Decision to become a chef at a young age
-Why did you decided to become a chef?
It was when I was in the first year in junior high school that I decided to pursue a career as a chef. My grandfather owned a building for restaurants and told me to open a restaurant in the future. This motivated me into making this decision. I could think of nothing but cooking, so I studied it for a year at a college after graduating from high school and then started to work in a small French restaurant.
-What made you choose French cuisine?
I was always interested in French cuisine. Interest toward creating something new like art attracted me to French cuisines that create art on a plate. This is why I decided to get into it.
From Japan to Sydney, and Melbourne
-What were your impressions of Sydney and Melbourne? What do you think the difference between them is?
With a lot of large-sized restaurants Sydney gives a strong impression that it offers a place for everyone to have fun together. For example, people enjoy a meal dancing or playing pool. When it comes to Chinese food, yam cha is quite popular and they have started to get this new idea of eating yam cha for lunch. Melbourne, on the other hand, has a high demand for small and fashionable places where people can relax. You see a lot of shops where people enjoy drinking on a sofa, which I think is unique to Melbourne. As for food, most importantly, I think that quality is very good. This means that the quality of the customers in Melbourne is also good. Therefore it is very important for us to satisfy our customers.
-What made you start working in DDG?
Chef Inukai under whom I had worked in Galileo introduced me to the owner of DDG and I deeply admire his genuine passion for his restaurant, capability as an owner and attitude toward his employees. That is why I have decided to work in DDG. I also wanted to utilize my previous experience in a new environment.
The style to achieve
-What is your goal in DDG?
My immediate goal is to win hats in Good Food Guide. I believe that reputation which is simple enough for people to understand is essential in order to become a successful restaurant in Melbourne and in a larger area in the future. My personal goal is to establish a unique style and serve dishes through the idea which only Japanese, more specifically only me, can come up with.
Important thing as a chef and as a human
I believe that staff is the most important asset of a restaurant. I could even say that an environment where each staff member values and respects strong points of each other affects management of a restaurant. As long as you have an atmosphere of mutual respect, you can overcome any difficulties. That’s why I’m working hard to promote teamwork.
-Lastly, what is “cooking” for you?
Cooking is what I want to keep doing. I enjoy being in the kitchen and working for the restaurant with all the staff members, so I have no intention of retiring from the kitchen.
Ocean Trout Confit
Wasabi, snow pea, wild sorrel, orange caper berry
Black Angus Beef Tenderloin
Miso hollandaise, buck wheat, red onion jam
Saffron Pasta
Oriental bisque, cuttlefish, julienne salad
-Finally, would you give a message to our users?
Please look forward to seeing how DUCK DUCK GOOSE will grow and what kind of style it will develop.
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Editor’s note
What impressed me the most was Mr. Kitahara’s commitment to the staff members and customers. I would definitely want to go to a restaurant which has a chef like him on special occasions. DUCK DUCK GOOSE is casual and reasonable as a yum cha restaurant, while it can be used for special occasions as a French restaurant. This made me want to experience authentic food before I would use it as a French restaurant for the next special occasion.
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DUCK DUCK GOOSE
http://www.au-ddg.com
住所：QV, 31-37 Artemis Lane, Melbourne VIC 3000
TEL: 03 9040 2000 / FAX: 03 9040 2001
予約Tel: 03 9005 0888
E-mail: booking@au-ddg.com
