With a gentle humor that belies his creative zeal and rather unorthodox interpretation of sushi — think tuna with foie gras or salmon with mango purée — Kaz Okochi of Kaz Sushi Bistro in downtown DC also demonstrates his Japanese heritage: He keeps the food simple.
A native of Nagoya, Japan, Okochi has spent most of his adult life learning the tricks of the sushi trade and the finer points of Japanese cooking. “I was always interested in cooking, even since elementary school,” he says. “Maybe that had something to do with watching cooking shows on TV.” His parents did not object to his career choice, so Okochi enrolled at the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, where he learned the basics of French, Japanese and Chinese cooking. From there, Okochi went on to refine his sushi work with a sushi master in Osaka.
In 1988, Okochi moved to Washington, D.C., where for several years before opening his own restaurant, he worked as executive chef at Sushi-Ko, D.C.’s very first sushi restaurant. During his tenure there, he began pushing the boundaries of his native cooking. “I started doing creative dishes in the 1990s,” he says. “It was not fusion cooking, but creating new dishes. I enjoyed eating them, too. Now I am just going back to my origins. But the way we do things in Japan is a little too simple. I am trying to keep my balance with what I want to cook versus what the customer wants.”
Meet the chef
Q Do you cook much at home?
A I don’t cook much at home, but when I do, it’s for a special occasion when I cook for my family. I just did a paella last Sunday and my kids liked it.
Q What is your favorite dish?
A One that is the simplest, basically eating the ingredients without much done to them — simple vegetables, meat, seafood, with no sauce so the taste is exactly what it is. In Europe, I enjoyed simply grilled seafood. For dessert, I just like tasty fruit.
Q What is the most important ingredient in your kitchen?
A I can’t cook without salt. For French chefs, butter is very important. But other major flavor elements are soy sauce and miso.
Q What are essential tools for your cooking?
A My hands.
Q What is your luckiest moment?
A Meeting my wife.
Q What is your comfort food?
A When I go away, a bowl of steamed rice and miso soup.
Q Where do you go to eat out?
A I don’t have much time, but Pho 75 is probably where I go most often.
Q What are your favorite cuisines?
A Japanese, of course, and then Spanish and Italian.
Q Where do you get your inspirations?
A I keep my mind open to a lot of different cuisines. It helps to see different ingredients, and those ingredients inspire me.
Recipe:
Warm Mushroom and Baby Spinach Salad
Serves 4
Dressing:
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons mirin
2 tablespoons sake
1 1/2 teaspoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon fresh, grated ginger
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
Rounded 1/2 teaspoon black bean paste
Salad:
8 ounces baby spinach, washed and dried
1/2 red bell pepper
4 ounces mixed mushrooms (portobello, shitake, etc)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons pine nuts, as garnish
Procedure:
Blend dressing ingredients in small bowl with a whisk.
Place baby spinach in a large bowl. Clean and slice mushrooms and bell pepper. Saute mushroom and bell pepper with small amount of oil. then add dressing.
Heat dressing /vegetable mixture over high heat. When very hot, pour over spinach in bowl and toss all ingredients well. Divide salad among 4 plates. Garnish with pine nuts and serve immediately.
