- High school graduation, the world of food

After graduating from high school, Aoyama began working at a restaurant, where he met some people who recommended he try working at a small Japanese restaurant. It was there that he was introduced to the concept of an "Owner Chef".
In his 30's, as he was considering becoming independent, he found himself at a crossroads.

- The path to becoming a food producer

Aoyama began working for a company that managed a karaoke chain. He made the menu, obtained cooking materials, trained the staff, and did everything else that involved food at the chain.
"I designed dishes that would be low cost with little material loss. To provide the same food no matter who prepared the dish, I made hand-drawn manuals that included everything from preparation to presentation."

Even today, he continues to create simple hand drawn recipe books.

As he continued his work this way, other restaurant owners began to ask him to produce at their restaurants. At a young age of 33, Aoyama became an independent food producer that "understood management".

- A love for cooking, a passion for restaurants

 The first thing Aoyama did after leaving his post was to open a kitchen he calls his "studio".
Once he had his own space, Aoyama began to receive many production jobs from restaurants. With his expertise as a chef, his endless knowledge of different ingredients, and sense of management, Aoyama gained the trust of many restaurants.

- "Homemade" food is essential

Aoyama also holds cooking classes at his studio.
He decided to try and bring back family cooking as he feared its importance is often being overlooked.
"In my cooking classes, I teach people how to appreciate the natural flavor of things. I have students make the flavoring for soup and learn how to make things from scratch."

Aoyama emphasizes the importance of homemade cooking.

- The challenge that is food


Aoyama's blog. On top of his current news, he includes many recipes as well.

Recently, he cooked tea ceremony dishes that were featured in Sapporo local Eiji Shimada's short film, released in January 08, titled"Omotenashi".
I asked Aoyama about his future plans.
"I'd like to develop new products with producers within Hokkaido. This prefecture still has a lot to learn about manufactured foods. Especially to consider conserving food, I'd like to make appealing manufactured food."
His cheery and loving attitude towards cooking has earned him a place among TV and radio shows as well. Aoyama is certainly leaving his mark. We can hope to see more opportunities for management-conscious chefs like Aoyama in the future.


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Kitchen Support AO WEB SITE
http://supportao.exblog.jp/

Written by Sato Eiichi
Translated by David Neptune