Yasuda Itaru

Four Seasons Tenure

• Since 2024
• First Four Seasons Assignment: Current

Employment History

• Hashida Singapore, Singapore; Hakuho-kan by Happo-en, Tokyo, Japan; Enjyu by Happo-en, Tokyo, Japan; Senmiraku, Miura, Japan; Sushi Kappo, Izushia, Japan

Birthplace

• Yokasuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan

Languages Spoken

• Japanese

Yasuda Itaru brings to the sushi counter an exemplary technique, honed by both time and tradition. With 30 years of experience in Japanese cooking, Itaru has spent decades perfecting the details that add up to an exceptional omakase journey, from selecting daily-fresh ingredients to getting each cut just right.

Born in the coastal city of Yokasuka in central Japan, he grew up immersed in local traditions such as fishing and sushi-making, with a leading role played by his father, a kappo chef. Fishing trips would culminate in homemade dishes, nurturing young Itaru’s respect for fresh ingredients.

Inspired partly by his father and partly by Iron Chef, a wildly popular Japanese cooking show at the time, Itaru decided to pursue a career in cooking. His education took place in real-world kitchens, where as an apprentice he devoted himself to the fundamentals of Japanese cooking, from slicing and steaming to braising and broiling.

“When we spend years mastering specific techniques, they become ingrained into our being, like a mind-and-muscle memory,” he explains. “While making sushi today, I reach back across three decades to craft every piece.”

After training under sushi masters at Happo-en, an esteemed sushi brand in Japan, Itaru joined a sushi restaurant run by a tuna wholesaler: “This is where I learned the ins and outs of tuna — the best way to cut each part, the correlation between colour and quality, the optimum temperature for serving and eating.” These lessons held him in good stead as he took up the knife at a renowned sushi restaurant in Izushima.

In 2005, Happo-en came calling again, prompting Itaru’s return to the world of haute sushi. Progressing through the hallowed ranks of sushi craftsmen, he became head chef of Enjyu, the brand’s acclaimed Tokyo restaurant, before taking on the role of assistant head chef at Hakuho-kan, the banquet space for events and celebrations. In 2021, he took his talents overseas, introducing diners at Hashida Singapore to the delights of Japanese sushi.

Now at Sushi L’Abysse Osaka, Itaru leads an omakase experience that gives pride of place to Edomae sushi, a culinary style defined by its extra “twis”’ — a dash of seasoning perhaps, or a light preparation to bring out the inherent flavour of the ingredient. Everything ultimately depends on the day’s procurement, which is why each omakase journey is unexpected and unique.

Taking his place behind the sushi counter, Itaru respectfully receives the trust placed in him by diners. The rules that underpin his unflinching excellence are straightforward: no compromises, no excuses, only the best. Embodying the passion of a true artisan, his offerings are crafted to deliver joy and spark a desire to return.

“Of course, I love it when guests are happy and thank us at the end of their meal. But what I value most is when they say, ‘I’ll be back.’ To me, that means they had a truly extraordinary time,” he shares.

Itaru works closely with Chef Yannick Alléno, his French counterpart at the restaurant, to create a harmonious interplay of French and Japanese culinary elements. Traditional Edomae sushi intertwines with modern French flavours in surprising ways­, making the gastronomic experience at La’Abysse Osaka the only one of its kind in western Japan.

When he is not immersed in the world of sushi, Itaru loves to visit art museums and galleries. It is the intention behind the artist’s creative choices that most fascinates him: why this colour, this brushstroke, this play of light? He is also a craftsman in more ways than one: as an avid DIY-er, he enjoys making customized furniture in his leisure time.