Hideo Dekura, a Master Sushi Chef, has taught his popular Sushi & Sashimi workshops at Sydney Seafood School since the School’s inception in 1989.

Hideo-san was born in Yotsuya, Tokyo, in 1944. His father was a playwright and owned restaurants, Kihei of Tokyo and Misuji, where his training commenced while he was still at school. From his parents Hideo learnt the principles of sushi and kappou-ryori food preparation, cooking and presentation that had been passed down through many generations of his family. In keeping with a classical training, he also learnt the philosophy of the tea ceremony cuisine (Chakaiseki), calligraphy, flower arranging and the cooking knife’s ceremony at the Shijyoushinryuu School from Master Teacher Shishikura Soken.

After years of cooking and demonstrating in Japan, Hideo-san’s interests led him to Europe to study classical French cuisine, and then to England, and later the USA where he was able to combine his skills in Japanese and European cuisine by working as a cooking demonstrator in California. In 1972, he visited Australia for the first time, and, in 1974, settled in Sydney and established his catering and consulting company, Culinary Studio DEKURA, which he still runs today. Hideo-san consults to a number of food companies (such as Kikkoman) and presents demonstrations and cooking classes on Japanese cuisine around the country, as well as writing on Australian food for Japanese magazines ‘Senmon-Ryori’ and ‘ARC’.

He is a Master of Literature through the Shijyoushinryuu School and author of a number of Japanese cookbooks, including:

• Eat with your Hands – Sushi for Kids
• Encyclopaedia of Japanese Cuisine
• Teppanyaki
• Japanese Cooking at Home
• The Complete Book of Sushi
• Sashimi
• Sushi Modern
• Essentially Japanese Cooking & Cuisine
• Japanese Flavours – Modern Classics
• The Fine Art of Japanese Cooking

In 2007 the Japanese Government acknowledged his work with the prestigious Award for Service to Japanese Food Culture, an honour conferred on Japanese expatriates who have made a significant contribution to the dissemination of Japanese food culture outside Japan.

In 2015 he was presented with the Japanese Foreign Minister’s Commendation for his work over the past 40 years promoting Japanese cuisine culture overseas. And in 2016, he was appointed to serve as a Goodwill Ambassador for Japanese Cuisine by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry & Fisheries.

Visit Culinary Studio DEKURA for more information.