The Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Japan will be holding a series of Japanese cooking seminars in HCMC on May 4-5.

Chef Kimio Nonaga.

Vietnam is the first destination in a program Japan is carrying out to promote its foodstuffs. Japan’s next destination is Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on May 18-19.

Chef Kimio Nonaga, who belongs to the third generation of famous Japanese restaurant Nihonbashi Yukari, will introduce basic knowledge of Japanese cuisine and the Japanese tradition of hospitality (in Japanese: omotenashi).

There will be cooking demonstrations featuring some of the Japanese foodstuffs, including yellowtail, scallops and wagyu (Kobe beef).

Local audiences can get hands-on experience in making and tasting Japanese food.

Chef Nonaga, 44, studied at Hattori Nutrition College, and got training at Japanese restaurant Roan Kikunoi under grand chef Yoshihiro Murata.

In 2002, Nonaga won “Iron Chef Japan – Cup ‘02” TV show.

In 2003, he was chosen as one of the top five young chefs in Japan by The New York Times.

In 2008, he gave Japanese food lectures and demonstrations in Chicago, Detroit and Boston and later joined an event in California in 2009 to promote Japanese agriculture, forestry and fishery products at the Culinary Institute of America.

Guests are advised to register via email info@greencreate.jp by on April 28. The event will take place at Netspace Cooking School at 30 Nguyen Huy Tu Street in HCMC’s District 1. For more information, contact 08 6291 2698.