“In the case of cooking, we learn the basics from our masters, and then one day, we leave our masters, face ourselves, and constantly strive to improve our skills”
The Chef
Takeshi, the owner and head chef of Takezo Restaurant was born in Yokohama, Japan, where he was surrounded by the sea, mountains, and nature from a young age – it inspired his two passions in life – cooking and surfing.
Since his teenage years in Yokahama, Takeshi has worked preparing and cooking Japanese cuisine for over 20 years, however, it was his passion for surfing and adventure that saw him travelling around Australia at the age of 29, surfing, and eventually settling in Melbourne, where he has been ever since.
His first contribution to Melbourne’s Japanese food scene was at ‘KUNI's’, one of the original restaurants to introduce Japanese gastronomy to Melbourne and Australia.
He has been working as the head Japanese cuisine chef at the Langham hotel, Melbourne, for 11 years, a Melba restaurant of 15 years with a ranking of #128 in Melbourne’s 3424 restaurants, which places it in the top 3%.
Takshi’s dream for his Takezo Restaurant is to share the Japanese history, culture, artistries, and traditional cuisine with the Australian people, in the city and nation he has grown to love so much. Like the incredible experiences the Australian surf and people have given him, he wishes to wow his customers with a uniquely Japanese dining experience.
The Food
Nigiri-zushi started as street food 400 years ago during the Edo Period (1603 – 1868). Takeshi opened his Takezo Restaurant with the desire to recreate the style of sushi from that time, and to create an atmosphere full of smiles, as if you were in a sushi restaurant in Japan.
The Restaurant
The restaurant's name, Takezo, comes from the birth name of ‘Musashi Miyamoto’, one of the most famous swordsmen of all time. The name contains one of the Japanese characters ‘Take’ (武), which is the same as the chef's name. It means ‘samurai’. Takezo is the one and only proud swordsman, a man whose ability with the sword and his discipline to life has never been matched. In the case of cooking, we learn the basics from our masters, and then one day, we leave our masters, face ourselves, and constantly strive to improve our skills. Takeshi wants his customers to know that, in true samurai fashion, he will always aspire to improve, and continue delivering the best Japanese food and dining experience possible.
We look forward to welcoming you to our restaurant, and trust that you will enjoy your authentic Japanese dining experience, in Melbourne, Australia, at Takezo Restaurant.