For many years, Daisuke Nomura led the kitchen and collaborated with his father in operating the two Michelin star, kaiseki-style shojin Daigo restaurant, well respected for its exceptional Buddhist vegetarian food. Recently Daisuke Nomura opened Shojin Sougo serving similar, exceptional vegetarian food in a more casual environment. At Sougo, diners can now enjoy their “devotion cuisine” at a long counter, much as you would see in a sushi restaurant, and at much lower price points.

Chef Nomura is internationally recognized for his award winning kaiseki-style Japanese vegetarian cuisine and innovative use of seasonal ingredients that showcases his creativity. Having served as the head chef at Daigo for over a decade and obtaining a 2 star Michelin rating for Daigo, Chef Nomura opened Restaurant Shojin Sougo to provide a new style of Shojin Ryori which incorporates modern and exciting new approaches to the centuries old techniques involved in traditional Shojin Ryori. Chef Nomura participated in EXPO Milano 2015, Worlds of Flavor 2010 at Culinary Institute of America.

Onion Steak

30 minutes cook/prep

1 onion
Vegetable oil
Sake
Mirin
Soy sauce
Sugar
Balsamico
Watercress

Onion Steak

1) Cut the whole onion into two in horizontal pieces, and steam for 20mins. 2) Heat the pan, add vegetable oil and sauté the onions until brown. 3) Turn over the onion, add sake, mirin, soy-sauce and sugar to simmer. 4) Right before all the liquid is evaporated, add balsamico vinegar to make shine on the surface. 5) Serve with watercress on top.

His approach
Shojin Ryori is a Japanese cuisine based on Buddhism that believes everything has lives and prohibits killing. Therefore, Shojin Ryori allows minimum killings for foods which concluded in plant-forward diet. Restriction on ingredients is more known when people talk about Shojin Ryori, but Chef Daisuke believes its spirit is very important. Shojin Ryori was a part of monk's training to develop heart of "Consideration" and "Appreciation". Cooks make nutritious and tasty dishes thinking of monks to support their survival in sever training. The person who eats thanks all the supply chains involved in the dishes. Chef Daisuke respects this simple but beautiful lesson of Shojin Ryori. As a restaurant chef, since it's not a meal for training monks at the temple, he serves Shojin Ryori adding some beauty and fun elements to entertain guests.: If you could cook dinner for anyone from history, who would it be, what would you make, and why?
Chef Daisuke would like to cook his onion steak dish to his mother who had passed away right after he started training to become a chef, and never had a chance to eat his dish. Onion steak is one of his representative dishes because it's a new style of Shojin dish made with common vegetables, but with unique and modern cooking approaches.: What seasonal vegetable or vegetable variety is currently most captivating you, the cooks in your kitchen, and your diners?
Daikon (Japanese white radish)