On one sunny day in July 2024, a day very much like summer in Japan, we sat down at Acta Brasserie Senayan with Chef Rui Yamagishi and his okaasan who was visiting him in Jakarta. It was our first time meeting Rika-san, a lovely lady who, in her 60s, looks actually half her age. In a clear, soothing voice, she shared personal stories about Chef Rui Yamagishi with us that we hadn't heard of. Some are deeper than what we see of him on the surface.
Growing up on the island of Bali, little Rui Yamagishi was never out of touch with his roots.
[Rika-san]
"As a kid, Rui was always the clown of the group. His friends loved having him around. They regarded him a little bit weird. I can imagine, because he used to make up words and play pretend as if he had superpowers or something. (laugh) But Rui was kawaii, very kind, very playful. Rui got along pretty well at school. That's where he learned his Balinese and got the accent. But I also wanted Rui to be able to speak in his mother's language, so I enrolled him in a Japanese community school where he met with the other halfies (Japanese-Balinese born). I believe it was also where Rui met with Banny (currently BIKO Operational Manager), isn't it, Rui?" Rika-san gently glanced at him.
"Each year when I came back to Japan, Rui came along. The visit usually took quite a while, so in a way, Rui was raised as a Japanese. When it comes to food, Rui eats mostly anything. See, back at our home in Bali, I cook everyday. Nothing much, just the usual Japanese-style meal. Proteins like niku (meat) or sakana (fish) and veggies, sometimes soup. I also loved to bake. When I did, Rui would accompany me in the kitchen, filling doughs to his little mouth. It was one of my favorite memories of us."
Rui's first encounter in the kitchen was actually baking.
[Rui]
"I love my mom's cheesecake. Oh, I can even taste it right now in my mind. I loved it very much that when I was in high school, I asked Mom for that cheesecake recipe and started baking it for my friend's birthday. They loved it too, and one asked me to sell it in his mom's store. And I did. Mom was very impressed, though she said I could still do better." (laugh)
"I was big for sport and wanted to be a professional athlete back in the day. But when I graduated high school, I knew where I should be headed. After consulting with Mom, I decided to take a hospitality major. Back then, I was just avoiding maths and physics. Oof, I hated those subjects. (chuckle) It took me years to realize that I was just subconsciously influenced by her. Seeing my mom in the kitchen over the years definitely shaped me the way I am today."
Elevated version of Japanese-style meal, made the French way.
[Rui]
"Whenever I came home during uni break, I always stopped by Radja's, a good friend of mine who owns a restaurant in Bali (Rayjin). He would eagerly ask me to create a special menu, hyping the place with some limited and exclusive dishes. It became my time of trial as I applied what I've learned right in the actual kitchen that serves people. I was always looking forward to it. Later when I graduated, he asked me to open a new restaurant together. I said yes after many considerations, and therefore, Musubi was born."
[Rika-san]
"During those times, I would also host a dinner at home with some friends and ask Rui to cook. I helped him prepare stuff, chopping this, cleaning that. I noticed that Rui left no marks in the kitchen. He was neat. By the time he finished cooking, all the dirty plates and tools were also cleaned. Just like me, I can't operate in a messy surrounding. (laugh) Rui would make a full-course dinner, from appetizer to dessert. Very ambitious. (chuckle) But all my friends loved it! They would praise Rui and salute him. I remember that it made me feel very proud."
The Chef that Rui Yamagishi is today.
[Rui]
"To be honest, there's no particular food my mom makes that inspires me. It's more her way of creating it that does. How she picks the best ingredients and cleanses them carefully before turning them into something that's not only fulfilling but nutritious and good for the body. It eventually became my DNA too. My job is to explore further and add my own style. That's a part of being a good chef. I'd like to call my cookings, especially those I make for Fūjin Izakaya, an homage to my Japanese culture, my Japanese mother and my Indonesian tongue."
[Rika-san]
"Very good. Rui's cookings are very good. Japanese dishes tend to be more bland. Rui definitely makes it better to cater to Indonesian's palate because he is a mixture of both cultures. He sometimes even uses some ingredients that are rarely used in Japanese cuisines and I am in awe that they can go so well within his care. To me, this approach makes his cooking feel fresh, unique and authentic at the same time. You should try them. And I say this not because I am his okaasan, but because he is an excellent chef."
