Chef Profile

Chef Profile

Ristorante Al Porto
Owner Chef Mamoru Kataoka
Date of birth: September 15, 1948

Kataoka Mamoru was born in Meguro Ward, Tokyo, shortly after the war, as the youngest of four siblings
His father died shortly after he was born, and his mother raised him alone, running their home as a boarding house. However, rather than the lonely home that is common in single-parent households, he grew up in a lively household surrounded by the love of many people living with him, including students and workers, and he recalls that he grew up to be a healthy and friendly boy

I first encountered Italian cuisine when I was in junior high school
The first time he was treated to a feast, it was a homemade carbonara dish made by the wife of a diplomat who was an acquaintance of his mother. The taste of this dish remains in Kataoka's memory and became his future calling

He eventually retakes the exam to enter an art university to become an industrial designer, but fails
Although he attended art school, he did not aim to study painting or design, but rather chose to study with his future career in mind, which is reminiscent of the way he lived his life thereafter
Coincidentally, a diplomat who had treated him to carbonara tried to encourage him by saying, "If you can't do it, become a cook and come with me." These words came true, and paved the way for him to accompany the Japanese Consul General to Milan as a chef

Chef Kataoka was both an adventurer and a hard worker
For three months prior to his trip to Milan, he washed pots and trained in chopping at Tsukiji Tamura. On the set of Epi Recipe, the staff occasionally showed us how to delicately peel burdock and carrots and use a Japanese knife, revealing the origins of his craft
Chef Kataoka, who was assigned to serve the Italian Consul General, spent busy days cooking Italian food during the day and Japanese food at night, but once a week he traveled to local markets to learn Italian cooking and visited many kitchens
At that time, he came across a restaurant called "Dalino" that would change his life

"Dalino was a restaurant that served over a dozen small dishes, just like Japanese cuisine. Italian food is usually served on large plates, so this was a shock."
Anyone who has ever visited his shop will know this
This is the origin of Chef Kataoka's service style, where you can enjoy a variety of dishes in small portions
There was also another restaurant in Milan that defined Chef Kataoka's style
The name of the restaurant was "Al Porto," and it was a seafood specialty restaurant run by the owner, Mr. Domenico
The restaurant was lined with freshly caught fish, and customers could choose what they wanted to eat and have it cooked in a variety of ways
You could also order whatever you wanted from the wide selection of appetizers
At just 23 years old, Chef Kataoka liked the style, flavors, and service of the restaurant and visited it many times. When he opened "Al Porto" in 1983, he visited Domenico and received permission to use the same name

Al Porto means "at the port" in Italian
The word "port" (minato) means the beginning (departure) and end (return) of something. It also represents the departure and destination of life. Chef Kataoka was deeply touched by this word and the hospitality of the restaurant

Five years after his bold move to Italy at the age of 20, Chef Kataoka has begun his training again in Japan
A diplomat who had been kind to him told him to "train at the most rigorous restaurant in Japan." The restaurant he chose was Ogawaken. In fact, even here he was enlightened. At that time, Ogawaken was already serving food on small plates
Chef Kataoka absorbed a variety of cuisines in Italy without any preconceptions, and while he was highly regarded at Ogawaken, he trained there for two years, and then spent another year in Italy

At the age of 28, he opened Marie, his first restaurant, with Yoshiyoshi Igarashi, whom he met while training in Italy, and which would go on to become an explosively popular restaurant
Marie was fully booked every day for six years after it first opened. It offers over a dozen dishes, from hors d'oeuvres to desserts. Its "Kaiseki-style small-plate dishes" were inspired by the small-plate dishes he encountered at Dalino in Milan, and were the Italian cuisine he created. This sparked the Italian food boom in Japan, and Chef Kataoka became a celebrity. However, his contract with the owner, Mr. Igarashi, lasted only six years
Mr. Igarashi does not want to lose the chef of his popular restaurant, and Chef Kataoka is now 34 years old
At the time, he had told the chef he wanted to go independent

At the age of 20, he moved to Italy and spent 14 years there
Chef Kataoka has dropped anchor in his own "port" - "Al Porto."

The sea is not always calm. There are sunny days and storms
This year marks 33 years since Tokyo Disneyland opened in Japan in 1983. During the lost decade following the bubble economy from 1986 to 1991, the Lehman Shock, and the earthquakes that hit many parts of the country, not only Al Porto but also restaurants and the "enjoying food" movement in general were not doing well, but Chef Kataoka continued to quietly serve food at Al Porto

Chef Kataoka appears on various television programs. Chef Kataoka delivers "food education" to children across the country. Chef aboard luxury cruise ships. Chef showing off his skills at the Milan Expo. And chef nurturing the chefs of the future. Sometimes I wonder when Kataoka Mamoru ever takes a break
However, Chef Kataoka remains the same at his restaurant
He and his wife greet customers with that same smile, and when customers ask to take photos with them, they respond with a smile and treat them to Kataoka-style Italian cuisine

This chef was awarded the Contemporary Master Craftsman (an award given to outstanding craftsmen by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare) in 2015. At the awards ceremony, a friend of his who was one of the initiators of the awards said something very memorable
"I think what's amazing about Kataoka is that no matter how popular his restaurant becomes, or how successful it is, he never opens a second restaurant. Al Porto. Even if he splits the sign, there is only one restaurant owned by Kataoka Mamoru. There are very few famous chefs like him in Japan."

He was awarded the Yellow Ribbon Medal in the spring of 2021. The Yellow Ribbon Medal is awarded to those who have devoted themselves to their field, and he received the award for his many years of contribution to the development and popularization of Italian cuisine

Kataoka Mamoru's shop, Al Porto in Nishi-Azabu
Why not visit it once?

Article: Ryuzoji Karasu