I'm sure one of the frustrations of being a Western enthusiast of Japanese food and culture is you're confronted every day with the absolute certainty that you will die ignorant.

Good food and good eating are about risk.

Just because I like sushi, doesn't mean I can make sushi. I've come to well understand how many years just to get sushi rice correct. It's a discipline that takes years and years and years. So, I leave that to the experts.

Don't lie about it. You made a mistake. Admit it and move on. Just don't do it again. Ever

Good food is very often, even most often, simple food.

I think it's important if you're going to write a cookbook, it should sound like you talking - it should be things you actually believe, otherwise I'm not interested.

Everything important I learned, I learned as a dishwasher.