Today we’d like to introduce you to Tadashi Nagura.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I came to the United States from Japan to pursue a pre-med degree with a goal of going to chiropractic school. I got a job in a Japanese restaurant doing prep, which was how I first started working in Japanese restaurants. I moved from prep, to kitchen line cook, to lead line cook to working at the sushi bar. For several years, I continued to refine my sushi skills and move up into executive chef positions at several Japanese restaurants.
In 2013, I moved to Chicago and started working for Slurping Turtle, then I helped open Slurping Turtle’s second location in Ann Arbor, Michigan and served as its executive chef. After spending 3 ½ years getting Slurping Turtle Ann Arbor to where we wanted it as a company, I took the position as Corporate Executive Chef and moved back to Chicago to lead the original location.
Has it been a smooth road?
No, especially when I started. I was working with a bunch of Japanese chefs with over much more experience than me. They taught in a very old fashioned way; meaning, no questions asked, just do as they told me to do. They did not even have a recipe book for me to refer to or learn from. I had to memorize everything and learn by tasting and practicing hundreds of times. They never told me: “good job Tadashi.”
Personally, my biggest struggle was that I didn’t ever work in restaurants in Japan. Usually Japanese chefs start training at the age of 15. I never even worked in a restaurant, much less as a chef until age 20. This is very uncommon for most Japanese-born chefs. Luckily, I have worked with three great Japanese chefs that taught me how to cook, including Chef Takashi Yagihashi. It is very rare to have such a talented, well-trained Japanese chef as a mentor.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Slurping Turtle – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
Slurping Turtle is the original River North ramen shop. We take traditional Japanese ramen and sushi dishes and through unique ingredients, recipes and presentation, add our own twist. Slurping Turtle blends the culture and culinary experiences of Japan with the spirited personalities of the chefs in our kitchen. The turtle symbolizes longevity and good luck in Japanese culture. While enjoying ramen, you are encouraged to slurp your noodles as a polite gesture of enjoyment. The Slurping Turtle is a sign of the harmonious relationship we strive to create with our food and our guests. We invite our guests to join us in our quest for noodle nirvana.
As far as I am concerned, I cook Japanese cuisine. My specialty is sushi and ramen. In 2017, we expanded Slurping Turtle Ann Arbor to include a sushi bar. I am proud of how that is going and that I get to pass on my knowledge and teach the younger cooks and chefs there–and learn from them, too. I try to create an environment where everyone wants to work harder, not just for themselves, but to make Slurping Turtle the best it can possibly be.
I am proud to have a staff that genuinely enjoys coming to and being at work. I say our employees are my family and the restaurant is my house. It sounds crazy, but I really do mean it. Beyond that, I am proud to serve our guests and give them a memorable experience to enjoy the cuisine I grew up with.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
I love living in a big city–all the culture is amazing and, of course, the food. It is a really fantastic place to be a chef. But the traffic…I could really do without that!
Contact Info:
- Address: 116 W. Hubbard
Chicago, IL 60654 - Website: http://slurpingturtle.com/chicago/
- Phone: 312 464 0466
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/slurpingturtle/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SlurpingTurtle/
Image Credit:
Slurping Turtle, Kailley Lindman
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