Chef Miya – Japanese Sushi Chef in Johannesburg

Katsuhiko Miyamoto, affectionately known as Miya, has been a chef for over four decades. At that time, he was allowed to travel to SA to work in a Japanese restaurant that was in need of an authentic Japanese Chef. 

He attended a Chef’s School in Japan (Ise Cho-Rishi Gakko in 1977), where he studied French cuisine. He was particularly attracted to the beautiful serving styles of nouvelle cuisine, as well as the complexity and fine tastes of the food. Thereafter, he also studied Japanese cooking, which included the art of sushi-making.

Miya was offered numerous jobs in Japanese restaurants, and he built up a loyal clientele. Loyal patrons would follow Miya when he changed restaurants because they wanted his tempura and sushi.
Miya remained faithful to the Japanese community in South Africa by catering for various Japanese companies, the Japanese Embassy, Mitsubishi Corporation, Mutsui, and Sumitomo, to name a few, who remain loyal to Chef Miyamoto for special events.

Some of his recent restaurant training, development and opening of restaurants, have been: In 2022, the grand opening of Kol Izakhaya in Hyde Park introducing Hibachi grilling with artisanal BincTan (Japanese charcoal) and other authentic and contemporary Japanese cuisine.
In 2024, renowned celebrity Chef David Higgs from The Marble Group approached Chef Miya for the opening of Zioux Roaring Asian restaurant in Sandown.

Philosophy:
Miya believes there are many different sides to being a sushi chef. ‘An important consideration is the person eating the sushi,’ Miya explains. ‘The challenge is not to fill the stomach, but rather to appeal to the eye and then to the palate with the taste sensation of sushi. The successful sushi chef wants to please his customer physically, mentally and psychologically.’ This passion for pleasing the individual has contributed to Miya’s success.

Our own business:

In February 1999, Miya married Terry, an energetic, passionate, and highly driven marketing and advertising executive. Her marketing experience and flair for organising have been a welcome addition to Miya’s Cuisine. Together, Miya and Terry have built their own Catering company, which opened in 2003 and has been operating since, offering a range of services based on Asian fusion cuisine.