To America, the Land He Aspired to
Ever since he was a small child, chef Hirabayashi had a yearning to live in America. He also loved cooking from early on, and started his culinary career in the kitchen of a yoshoku (which literally means European food) restaurant in Japan. The turning point of his career came in 1992. His friend asked him if he was interested in joining the staff that was opening a “Sakana Restaurant” in Arizona. (Sakana Restaurant has since expanded their business and currently has four locations.) Back in the early 1990s, Japan was still enjoying an economic boom, and chef Hirabayashi was leading a carefree and prosperous life. And chef Hirabayashi did not speak any English.
For these reasons, every member of his family, as well as all his friends, objected to the idea of his moving to the States. Yet chef Hirabayashi still decided to come to the States over everyone’s protests because he thought “it was a great opportunity.” “I wanted to go to the land of my hopes. I also wanted to see how acceptable my culinary style and craftsmanship would be,” chef Hirabayashi says. With such thoughts in mind, chef Hirabayashi flew to Arizona. In a totally new and unfamiliar place, he started training all over again as a Japanese food chef this time.
Tackling New Skills in a New Cuisine
First there was the different cooking style that he had to get used to. Japanese food requires different cooking techniques from yoshoku. And both the ingredients and condiments are quite different. In addition, the place where he displayed his skills was completely new. In Japan, chef Hirabayashi cooked back in the kitchen. But here in America he had to be face to face with customers while he cooked. Also, chitchatting with customers while preparing sushi was an important part of his job. So the language barrier was one of the greatest obstacles for chef Hirabayashi when he was new to this country. “I wanted to serve something that would suit the customers’ tastes, but I just couldn’t communicate well enough over the counter ...” While being frustrated with his lack of communication skills, chef Hirabayashi also felt encouraged at times by the appreciative smiles from customers who were happy with his creations.
Chef Hirabayashi continued to hone his skills as a sushi chef for four years at Sakana Restaurant before he moved to California. Once in California, he worked for some authentic Japanese restaurants such as the “Koto Restaurant” or “Kappo Sui,” where he had a chance to learn refined and sophisticated skills from top-rated veteran chefs. Chef Hirabayashi also kept studying English to become a better communicator. Today he is the executive chef at Sushi of Naples.

Creating an Environment that Cherishes Individuality
Once a week at Sushi of Naples, each chef presents their own specialty dish for the others to sample. This is an important way of creating an environment that values individuality. The kind of dish that reflects the personality of chef Hirabayashi is chic and beautiful ... a feast for both the eyes and stomach. Perhaps, a sparkling white plate is like a blank canvas which allows him to express his artistic creativity since he enjoys drawing. Not only taste, but also presentation is very vital to satisfying demanding sushi customers. “While talking with a customer at the counter, I create a special dinner experience just for that person. I’m proud to be able to do that,” chef Hirabayashi says. As he uttered these words, I could definitely sense the confidence and pride he had as a Japanese chef in satisfying his many customers.

The Day His Childhood Dreams Come True
When chef Hirabayashi was just a little boy, one photograph attracted his attention. It was an advertisement for a property in Ocean View, Hawaii. With his eyes on the advertisement, chef Hirabayashi mistily thought “I will live there one day.” It has been 15 years since chef Hirabayashi came to the States despite the objections of everyone around him. At first, he could not understand a word his customers were saying over the counter. But now 15 years later, he carries out conversations easily while figuring out each customer’s personal tastes. Depending on this assessment, chef Hirabayashi then creates an attractive dish that pleases both the eyes and the taste buds of each customer. It appears that chef Hirabayashi is striving steadily toward actualizing his childhood dream. Who knows? The day may not be so far away when he opens a Hawaiian branch of Sushi of Naples.