Who is Masa Ishibashi? He is a Michelin Star Master Chef. Born and raised in Japan to a father that was a chef, it was only natural that Masa would develop an interest in food at the early age of ten. At eighteen, he moved to San Diego to further his education only to return to Japan to pursue his chosen profession and the well-earned recognition of a ‘Michelin Star Master Chef’. To do his title justice, here’s the history behind his journey. 

In the early 1900’s Michelin Corporation in Paris created the Michelin Star Guide (and yes, this is the same Michelin that manufactures automotive tires).  As with all great creations that changed the course of history, the Michelin Guide didn’t start out as the iconic dining guide as known today. The Michelin Guide’s roots started in Clermont-Ferrand (a small French town) in 1889, when brothers Andre and Edouard Michelin founded their world-famous tire company and wanted car owners to travel offering a guide with travel tips. 

In the 1920s, the Michelin Guide included a list of hotels and restaurants in Paris. Acknowledging the growing influence of the guide’s restaurant section, the Michelin brothers recruited a team of mystery diners—or restaurant media food reviewers, as we better know them today—to visit and review restaurants anonymously. In 1926, the guide began to award stars to fine dining establishments and in 1936, the criteria for the starred rankings were publish. Eventually the distinguished Michelin Star Award expanded to Asia, USA and relatively new to Canada in 2022.

For a Chef to be recognized with this award, is to gain immense prestige, exposure and honour based on: master of technique, quality of the ingredients, harmony of flavours and personality expressed through their cuisine. Chef Masa, holds the honour of this award in Thailand, Jakarta, Malaysia, Tokyo and Singapore “I share the culture and the history with other countries”.

Michelin Star Master Chef Masa Ishibashi has launched a new experience here in the city of Richmond. In a filmed interview with the Richmond Sentinel, Chef Masa took us on a journey into his culture’s history of food preparation starting with Richmond’s restaurant ‘Masa Ishibashi’ and the meaning of Edomae cuisine and Omakase style. 

The art of Edomae cuisine dates back to the 1600’s during Japan’s Edo period. The area around the Imperial Edo Castle built for the royal family is called Edomae and seafood from Edo Bay (now called Tokyo Bay) are the ingredients for recipes created and called Edomae cuisine. Japanese Master Chefs who carry on the tradition of Edomae cuisine adhere to the highest standards and using only fresh ingredients which are airlifted from Japan’s fish markets. Omakase on the other hand, means the customer does not select from a menu, the Chef selects the menu based on availability and freshness of ingredients and the client and the Chef interact during the preparation experience.

As we enter the Masa Ishibashi restaurant, we’re impressed by the warmth of the architecture designed by a famous architect from Tokyo. He incorporated priceless wood into the design throughout the restaurant, also a product imported from Japan called Hinoki. In the private dining rooms customers sit in front of the Chef at countertops also made from Hinoki wood and because of this valuable wood, Chef may ask customers to remove wrist jewelry to protect the integrity of the wood. 

Today, the Chef Masato is demonstrating the art of making sushi from all fresh ingredients flown in from Japan. Chef’s choice is Bluefin Tuna and a Golden Eye Snapper. He cuts the large (roast-size) tuna into three slabs, explaining the lean portion is red in colour while the medium and fatty portion is pink in colour. He demonstrates the art of cutting very thin slices from all three slabs of tuna and then from the snapper and carefully placing each slice on a board. Master Chef Masa explains it can take five to ten years to master this procedure.

The next step, Chef took raw wasabi and rubbed it in a circular motion on a shark skin grinding plate until it’s a soft paste. The third step is setting up two bowls of rice (one white rice for white fish and red rice for red fish). The final step is Chef demonstrates the art of placing a thinly slice of tuna in the palm of his hand, adding a touch of Wasabi and a small ball of rice and with his fingers Chef skillfully creates the finished product. Throughout the entire process Chef ensures food temperature is maintained not in a refrigerator but in an icebox. He explained the icebox ensures the seafood remains moist.

Following the sushi demonstration, we sat down with Master Chef Masa in the cozy lounge with a fully stocked bar of sake, whiskey, champagne and wine from Japan. When asked if customers were welcome to drop in for a cocktail, because the restaurant is connected to a hotel, Chef Masa assured us they would be welcome to do so. In summarizing today’s demonstration, Chef Masa explained that he likes to use a little influence of western culture by introducing appetizers to his Canadian customers while also introducing them to his many Japanese-styled recipes. He is not complacent in his menu vision; he likes to create new items based on available fresh ingredients. 

Masa Ishibashi restaurant comes with a wonderful story backed by centuries of history. One can’t help but get drawn into the passion and the stories aligned with a culture when we live in a multi-culture community. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, please go to richmondsentinel.ca/videos and watch this interview in full, then you will understand why I used the word “passion”. 

Contact Masa Ishibashi restaurant masaishibashi.ca or call 604-821-3366.