Chef Kazuo Yoshida, owner of Western Australia’s Tosaka Ramen, grew up in Kyoto, Japan. After graduating from university, he worked as a travel writer. Reporting on local cuisine and specialty dishes from all over Japan motivated Yoshida to spread the wonder and excitement of food as a chef.
When he first moved to Australia, Yoshida worked as a Japanese food chef at a famous five-star hotel and a fine-dining Japanese restaurant. He was also a chef in the in-flight food production department of Qantas Airways.
“I learned not only Westernised Japanese cuisine at the hotel and restaurant but also the cuisine of various countries and regions through the in-flight meal companies,” said Yoshida.
One of the most popular dishes at his Tosaka Ramen restaurant is the rich and creamy chicken broth ramen Tori Paitan, which Kyoto is well-known for.
Yoshida said that although many Tonkotsu (pork broth) ramen shops are found worldwide, Tori Paitan is quite rare and unique. He aimed to spread the word about the ramen varieties available in Japan.
Tosaka Ramen was also listed in the top 100 restaurants of The Western Australian Good Food Guide twice.
With the shortage of skilled workers in the hospitality industry forcing staff to work long hours daily, Tosaka suggested that it was crucial to improve the working environment so that employees could work safely, healthily, and happily.
He highlighted the need for a high level of hospitality training to help staff act professionally and deal with problems and situations as they arise.
“I like to imagine my customers being happy, so I think about the kind of customer service they would be happy to receive. Then, I draw on my training and experience to implement it.”
