Chikara Sono & Leo Le - Kappo Sono
WHO: Chikara Sono is executive chef of Kappo Sono; Leo Lê is the beverage director, Andrew Oh is the chef de cuisine, and Norie Uematsu is corporate pastry chef.
ABOUT: Chef Sono honed his chops at Naniwa, Go Restaurant, Kiraku, and Nadaman Hakubai at the Kitano Hotel, before launching his own high-end Japanese restaurant called Kyo Ya, where he worked as head chef for 12 years. His culinary alchemy bewitched palates and garnered acclaim, with Michelin stars adorning Kyo Ya's name for a decade, and accolades from major media outlets and critics.
A lifelong New Yorker, Leo Lê developed his love of Japanese sake and French wine working at many restaurants Uchu, a 10-seat omakase bar helmed by Chef Eiji Ichimura, which garnered two Michelin stars. Presently, he is the beverage director of Momoya SoHo, the third iteration of a neighborhood sushi bar. His beverage program combines all his favorite sake, Champagne, and Burgundy. And he loves sharing the history of sake brewing and wine making with guests.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Andrew Oh began his culinary journey in 2013 through an apprenticeship at Okoze sushi, and went on to become the Chef de Cuisine at Robin, a modern omakase restaurant. Over the years, he has led multiple teams to Michelin-star restaurant recognition and was nominated as a “Rising Young Chef” in NYC’s StarChefs Magazine in 2022. Now based in New York, Andrew is excited to share his passion for sushi and modern omakase with new audiences.
Norie Uematsu was born and raised in Shizuoka, Japan, and started her career as a Pastry Chef at Tokyu Hotel in Shizuoka. Moving to New York in 2004, she developed her skills working at many restaurants including Maison Kayser and Cha-An Teahouse. She joined Momoya as an executive pastry chef in October 2021. In 2024, she became the company’s corporate pastry chef, overseeing the desserts at Kappo Sono and Happy Tuna.
WHAT: Experience authentic Kaiseki cuisine as one of the city’s most renowned Japanese chefs — Chikara Sono (who earned three New York Times stars and a Michelin star at Kyo Ya) — prepares spectacular dishes highlighting hyper-seasonality. He will guide us through an amuse-bouche course, which includes 10 seasonal one-bites. After that, his executive chef Andrew Oh will take over, followed by Corporate Pastry Chef Norie Uematsu. Beverage Director Leo Lê will enhance the evening with unique beverage pairings for an unparalleled experience.
WHEN: Monday, September 29, 6PM - 8PM EST
WHERE: De Gustibus Cooking School