Chef Noriyuki Sugie
George Sanchez
Chef N
At 15, Noriyuki Sugie had every intention of becoming a guitar hero. But his rock ‘n’ roll aspirations were interrupted when he got a job at an American-style restaurant in Tokyo; he discovered similarities in music and food—the need for harmony, orchestration, and a good show. It wasn’t long before he set down the guitar in favor of the knife.
Chef Starter
After graduating high school, Sugie enrolled at the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka, and then continued his studies at the Tsuji School of Advanced Culinary Studies in Château de L’Éclair, France. Over a five-year period, Sugie worked at three Michelin-starred restaurants in Bordeaux, including the three-starred L’Aubergade, the one-starred Le Moulin de Martorey, and the two-starred Hostellerie du Vieux.