PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — The accolades have piled up for Jesse Ito.
“This is not what I dreamt. I didn’t have dreams to do this. I just really wanted to help my family out,” he said.
Ito is a standout in the Philly food scene. He’s a multi-time nominee of the prestigious James Beard Awards. This year, once again, he’s a finalist for Best Chef Mid-Atlantic.
It’s been quite the journey for Ito, who is Japanese-Korean American. His culinary career began at 14 at his family’s popular South Jersey restaurant, Fuji.
“They started me as a dishwasher, and I also made pastries, and it taught all the fundamentals of hard work and organization,” he said.
After spending years learning from his celebrated chef father Masaharu, Ito took the reins at Fuji. His star was rising, and some restaurateurs approached him about opening his own spot in Philly. So his family sold Fuji to help him.
“Them selling it to come on board with me and believe in me was putting it all at risk,” Ito said.
It was a risk that paid off. Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Queen Village, which opened in 2016, has been a smash hit. Especially the Omakase service. Omakase in Japanese means “I’ll leave it up to you.”
“People entrust the chef to procure the best product, prepare it at the highest level technique-wise, serve it at the right temperature, the right pace, in the right order. I think of food as a playlist,” Ito said.
Ito’s skill and creativity have been recognized in Philly and beyond. And his business is growing. He’s opening up a second restaurant called Dancerobot in Rittenhouse. Ito says the sushi he’s famous for won’t be on the menu.
“When you say Japanese food, people often just think of sushi and ramen and maybe yakitori, and that’s it. But there’s a whole other aspect, and we’re excited to bring this project to life.”
Ito is also open about his sobriety. The pandemic, he says, was a catalyst. He says being sober has made him a better person, and it’s reflected in his work.
“The chef who I am today is multitudes better than the chef who opened nine years ago. But I think there’s still a lot of room for growth, and that makes me excited,” he said.