楠本 勝三

1975年生まれ、岡山県出身。調理師専門学校卒業後、都内ホテル、レストランでフランス料理修行経験を積むが、繊細な味わいに魅かれ和食に転向。いくつかの和食の店でさらに研磨を積み、フレンチの要素を取り入れた独自のスタイルを確立、2010年から都内の会員制和食店に料理長として迎えられ9年間都内会員制レストラン店主歴任。2019年2月に株式会社Funfair入社、ヴィーガンレストラン「菜道（さいどう）」、マレーシア「Samurai Ramen Umami Premium」のメニュー監修を担当。菜道を開店してからは、世界中から訪れるインバウンド客が途絶えず、世界中のヴィーガン、ベジタリアンに最も利用されているレストラン情報サイト「HappyCow（ハッピーカウ）」で世界1位を獲得した。2022年4月発表の「VEGAN AWARDS 2022」ではカフェ・レストラン賞を受賞。2022年5月開催のグルメフェス「Tokyo Tokyo Delicious Museum」では、出店シェフを代表して小池百合子東京都知事とともにオープニングセレモニーに出席。2023年1月には、外務省が設置した対外発信拠点「ジャパン・ハウス ロサンゼルス」にてポップアップレストランを展開。ヴィーガンをはじめ、宗教、食物アレルギーなど、フードダイバーシティ対応の実現に向けて国内外で活動を行っている。2023年2月より「東京観光大使」を拝命。

Biography – Katsumi Kusumoto

Executive Chef at Saido Restaurant, Mr. Katsumi Kusumoto was born in Okayama Prefecture. After graduating from Culinary Institute in Osaka at age 19, Katsumi worked at high quality french cuisine restaurants and hotels in Tokyo, where he developed and refined his culinary techniques. After spending many years practising french cuisine, he got interested in the delicate taste of Japanese cuisine and changed his career to Japanese cuisine chef.  For 9 years, he was appointed as Executive Chef at Kusumoto, a members-only restaurant, located in the heart of fine dining of Tokyo city.

In February 2019, Chef Katsumi joined Funfair Inc., operated Saido restaurant as the Executive Chef and continues to delight guests with his refined, contemporary vegan style Japanese cuisine. He has also produced menu of ‘Samurai Ramen UMAMI Premium’, a Japanese vegan style restaurant at Johor Bahru in Malaysia. Chef Katsumi’s cooking style is simple but innovative. He explores modern variations of Japanese cuisine with a french cuisine influence. He prefers fresh seasonal ingredients, using fresh herbs, vegetables and quality infused oils. He believes the most flavorful cuisine is made simply with the best, highest quality products and he considers it part of his job to inspire and educate guests about the Japanese cuisine philosophy.

He has been featured on many media channels and TV networks in Japan such as Yahoo!JAPAN News, Gendai Business and ANN. Chef Katsumi has also appeared as a Halal cuisine advisor of Tokyo, as well as an ambassador for ethical eating community in Japan.

In November of 2019 Chef Katsumi and his team were honored with the first place on HappyCow’s Best Vegan Restaurants Worldwide which is the most famous Vegan/Vegetarian media channel in the world.

At the “Tokyo Tokyo Delicious Museum” gourmet festival held in May 2002, he attended the opening ceremony with Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike on behalf of the chefs who opened restaurants.

In January 2023, a pop-up restaurant will be opened at “Japan House Los Angeles,” a center for foreign communications established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

He has been working in Japan and abroad to realize food diversity support, including vegan, religious, and food allergy support.

In February 2023, he was appointed as “Tokyo Metropolitan Tourism Ambassador”.