This is how a computer engineer became Spain's most famous sushi master: the story of Steven Bosen Wu Zheng is an example of perseverance.
The story
Steven Bosen Wu Zheng, head chef of the Imperial Restaurant in Pamplona, is the best sushi man in Spain. The chef, who won the title during the first sushi professionals´ competition, is originally from Palma de Mallorca, but when he was six years old, he moved with his family to Pamplona, where his parents opened a restaurant that initially offered only Chinese dishes. Imperial Restaurant later expanded to become a Japanese restaurant as well. "My father was unfamiliar with Japanese cuisine, so he decided to take a long trip to Japan to learn and document himself," Steven recounts.
IÑIGO ALZUGARAY
But how did this 36-year-old chef's passion for raw fish come about? "I am a software engineer," he confesses. "I've always cooked as a nonprofessional, trying to imitate others. When I was a kid, I used to hang out around the cooks and was always at the restaurant." The real spark, however, came later and by accident. The chef, in fact, discovered a love for Japanese gastronomy when he had to replace an employee within the family restaurant.
So he flew to Japan, started studying, and then worked in a starred restaurant in Kyoto. When he returned to Pamplona, he got serious, repurposing Imperial's menu in a modern key. Secrets of the trade? "Besides choosing quality fish, you have to keep in mind that rice is 70 percent important. Although it all looks the same, it varies depending on so many factors: harvest date, grain size, ability to absorb water." Decoration also matters: "I won the contest with a nigiri adorned with chrysanthemum kiku, the national flowers of Japan. Other key skills are concentration, cleanliness, and precision," which in his case comes from his engineering studies.
Then, last September 6, came the official recognition with which he was proclaimed a sushi master—a guy who chose to change career paths radically and did it with some class.
Source: navarra.elespanol.com
Find the article here
Cover Photo: @stewuen
