Kimura Wins Michelin Star, Fulfills Promise to Late Husband
In the heart of Paris, Chizuko Kimura is a first woman sushi chef to be honored with a Michelin star, a promise kept to her late husband, thereby changing tradition.
New Delhi: Chizuko Kimura will be registered in culinary history as the first female sushi chef in the world to have been awarded a Michelin star. At 54 years of age, the Japanese chef achieved this rare feather in her cap through Sushi Shunei, the Parisian restaurant she ran along with her late husband, Shunei Kimura.
This was not only for the sake of her victory; it was also a day to claim the promise she had made him on his deathbed: to honor his legacy by regaining the Michelin star that had been rightfully awarded to him three years before.
Shunei Kimura, regarded as one of the best sushi chefs in France following decades of training, was 65 when he opened Sushi Shunei in Montmartre, Paris-one of his long-cherished dreams. Tragically, only three months after the restaurant was awarded a Michelin star in 2022, he succumbed to cancer-the star was withdrawn a year later.
However, Kimura was never going to let this dream slip away. But he was proud that his restaurant was acknowledged. So, this star became very important to me.”
Born and raised in Japan, Chizuko Kimura worked as a tour guide until the COVID-19 pandemic snuffed her last means of income: by then, her husband was already sick, being treated, and she had come to assist him in the restaurant. Hence the culinary journey. Under Shunei, she learned about preparing rice, slicing fish to perfection, and managing a tiny nine-seat restaurant.
“Day after day I got better, and I still practice on my days off,” said Kimura. She often returns to Japan for training on her relentless search to master her art.
Post her husband’s death; she took full control of the restaurant. She had, admittedly, wanted the setting to be a bit upmarket and so sought out Takeshi Morooka, the Ninja Sushi Master. She revamped the menu by including tsunamis-small appetizers exquisitely prepared just to drink with sake-and revised the rice recipe. She renewed the kitchen to fit the fast-evolving standards she intended to introduce.
It was an intensely symbolic instance for Kimura and her crew, when three years of hard work saw Michelin star glory for Sushi Shunei. Kimura stated, “The first objective is to keep that star,” and added, “In order to do so, we must work even harder to improve service and ensure that everything delivered is of impeccable quality.”
Chef describes the culinary creations in the Michelin Guide as a “sensorial journey guaranteed owing to the dexterity with which the nigiri is created, the use and working of the best fish and mild degree of spice.”
An average master sushi chef works in Japan for nearly 10 years. Only a smashing five years of devotion and talent have landed Kimura at the top.
“I’d be happy if this recognition was able to uplift and motivate other women,” said Kimura known for many barriers crossed in a male-dominated profession.
Kimura’s ordeal isn’t just one of perseverance; it’s also a love note to her husband and that vision they created together. But she’s not done yet. “My goal now is to surpass all that my husband accomplished,” she said, “in honor of his worth and memory.”
In tribute to Shunei Kimura, Chizuko Kimura is carving a legacy of her own, particularly aimed at a new generation of chefs-women-so they always know excellence has no gender.
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