Eri Takeno (Tsuji): Choosing the Path of a Private Chef

2022/11/17

I spent my happiest moments thinking about food, drinks, and everything related to dining. I would fly anywhere in the country if there was a restaurant that piqued my interest. I traveled abroad to visit wine producers. I ventured deep into the mountains in search of wild game and mountain vegetables, and toured ports looking for fish. Before I knew it, this had transformed from a mere hobby into a profession I could take pride in.

After graduating from university, I worked for a general company for several years, but I eventually began to wonder if I could truly say I found my work rewarding and felt confident in it. Thanks to the spirit of independence and self-respect cultivated at Keio University, I had no fear of leaving a large corporate organization to strike out on my own. I dove into the world of cooking to pursue what I truly loved and began studying in earnest.

Usually, when people ask about my profession and I reply, "I'm a private chef," most of them look puzzled. This is likely because the term "private chef" has not yet become common and remains unfamiliar to most people. While non-storefront dining businesses spread rapidly during the recent COVID-19 pandemic due to successive restaurant closures and shortened operating hours, when I started this job about ten years ago, awareness was far lower than it is today. While people equated "chef" with "a cook in a restaurant"—and there are over 80,000 restaurants in Tokyo alone—the dispatch of chefs was limited to services from certain high-end sushi restaurants costing hundreds of thousands of yen per person, or large-scale catering services for corporations. I felt that having pizza delivery for every home party was a bit dull. Thinking it would be great to have a chef anyone could easily invite, I started working as a specialized private chef.

To begin with, private chef services allow you to enjoy authentic professional cuisine at your own pace in your home or a designated location. Even with small children or elderly family members who find it difficult to go out, you can enjoy a multi-course meal without worrying about those around you. With course prices set more reasonably than typical restaurants, I accept bookings ranging from a minimum of two people to parties of hundreds. My policy of wanting many people to enjoy themselves even with low profit margins, while enjoying the work myself, seems to have been welcomed by many customers. Though it may be a cliché, what I find most rewarding about my current job is when customers are satisfied and happy. While being grateful that I can turn my greatest hobby into a career, I want to continue cherishing that sense of fulfillment.