Jun Tanaka (chef)
Encyclopedia
Jun Tanaka is an American-born British Japanese UK
TV chef
, best known for presenting Channel 4
's Cooking It as well as appearing in Saturday Kitchen
on BBC One
.
Jun and his parents moved to England when Jun was seven years old, and he attended Wycliffe College (Gloucestershire). He did not have a distinguished academic career and his A level experience suggested that University wouldn't be a successful option. He asked his Business Studies teacher about the wisdom of setting up a restaurant, and was not met with a particularly encouraging response. However, on leaving school at the age of 18, Jun asked his father which London restaurants he rated the most. Armed with his father's list, Jun approached each of them to gain a position as an apprentice. Top of the list were Le Gavroche, Chez Nico and Marco Pierre White’s restaurant Harvey’s.
Over a period of ten years Jun worked and trained at each of these establishments. He began at Le Gavroche, followed by Chez Nico, and then joined The Capital as Chef de Partie under Philip Britten. Jun then worked for two years at Les Saveurs as Chef de Partie under Joel Antunes. He then went on to work under Marco Pierre White
at both The Restaurant Marco Pierre White and The Oak room in the role of Sous Chef, after which he went to The Square as Junior Sous Chef under Philip Howard and then Chavot under Eric Chavot as Sous Chef.
On television, Tanaka hosted the Channel 4 programme Cooking It in 2006, and appeared on Saturday Kitchen on BBC One, Great Food Live on UKTV and Saturday Cooks on ITV. Tanaka appeared as a resident chef on the BBC Two programme Food Poker in 2007. He is currently a regular fixture on Market Kitchen
on UKTV, and has appeared on multiple occasions on Daily Cooks Challenge on ITV.
Jun Tanaka is currently the Executive Head Chef of the Pearl Restaurant and Bar, a fine dining establishment situated in the old banking hall of the Pearl Assurance building. Pearl specializes in French cuisine with modern and light touches and showcases seasonal fresh ingredients.
In May 2009, Tanaka's first book "Simple to Sensational" was published by Simon & Schuster Ltd.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
TV chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
, best known for presenting Channel 4
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
's Cooking It as well as appearing in Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen
Saturday Kitchen Live is a 90 minute cookery programme, which is broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday mornings. It is currently presented by James Martin; previous presenters have included Antony Worrall Thompson and Gregg Wallace. The programme is currently produced by Cactus TV...
on BBC One
BBC One
BBC One is the flagship television channel of the British Broadcasting Corporation in the United Kingdom. It was launched on 2 November 1936 as the BBC Television Service, and was the world's first regular television service with a high level of image resolution...
.
Jun and his parents moved to England when Jun was seven years old, and he attended Wycliffe College (Gloucestershire). He did not have a distinguished academic career and his A level experience suggested that University wouldn't be a successful option. He asked his Business Studies teacher about the wisdom of setting up a restaurant, and was not met with a particularly encouraging response. However, on leaving school at the age of 18, Jun asked his father which London restaurants he rated the most. Armed with his father's list, Jun approached each of them to gain a position as an apprentice. Top of the list were Le Gavroche, Chez Nico and Marco Pierre White’s restaurant Harvey’s.
Over a period of ten years Jun worked and trained at each of these establishments. He began at Le Gavroche, followed by Chez Nico, and then joined The Capital as Chef de Partie under Philip Britten. Jun then worked for two years at Les Saveurs as Chef de Partie under Joel Antunes. He then went on to work under Marco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White
Marco Pierre White is a British celebrity chef, restaurateur and television personality. He is noted for his contributions to contemporary international cuisine, and his exceptional culinary skills....
at both The Restaurant Marco Pierre White and The Oak room in the role of Sous Chef, after which he went to The Square as Junior Sous Chef under Philip Howard and then Chavot under Eric Chavot as Sous Chef.
On television, Tanaka hosted the Channel 4 programme Cooking It in 2006, and appeared on Saturday Kitchen on BBC One, Great Food Live on UKTV and Saturday Cooks on ITV. Tanaka appeared as a resident chef on the BBC Two programme Food Poker in 2007. He is currently a regular fixture on Market Kitchen
Market Kitchen
Market Kitchen is a cookery programme, made by Optomen, that premiered on Good Food in 2007. Presented by Rachel Allen, Amanda Lamb, Matt Tebbutt, Tom Parker Bowles and Matthew Fort, the programme concentrates on seasonal cooking and features visits to a local market to obtain seasonal produce...
on UKTV, and has appeared on multiple occasions on Daily Cooks Challenge on ITV.
Jun Tanaka is currently the Executive Head Chef of the Pearl Restaurant and Bar, a fine dining establishment situated in the old banking hall of the Pearl Assurance building. Pearl specializes in French cuisine with modern and light touches and showcases seasonal fresh ingredients.
In May 2009, Tanaka's first book "Simple to Sensational" was published by Simon & Schuster Ltd.