Shota Nakajima Explained

Shota Nakajima
Birth Place:Tokyo, Japan
Education:Tsuji Culinary Arts School
Restaurants:
Prevrests:
  • Naka / Adana, Seattle (2015–2020)
  • Banzai Teriyaki, Cle Elum, WA (2022)
Television:

Shota Nakajima is a Japanese-American chef best known for competing on the eighteenth season of Top Chef in Portland, Oregon.

Early life and education

Nakajima was born in Japan, and raised in Seattle, Washington.[1] At 18, he moved to Osaka to attend the .[2] There, he apprenticed with chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto.[3] He later returned to Seattle and worked for chef Taichi Kitamura at Sushi Kappo Tamura from 2011–2012.[2]

Television appearances

Nakajima appeared on Food Network's Iron Chef Gauntlet in 2017, where he was the fourth chef eliminated.[4] [5] In 2018, he appeared on Season 16, Episode 4 of Beat Bobby Flay. Nakajima won with his signature dish, tempura.[6] [7] In 2020, Nakajima competed on , where he was one of three finalists. He was also voted Fan Favorite of the show.[8] In Season 4 of Tournament of Champions, Nakajima reached the quarterfinals before losing to eventual winner Mei Lin.[9] [10]

Chef and restaurateur

In 2014, Nakajima opened a catering business, Kappo Kitchen and later Naka, a kaiseki restaurant, in June 2015.[2] In February 2017, Naka Kaiseki rebranded as Adana.[2] In March 2020, Nakajima opened his restaurant Taku, an Osakan kushikatsu concept, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood of Seattle.[11] Adana and Taku closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, but Taku reopened in May 2021 as a karaage restaurant.[12]

In late 2021, Nakajima began bottling his own teriyaki sauce, known as Make Umami, and selling it at Taku, Uwajimaya grocery stores, and on Amazon.[13] In February 2022, Nakajima announced he was opening a teriyaki restaurant, Banzai Teriyaki, in Cle Elum, Washington.[14] On June 23, 2022 Nakajima said he was no longer part of the Cle Elum project.[15]

Awards and accolades

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Here Are All the Chefs Competing on 'Top Chef' Season 18 in Portland. 2021-06-29. Food & Wine. en. 2021-06-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20210629020031/https://www.foodandwine.com/news/top-chef/top-chef-season-18-portland-chefs-cast. live.
  2. Web site: Shota Nakajima. live. Chicago Gourmet. 2021-06-29. 2021-06-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20210629020031/https://www.chicagogourmet.org/page/ShotaNakajima#:~:text=Shota%20began%20cooking%20in%20Seattle,one%20of%20Japan's%20most%20prestigious..
  3. Web site: Róisín. Fariha. 2018-07-19. Why Shota Nakajima Turned From Fine-Dining to 'Homestyle' Japanese Cooking. 2021-06-29. Eater. en. 2021-05-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20210518043127/https://www.eater.com/2018/7/19/17574926/shota-nakajima-eater-young-guns-adana. live.
  4. Web site: Russo. Maria. The Journey to the Gauntlet: Chatting with Challenger Shota Nakajima from Iron Chef Gauntlet. live. 2021-06-29. Food Network. en. 2021-05-18. https://web.archive.org/web/20210518040033/https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/shows/2017/03/shota-nakajima-iron-chef-gauntlet-interview.
  5. Web site: Russo. Maria. One-on-One with the latest Iron Chef Gauntlet Challenger to Go Home. live. 2022-03-26. Food Network. en. 2022-05-24. https://web.archive.org/web/20220524223235/https://www.foodnetwork.com/fn-dish/shows/2017/05/iron-chef-gauntlet-episode-4-exit-interview-shota-nakajima.
  6. Web site: "Beat Bobby Flay" Sprung a Leek (TV Episode 2018) - IMDb. IMDb. 2021-09-04. 2021-09-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20210904040905/https://m.imdb.com/title/tt10460338/. live.
  7. Web site: Top Chef Finalist Shota Nakajima Dishes on the Competition - Exclusive Interview. 3 September 2021. 4 September 2021. 4 September 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210904041728/https://www.mashed.com/594214/top-chef-finalist-shota-nakajima-dishes-on-the-competition-exclusive-interview/. live.
  8. Web site: Who Won 'Top Chef' Season 18?. July 1, 2021. July 2, 2021. Gualtieri. Jacqueline. Distractify. July 9, 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210709182705/https://www.distractify.com/p/who-won-top-chef-season-18. live.
  9. News: Struble . Cristine . Tournament of Champions Season 4 episode 7 recap: Final four battles set . 19 April 2023 . foodsided.com . 20 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230420150726/https://foodsided.com/2023/04/03/tournament-champions-season-4-episode-7-recap-final-four-battles-set/ . live .
  10. Web site: Selasky . Susan . Dearborn native Mei Lin wins Food Network's 'Tournament of Champions' competition . 2023-04-10 . . en-US . 2023-04-20 . 2023-04-16 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230416063813/https://www.freep.com/story/entertainment/dining/michigan/wayne/2023/04/10/mei-lin-tournament-of-champions-food-network-dearborn/70099578007/ . live .
  11. Web site: Guarente. Gabe. 2020-03-10. Star Chef Shota Nakajima's New Restaurant Taku Brings a Taste of Osaka to Capitol Hill. 2021-06-29. Eater Seattle. en. 2021-06-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20210629020030/https://seattle.eater.com/2020/3/10/21173351/shota-nakajima-taku-opens-capitol-hill-kushikatsu-restaurant. live.
  12. Web site: Shota Nakajima Will Reopen Taku as a House of Fried Chicken. 2021-06-29. Seattle Met. en-US. 2021-06-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20210629020030/https://www.seattlemet.com/eat-and-drink/2021/04/taku-capitol-hill-opens-as-a-house-of-fried-chicken-shota-nakajima-top-chef. live.
  13. Web site: Denise. Sakaki. Chef Shota Nakajima Helps You 'Make Umami'. 15 December 2021. 425magazine.com. 26 March 2022. 25 February 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220225164454/https://www.425magazine.com/eat-drink/chef-shota-nakajima-helps-you-make-umami/article_a3d76d12-5a12-11ec-bf04-d3603129efa9.html#:~:text=Top%20Chef%20season%2018%20finalist,restaurant%20Taku%2C%20and%20on%20Amazon.. live.
  14. Web site: Stewart. Jade Yamazaki. 2022-02-08. Shota Nakajima of 'Top Chef' Is Opening His First Teriyaki Restaurant. 2022-03-26. Eater Seattle. en. 2022-03-05. https://web.archive.org/web/20220305093409/https://seattle.eater.com/2022/2/8/22924163/shota-nakajima-is-opening-a-teriyaki-restaurant-in-che-elum-taku-banzai-teriyaki. live.
  15. Web site: Stewart . Jade Yamazaki . 2022-06-27 . Shota Nakajima Is Pulling Out of His Restaurant Project in Cle Elum . 2023-10-18 . Eater Seattle . en.
  16. Web site: Profile: Chef Shota Nakajima. Jamesbeard.org. 2022-03-26. 2021-12-07. https://web.archive.org/web/20211207040246/https://www.jamesbeard.org/chef/shota-nakajima. live.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Shota Nakajima".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.