Ask chef Atsuki Kuroda what kind of food he is serving at his new restaurant, AC House, and the response is immediate: “No genre!” But that doesn’t mean he has turned his back on all the influences he has taken on board since he first started his career.
Over the more than 13 years he has spent as a chef, Kuroda has worked in his hometown, Osaka; then across much of Italy; followed by three years in Scandinavia, mostly at Oslo’s brilliant, innovative, three-Michelin-starred Maaemo; and, most recently, as the opening chef at the buzzy, always excellent Caveman in Nihonbashi’s Kabutocho K5 development.
All have had a significant impact on Kuroda’s cooking. But he says there’s one more important addition to that list: his grandmother in Hyogo Prefecture and her home cooking.