Melbourne Chef Kengo Hiromatsu

The art of fine dining takes practice - practice - and more practice.

Practice that require building appreciation of what's delicately laid before you. 
Practice savouring every morsel, taste and texture from the tip of your tongue to the back of your mouth.

But the art and skill of preparing a fine dining experience takes years, even decades of experience to achieve such fine mastery.

Former Head Sushi Chef at Nobu, Kengo Hiromatsu [link to chef page] has just that.  Kengo has 25 years of experience under his belt and we are honoured to welcome him to Intertain as one of your personal chefs. He has a reputation for artistry in preparing traditional and fine Japanese delicacies -  with a personal touch that is tweaked for our Aussie palettes.

Creating Japanese delicacies for Australian diners

Essentially, that's what Nobu means - to create a fusion of Japanese dishes with ingredients from around the world. It is a term named after sushi chef, Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, who founded the Nobu restaurants in the US during the 70's where he was famous for combining traditional Japanese dishes with Peruvian ingredients.

For us in Australia, those lunch time sushi trays and quickly cooked Japanese rice are probably the closest we come to "authentic" Japanese cuisine. In contrast Kengo creates his dishes with meticulous detail.

It is difficult to compare his udon (thick noodles) yakimono (dishes that are marinated, skewered and grilled) and agemono (Japanese deep fried food) to the style of Japanese we have come to know.

Kengo plates his dishes with admirable skill making each one an interesting and exciting experience.

"I learned fine Japanese cuisine in Japan for 13 years and have been in Melbourne for 12 years so far. But while here, I've learned more cuisine techniques combined with Western ingredients - this greatly influences my creations," he says.

The quest for authenticity

One of Kengo’s specialities is sushi, or more specifically Nigiri - a smaller, more compact ball of rice. Sushi is ubiquitous in Melbourne and almost anyone can claim to make it but Kengo is testament to the authentic methods of creating it well (this is called the Edo Mae - style).

"We have to be committed to fresh quality ingredients, finding the perfect balance of sushi rice textures and taste. But the challenge is to represent the authentic taste of Japan using Australian local ingredients which sometimes have different taste and smells to what we get in Japan," he explains.

A menu brimming with creativity

We love chefs who put their own creative spin on a menu but still stay true and respect the origins of the dishes.

Who could say no to a deep fried spring roll filled with prawn, pumpkin and blue cheese? Expect that in your hors d'oeuvres when Kengo works his magic.

Imagine a dessert that combines mascarpone with tofu and a little umeshu (plum wine). The result is a mousse that is light and rich. This forms the perfect base for an intensely flavoured raspberry sauce poured over the top with umeshu poached pears on the side.

This is just a taste of Kengo’s fine culinary ingenuity and prowess.

Yet he is humble. He says "Being a chef is a never ending journey as one's always learning. You know, like wax on, wax off!"

Interested in tasting Kengo Hiromatsu’s creations for yourself? Check out his page for menus and pricing  [Link to profile page]

Published: 23 May 2017