For Takashi Miyazaki, the road to a Michelin star was a long one. For years he toiled to bring the best of Japanese food to Ireland. And then, this year, it happened: He was awarded his first star.
Originally from Fukuoka, chef Miyazaki, 43, has been cooking for more than two decades. In 2008, he arrived in Ireland, just as the economy went south. After a few misadventures, he and his wife Stephanie settled in Cork, the Irish Republic's second-largest city and, in 2015, he opened Miyazaki, a restaurant/takeaway shop where he sells bento, udon noodles, rice bowls, curry and other favorites from the Japanese canon.
At first the shop took a little explaining — "No, we don't serve chips" — but Miyazaki quickly won over the city with his mission to serve up the real flavors of Japan. The success of his eponymous restaurant deepened his desire to open his first kaiseki (traditional Japanese multicourse) restaurant.