Today, we had the extraordinary opportunity to sit down with Chef Takashi Yagihashi, who was the chef and creator of the food vision behind Tribute, a restaurant that was owned by the Wisne family. Victor Saroki designed the culinary mecca that opened with maitre’d Mickey Bakst and Chef Takashi at the helm. In his 8 years as the chef of Tribute, Chef Takashi would not only be awarded the James Beard Award but set a whole new standard of excellence from his blending of refined Japanese cooking along with the classic driving force of the Great Chefs of France kitchen.

Takashi's personal story of his early years in Japan and how he rose to culinary stardom are as fascinating as his style of cooking. We are so honored to have Chef Takashi featured in our film and greatly appreciate that he traveled from his home in Chicago to do this interview. A very big thank you to the Schoolcraft College Culinary Department and Chef Chris Misiak, program coordinator for culinary arts, who allowed us to film there and ensured Chef Takashi had all the ingredients he needed.