Japanese Chef Tamaki

For Christmas, we decided to go to Japan so we invited Chef Tamaki Nakatani for an Intertain private dining experience.

4.50pm – Tamaki knocks on the door and introduces herself. She carries two bags and a cooler box. She gets introduced to the kitchen space she would be working in; where all the pots, pans and cutlery sets are. The table had been set and guests had not arrived yet. What a pleasant surprise, Tamaki had even brought her own portable induction cooker for just in case.

5.30pm – Tamaki prepares entrée; and has a few diners who had just arrived crowd around the kitchen to see how she’s cooking with a glass of wine in hand.

6.00pm – All guests are seated and Tamaki serves entrée; slow-cooked pork belly with soft boiled egg, spinach and mushroom salad. Tamaki talks about the creation, a brief outline of how she’s made it and what inspired her.

6.45pm – Tamaki serves a 200g eye fillet steak with daikon radish sauce and shiso basil and grilled vegetables served with complimentary rice and miso soup.

8.00pm – Time for dessert! A Yuzu Citrus Tart with Italian Meringue and Chocolate Sauce. Absolutely delicious! Tamaki starts cleaning up and stays for another half hour to clear the dishes. The kitchen looks spotless; all wiped down. Tamaki thanks guests and takes leave as they continue to make merry through the night. 

We speak to Tamaki to find out more about her inspiration.

Tamaki, tell us a bit more about yourself and your path to being a chef.

I was born and raised in Osaka. I have always had a passion for food. After high school, I completed a Bachelors degree in Agriculture at Kobe University.

After a few years working in Japan, I decided to follow my dream of becoming a chef. I made the bold move to Melbourne, studied English and then completed my chef qualification at the William Angliss Institute.

Since then, I have worked for a number of Melbourne’s well-known restaurants including the RACV Club, Mezzo and Lil Boy Blue.

You are doing really well in spreading the Japanese culture. Share with us your journey through this.

I love introducing non-Japanese people to the foods and culture of my native home country, Japan.

When I started talking to people about this idea, I realized that even though many people wanted to experience Japan, they did not end up doing so for three main reasons.

Firstly, the majority of tours to Japan focus purely on the historical and cultural aspects of Japan, and not the food. So for a food lover, you miss out on so much.

Secondly, Japan has four seasons, six climates, over 2000 years of history and each of the 47 regions has their own food culture. So you don’t even know where to start.

Thirdly, as a tourist you probably don’t speak Japanese and so it is very difficult to find the best local foods. So you end up having the same dish over and over again.

In order to solve these challenges, I decided to launch Chef Tamaki Japan Food Tours. Each Spring and Autumn, I would take 12 people on a 14 day gourmet food tour with Tamaki as my personal tour guide, chef and interpreter.

In order to acclimatise to Japan and get to know other Japanese food lovers, I also host monthly events in Melbourne including Tasting Nights at Melbourne’s best Japanese restaurants; cooking classes teaching you how to do prepare Japanese dishes; as well as Pop Kitchens where Tamaki prepares her own style of fusion Japanese food.

And now you have chosen to be a private chef at Intertain. Tell us, what is it about this experience you love?

I love the flexibility the Intertain platform has to offer, which serves as a marketing platform for my business. I get to meet a variety of people and have that intimate opportunity to talk through my dishes, their selection of my menu and they also get to watch me cook. I enjoy teaching and sharing my experience.

There is an opportunity to showcase my offerings of what Japan has to offer and there is a particular sense of joy and gratitude when I see people enjoy my food, I strive to work even harder to perfect my meals.

Final words for fellow diners?

Being a chef isn’t a job - it is my life and passion. Join me for an unforgettable experience.