An American Chef Immersed in Nagano's Culinary Tradition

Our guest is Christopher Horton who is the executive chef at Sanrokunana (367) in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. After graduating from the New England Culinary Institute, Chris worked at notable establishments, including Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Washington, D.C., Andaz Hotel Tokyo, and INUA in Tokyo, which was one of Asia’s 50 Best restaurants. Nagano is known for its beautiful mountains and hot springs, and very importantly, great local produce. Chris naturally combines his western culinary skills and experience with the celebrated local food culture at his unique restaurant. In this episode, we will discuss how he got an opportunity to cook in Japan, his idea of Japanese cuisine and how he expresses it, what he has discovered in Nagano’s unique food culture, his close relationship with local farmers, and much, much more!!!