Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Yuichiro Matthew Kazama. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Yuichiro Matthew , we’re so excited for our community to get to know you and learn from your journey and the wisdom you’ve acquired over time. Let’s kick things off with a discussion on self-confidence and self-esteem. How did you develop yours?
Still working on it. I grew up in Japan from 2-18 years old. For some reason I couldn’t develop any confidence to my self despite been a pretty good athlete. I came to the US with nothing. I didn’t speak any English. Feeling like an outsider was not great for my self-esteem. Rather than compare myself to others, I found that I was able to build confidence and self-esteem by setting small, attainable goals for myself. For example, I made myself devote 30 minutes out of each 24 hours to practice drumming. Over time, I became confident enough to play in front of an audience, which led to amazing opportunities to travel the world playing music. The confidence to open my own ramen shop came through many small steps as well. From making bowls for friends, to offering it one night a week in the sushi restaurant where I worked, to opening my own place. It was through these years of trial and error that I reached the point that I felt ready to strike out on my own.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
As a chef the most exciting thing for me is pretty simple. People liking my food.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Working really hard, not being afraid to fail, and never giving up.
I would tell people that not everything is going to be smooth, so try to prepare for the bumps so you don’t panic in the moment.
Who has been most helpful in helping you overcome challenges or build and develop the essential skills, qualities or knowledge you needed to be successful?
I actually had a single conversation with someone that was so impactful it clarified the vision for my restaurant going forward. That person was Mr. Nakamura.
In 2017, I’d been open for about 2 years and was struggling to decide whether to follow my own taste or to alter my recipes to cater to a certain type of customer.. I was getting lots of conflicting advice and just didn’t know what to do. I had the opportunity to meet Mr. Nakamura at his ramen restaurant, Nakamura, in New York and asked his advice. He told me, “You put your name on your restaurant (just as he’d done). You have to have confidence in your taste.” To hear this advice from someone I respected so much cleared my head. I realized I’d never be able to please everyone and I was able to move forward confidently with my own taste and recipes.
Contact Info:
- Website: Ramenkazama.com tokidokiburger.com
- Instagram: @ramenkazama @tokidoki.burger
- Youtube: Kazama’s living room
