Chen Kentaro was born in Japan to an illustrious gastronomic family. His grandfather, Chen Kenmin, who arrived in Japan from Szechwan China in 1952, was an accomplished cook. He founded Shisen Hanten in Tokyo in 1958 and originated the cuisine known as Chūka Szechwan Ryori. Kentaro’s father, Chen Kenichi, who brought the already flourishing family business to new heights, was famed professionally as Japan’s “Szechwan Sage" (料理の鉄人). Kenichi was also one of Japan’s greatest ‘Iron Chefs’; and so, when Kentaro was born in 1979, he had big shoes to fill.
Like his father and grandfather before him, Kentaro did not attend culinary trade school; but he watched his father on TV competing in Iron Chef and later going on to win and becoming the most celebrated Iron Chef, and was deeply smitten. He was already in university when he asked to join the family business. Despite his father’s forebodings, he entered the kitchen of Shisen Hanten at age 21. With hardly any experience in cuisine, he was compelled to head to Cheng Du, the epicenter of Szechwan cuisine. In between language classes in Chinese and English, he worked at a restaurant where he was mentored by a Szechwan chef. He quickly developed an appreciation for the Chinese palate, especially the ‘ma la’ (spicy and numbing) flavours of Szechwan cuisine.
Kentaro’s father and grandfather also shaped his approach. Together with his father, Kentaro experimented with creating sauces and condiments in Chengdu, including dou ban jiang (soybean paste). They also visited factories in the region to understand production and source for collaboration opportunities and journeys which equipped Kentaro with the knowledge and agility to work with indigenous ingredients and adapt recipes to local palates wherever he found himself. It also brought to Shisen Hanten the unmistakable authenticity of its key seasonings like la jiao you (chilli oil), tian mian jiang (sweet sauce), miso, vinegar, and soy sauce. Back in Japan, Kentaro led Shisen Hanten, continuing his family’s legacy and driving the restaurant’s success.
In 2014, Kentaro opened Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro, upon the invitation of Shigeru Akashi, culinary director of OUER and former director at the Mandarin Orchard hotel (now Hilton Singapore Orchard). Shigeru already had a number of successful culinary concepts under his belt; and saw Kentaro as a perfect candidate for a new concept at the hotel. Inspired by his grandfather, who also left his country to pursue a culinary career abroad, Kentaro seized upon it.
Despite early challenges – such as the lack of ‘right’ ingredients, and having to adapt to local tastes — Shisen Hanten was lauded with two Michelin stars in 2016, making it the highest Michelin-rated Chinese restaurant in Singapore. In all his endeavours, certain traits and values have stood Chen Kentaro in good stead. Foremost is the commitment to service and hospitality rooted in his family motto of 菜心是爱 – ‘Cook with your heart’. Because of this, appreciation, compliments, praise, and recognition have always been a tradition with the Chen family.
Today, Kentaro carries forward the legacy of his father and grandfather as a third-generation chef at Shisen Hanten by Chen Kentaro in Singapore. In doing so, he honours the family brand and celebrates the cuisine of Chūka Szechwan Ryori, while inaugurating a new chapter in the restaurant’s journey.
Chef Kentaro’s birthdate: 10 November 1979
