Ep9: Kaz Matsune on Authorship and Breakthrough Sushi

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Kaz Matsune is the owner and operator of the Bay Area’s (and possibly North America’s) ONLY team building sushi class experience, Breakthrough Sushi. With two books under his belt and a third in the works, he has become the go to guy in the Bay area for anyone wanting to take sushi classes either privately or as part of a corporate team.

What We Talk About

This isn’t the only pioneering aspect of his business. Kaz is also one of the first ever sushi chefs to use only non-endangered seafood and fish in his creations. His website features links to Seafood Watch and, in our interview he discusses the sustainability of seafood and the need for more restaurants to follow his lead.

Kaz wasn’t always a sushi chef. Prior to learning the art of sushi he was a successful graphic designer. You can see those creative influences in his books, on Breathrough Sushi’s website and in the beautiful environment he has created in the Breakthrough Sushi space in the Monterey area of San Francisco. He says that his inspiration to become a chef came from watching The Galloping Gourmet on TV as a child in the late 60’s.

If you are thinking about a career as a sushi chef or even just want to know more about sushi making, this is a great listen. Check out Kaz’s blog for details of his books All the Answers You Wanted to Hear from Your Sushi Chef and The Breakthrough Sushi Cookbook as well as a wealth of other information about sushi (recommended knives, other sushi chefs, the differences between sushi and sashimi etc.)

Other Stuff

• The Breakaway Cook by Eric Gower
• The differences in perspectives about Sushi between Japan and North America
• The town of Matsue, Shimane Prefecture in Japan
• Sushi School, California
• “Good artists copy and the great artists steal”, attributed to Pablo Picasso, Steve Jobs and many others
• Omakase, Japanese saying for “Chef’s Choice”
• Quora.com
• The growth of single style restaurants (Ramen, Tempura etc.)
• Marnee Thai, San Francisco
• Lastrance Restaurant, Paris, owned by Pascal Balbot
• Why we both like Barack Obama