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| Kochi Chiba, Silk Executive Chef by Christine Woodhouse Silk’s executive chef, Kochi Chiba, brings true Japanese authenticity to the burgeoning sushi/steak/lobster bar in midtown Atlanta. Born in Japan, with three brothers and two hard working parents, Chiba became the family cook at age 10. He started out simply by preparing breakfast, soon graduating from scrambled eggs to sunny side up. He taught himself from there and found that working in the kitchen was a genuine labor of love. Chiba definitely knew his calling at a young age and no amount of parental protest could convince him to pursue a more mainstream, office career. “My family didn’t want me to be a chef because the hours are long and the work hard,” says Chiba. Chiba continued to learn by watching, choosing not to attend Japan’s cooking schools, which he deemed too expensive and inferior to hands-on training. He found apprenticeships at hotel kitchens instead. After two years he had the skills and knowledge to take Japan’s written exams and earn a requisite food-handling license. The tests cover health issues, such as how to clean fish, knives, cutting boards, etc. and everyone working in Japan’s food industry must pass them. Chiba trained with master chef Eizou Kono, a student of iron chef Rokusaburo Michiba, absorbing everything he could from the experienced Japanese chef. After five years he moved on to become sous chef at Kamogawa Japanese Restaurant. When Kamogawa expanded to the United States and opened a sister restaurant at the former Nikko Hotel in Atlanta, Chiba accepted their offer to lead the new venture as executive chef. After honing his skills under Japanese masters, he thrived in the leadership role. He earned accolades for his talent in preparing kaiseki, Asian-style tapas, when USA Today named him one of the three best kaiseki master chefs in the United States in 1997. Chiba now brings that skill to Silk where he reigns as executive chef. He still resists structure, preferring to “create” rather than follow a strict recipe. His talent for tapas is vividly evident on a menu that includes 16 appetizers, at last count. In addition to a long list of entrees, he has created four custom spice rubs for the restaurant’s steak choices (filet, New York strip, ribeye or kobe). Chiba has a purist’s approach to sushi and exhibits disdain for inauthentic rolls such as the California. His creations such as the golden roll (smoked salmon, mango, tempura flakes and gold?) and the out-of-control roll (spicy tuna, avocado and eel) prove that Chiba’s approach is indeed superior. His creativity combined with a deference to Japanese tradition is a blessing for all who dine at Silk. Silk is located at 919 Peachtree Street, Atlanta, GA 30309. For reservations, call (678) 705-8888. Visit them online at www.silkrestaurant.com. Lunch: 11:30am – 3pm, M-F Dinner: 5pm – 11pm, M-F; Sat. midnight, Sun 11pm Validated parking in Metropolis garage. |
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