 in the next post)

@nomacph
私にとって、Nomaで働けたことは、
これからも幸運だったと思い続ける出来事であり、自分の礎の一つになっていくと思う。
最後の2ヶ月の無給インターンを経て採用されたが、
その頃にはすでに、この場所がどこへ向かうべきかという変化が起きていた。
朝、ハイタッチをして挨拶を交わし、それぞれの持ち場へ向かう。
その時点で、ここで自分は人生の中でも間違いなく最高の経験ができるだろうと予感していた。
実際の日々は、
前向きで、刺激的で、急進的で、そして人間味のある温かなものだった。
感じていたプレッシャーは、
誰かから与えられるものではなく、
「今日、自分を少しでもより良くできるか」というものや、
チームとして新しい課題に向かっていくことだった。
そして周りには、常にそこへ一緒に向かっていく仲間がいた。
何かあれば座って話し、個人的な悩みも打ち明けながら、また仕事をしていく。
そこには、好きな仕事へ向かう情熱や、業界に対する愛情が確かにあった。

もちろん、ぶつかることもあった。
（私は感情のコントロールが上手くなく、よくぶつかった方だと思う。）
それでも誠実に仕事に向き合い、手を差し伸べ合う。
毎日が本当に楽しかった。

自分のビザやパートナービザのこと、
銀行口座がなかなか作れなかったこと、引越しに困ったこと。
そんな時に力を添えてくれたのは、いつもNomaの誰かだった。言うまでもなく自分だけでなく、みんなに対して。
キッチンの外でチームを支える方たちの寛大さも、この場所を形づくっていた。

どうしてそんな組織が生まれるのか。
それは、明確なビジョンと創造性、そして人に投資し、環境をより良くしようとする思いが、組織全体に本気で共有されていたからだと思う。

もちろんこれは、
自分の2年半という短くも濃密な時間からの、個人的な見方だ。
世界トップレベルの水準を保つレストランである以上、
きっと簡単なことばかりではない。(どんな業界でも、上を目指せばきっと同じことだと思う。)
それでも、その現実から目を逸らすのではなく、
より良い形へ変えていこうとする意思と努力が、確かにそこにはあった。

驚くほど才能に溢れた素晴らしい仲間たちに囲まれて過ごせたこと、
そして彼、彼女らを友達と呼べることは、人生において純粋な幸運だと思っている。

そしてもう一つ。
私自身は、履歴書に有名なハンコを押すためにキャリアを選んできたことは一度もない。
もちろん味は大事だが、そこにある空気、そこにいる人達、
その中で自分がどうより良くなれるのか。
どう心を磨いていけるのか。

いつか、次の世代、そしてそのまた先の世代がこの世界を担っていく。
だからこそ私は、日本人の料理人としてこの経験を宝だと思い、
より良い仕事をしていきたい。

そしてきっと今日も、ベストな仕事を目指しているチームを心から尊敬している。

@nomacph
私にとって、Nomaで働けたことは、
これからも幸運だったと思い続ける出来事であり、自分の礎の一つになっていくと思う。
最後の2ヶ月の無給インターンを経て採用されたが、
その頃にはすでに、この場所がどこへ向かうべきかという変化が起きていた。
朝、ハイタッチをして挨拶を交わし、それぞれの持ち場へ向かう。
その時点で、ここで自分は人生の中でも間違いなく最高の経験ができるだろうと予感していた。
実際の日々は、
前向きで、刺激的で、急進的で、そして人間味のある温かなものだった。
感じていたプレッシャーは、
誰かから与えられるものではなく、
「今日、自分を少しでもより良くできるか」というものや、
チームとして新しい課題に向かっていくことだった。
そして周りには、常にそこへ一緒に向かっていく仲間がいた。
何かあれば座って話し、個人的な悩みも打ち明けながら、また仕事をしていく。
そこには、好きな仕事へ向かう情熱や、業界に対する愛情が確かにあった。

もちろん、ぶつかることもあった。
（私は感情のコントロールが上手くなく、よくぶつかった方だと思う。）
それでも誠実に仕事に向き合い、手を差し伸べ合う。
毎日が本当に楽しかった。

自分のビザやパートナービザのこと、
銀行口座がなかなか作れなかったこと、引越しに困ったこと。
そんな時に力を添えてくれたのは、いつもNomaの誰かだった。言うまでもなく自分だけでなく、みんなに対して。
キッチンの外でチームを支える方たちの寛大さも、この場所を形づくっていた。

どうしてそんな組織が生まれるのか。
それは、明確なビジョンと創造性、そして人に投資し、環境をより良くしようとする思いが、組織全体に本気で共有されていたからだと思う。

もちろんこれは、
自分の2年半という短くも濃密な時間からの、個人的な見方だ。
世界トップレベルの水準を保つレストランである以上、
きっと簡単なことばかりではない。(どんな業界でも、上を目指せばきっと同じことだと思う。)
それでも、その現実から目を逸らすのではなく、
より良い形へ変えていこうとする意思と努力が、確かにそこにはあった。

驚くほど才能に溢れた素晴らしい仲間たちに囲まれて過ごせたこと、
そして彼、彼女らを友達と呼べることは、人生において純粋な幸運だと思っている。

そしてもう一つ。
私自身は、履歴書に有名なハンコを押すためにキャリアを選んできたことは一度もない。
もちろん味は大事だが、そこにある空気、そこにいる人達、
その中で自分がどうより良くなれるのか。
どう心を磨いていけるのか。

いつか、次の世代、そしてそのまた先の世代がこの世界を担っていく。
だからこそ私は、日本人の料理人としてこの経験を宝だと思い、
より良い仕事をしていきたい。

そしてきっと今日も、ベストな仕事を目指しているチームを心から尊敬している。

@nomacph
私にとって、Nomaで働けたことは、
これからも幸運だったと思い続ける出来事であり、自分の礎の一つになっていくと思う。
最後の2ヶ月の無給インターンを経て採用されたが、
その頃にはすでに、この場所がどこへ向かうべきかという変化が起きていた。
朝、ハイタッチをして挨拶を交わし、それぞれの持ち場へ向かう。
その時点で、ここで自分は人生の中でも間違いなく最高の経験ができるだろうと予感していた。
実際の日々は、
前向きで、刺激的で、急進的で、そして人間味のある温かなものだった。
感じていたプレッシャーは、
誰かから与えられるものではなく、
「今日、自分を少しでもより良くできるか」というものや、
チームとして新しい課題に向かっていくことだった。
そして周りには、常にそこへ一緒に向かっていく仲間がいた。
何かあれば座って話し、個人的な悩みも打ち明けながら、また仕事をしていく。
そこには、好きな仕事へ向かう情熱や、業界に対する愛情が確かにあった。

もちろん、ぶつかることもあった。
（私は感情のコントロールが上手くなく、よくぶつかった方だと思う。）
それでも誠実に仕事に向き合い、手を差し伸べ合う。
毎日が本当に楽しかった。

自分のビザやパートナービザのこと、
銀行口座がなかなか作れなかったこと、引越しに困ったこと。
そんな時に力を添えてくれたのは、いつもNomaの誰かだった。言うまでもなく自分だけでなく、みんなに対して。
キッチンの外でチームを支える方たちの寛大さも、この場所を形づくっていた。

どうしてそんな組織が生まれるのか。
それは、明確なビジョンと創造性、そして人に投資し、環境をより良くしようとする思いが、組織全体に本気で共有されていたからだと思う。

もちろんこれは、
自分の2年半という短くも濃密な時間からの、個人的な見方だ。
世界トップレベルの水準を保つレストランである以上、
きっと簡単なことばかりではない。(どんな業界でも、上を目指せばきっと同じことだと思う。)
それでも、その現実から目を逸らすのではなく、
より良い形へ変えていこうとする意思と努力が、確かにそこにはあった。

驚くほど才能に溢れた素晴らしい仲間たちに囲まれて過ごせたこと、
そして彼、彼女らを友達と呼べることは、人生において純粋な幸運だと思っている。

そしてもう一つ。
私自身は、履歴書に有名なハンコを押すためにキャリアを選んできたことは一度もない。
もちろん味は大事だが、そこにある空気、そこにいる人達、
その中で自分がどうより良くなれるのか。
どう心を磨いていけるのか。

いつか、次の世代、そしてそのまた先の世代がこの世界を担っていく。
だからこそ私は、日本人の料理人としてこの経験を宝だと思い、
より良い仕事をしていきたい。

そしてきっと今日も、ベストな仕事を目指しているチームを心から尊敬している。

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

As a father, what worries you about the future? And what gives you hope?

Ryo Haga: “I have one child. And I do feel a lot of anxiety. Sometimes I fear we’re losing so much culture. And maybe that’s true. But I also believe that knowing the problem points us to the answer.

That’s why I’m opening my restaurant—not just because I love cooking, but for the next generation. For my son.

Anxiety becomes fuel. It becomes passion. A kind of mission.

So I’m trying to respond with action—with creation.

And my son… he gives me hope.

He shows emotion, stands up, never gives up. He tries a hundred times, takes a little nap, and tries again. He gets hungry, cries, drinks milk—and keeps going.

When I look at him, I see how strong humans can be. How much we can learn. How creative and full of possibility we are.

That gives me hope.”

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ , @nadoya.jp and @taro_oota 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.

What does it mean to cook in a way that refines the heart?

For contemporary chef Ryo Haga, cooking is not simply about flavour, precision, or innovation. It is a lifelong practice of attention — to ingredients, to people, to place, and to the unseen threads that connect them.

Over years working in Japan and abroad, from kitchens in Tokyo and Kyoto to the intensity of Noma in Copenhagen, he has come to understand food as a language of presence, memory, and care.

Early in his career, while working at the Kyoto restaurant Monk, chef Yoshihiro Imai shared a simple piece of guidance that has stayed with him: polish your heart.

In his work, Japanese sensibility appears not as tradition or style, but as what he calls a touch of pure Japanese — a subtle presence that can quietly shift how something is felt.

In our conversation, Ryo reflects on pressure as opportunity, food as language, and the fragile beauty of moments that can never be repeated — where a single dish, like a single meeting, may exist only once.

Interview: @laurensvanaarle
Editor: @laurensvanaarle
Photography: @taro_oota

A deep bow of gratitude to @ryohaga__ and @nadoya.jp 🙏🏻

Read the full interview via our link in bio.