Video: MVP Trip Part 4 “Breakfast at Tsukiji”

On the final day in Tokyo, the Miku team ventures out to the world’s most famous fish market, Tsukiji, to taste the “freshest sushi in the world.” And yes, it REALLY was that good. Their reactions says it all. . . .enjoy! As you’ve probably noticed already, we spend about 70% of the time in Japan eating.

>> Watch previous videos from the MVP trip: Part 1 “Departure Day,” Part 2 “First Night in Tokyo,” Part 3 “Chris’ Tokyo Pastry Shop Tour“

Video: MVP Trip Part 3 “Tokyo Pastry Shops”

Executive pastry chef, Chris Janik explores the sweeter side of Tokyo’s culinary scene. Visiting numerous European and Japanese dessert shops, the team goes on a sugar-high tour, then finishes the night off with savoury indulgences at an izakaya.

>> Click here to view previous videos: video 1 “Departure Day” and video 2 “First Night in Tokyo”

Video: MVP Trip Part 2 “First Night in Tokyo”

The second video of the Miku MVP Japan Trip is finally up! The team has now arrived in Japan, and this video documents their first night out in Tokyo. We still have more videos of the trip coming up over the next month, so keep checking back on the Miku blog for more.

Miku MVP Japan trip members: Chris Janik (Executive Pastry Chef), Takuya Motohashi (Executive Chef), George Katagai (President/CEO), Lisa Nakamura (Communications Specialist), Caitlin Bryant (Manager)

And just in case you missed Part 1: “Departure Day,” here it is!

Miku MVP Trip Video #1: “Departure Day”

Travelling brings out the best and strangest in people, and the Miku MVP Japan trip was no exception. We stuck a video camera onto Lisa Nakamura (Miku’s Communications Specialist) to make sure there was documentation of what jet-setting Miku team members are like when they’re off the restaurant floor.

Here’s part one of the Miku MVP Trip Videos – “Departure Day.” Many more videos to come. Enjoy!

Miku Team Returns from Japan

Written by Lisa Nakamura

After spending a week exploring the roots of Miku in Miyazaki, and the hustle and bustle of the world’s most densely populated city, Tokyo, five Miku team members have returned to Vancouver safely and jet lagged. Sleep deprivation and overeating are two ways of describing the trip, but most importantly, it was a culturally rich experience inspiring each team member in a different way.

In the itinerary was a day devoted to touring pastry shops of Tokyo, visiting the famous Tsukiji fish market at 6:00 am to eat the best sushi in the world, attending the Tora Corporation (Miku Restaurant’s sister company in Japan) conference, and paying respect to the Shinto gods at the Udo Shrine near Miyazaki.

The Miku MVP trip is an employee recognition program, which was launched in August 2011. Employees were asked to nominate a co-worker, who has been an exceptional team player and genuinely embraces the ningenmi corporate philosophy. Executive pastry chef, Chris Janik, was chosen for the program’s inaugural year, for his absolute love for pastry arts, and the compassion he brings to the team each day. Accompanying Chris were George Katagai, Takuya Motohashi, Caitlin Bryant and myself, Lisa.

I had the chance to catch up with Chris to reflect on the trip – here are his thoughts:

LN: What was the most memorable part of the trip?

CJ: Miyazaki for sure – it just had a real feel to it , felt more japanese and it was my first tropical encounter , saw a palm tree for a first time, the temple and crazy big waves.

LN: What was your impression of Tora Corporation before the trip?

CJ: I expected Tora Corporation to be more like traditional corporate type, cold and very serious but what I found was a company with a human touch and people who treat you more like a family member and make you feel special, welcomed and appreciative of your involvement in the company.

LN: What was the most surprising/unexpected thing you found in Japan?

CJ: Most surprising for me was the extremely high standards in the service industry sector. I have never thought service could be elevated to such heights.

LN: Are you tired – since we hardly had any time to sleep in Japan?

CJ: No – if anything I am motivated and inspired to transfer what I learned and apply this knowledge in my daily routines.

LN: What’s the best meal you had? Best Dessert?

CJ: Best dish for me was a home made miso soup at NONOYA and dessert green apple/caramel dome from Mont St. Claire patisserie in Tokyo.

Over the next two weeks, I will be putting together video footage of our trip. Check our twitter feed for updates.

And they’re off!

The anticipation is finally over! This morning, the lucky members of the Miku MVP trip were sent off in a black limo to embark on a 7 day tour of Japan.  To follow their journey, keep posted with this blog — our communications specialist, Lisa Nakamura will be documenting the trip!

From left to right: Manager, Caitlin Bryant, Miku MVP and Executive Pastry Chef, Chris Janik, Communications Specialist, Lisa Nakamura, Executive Chef, Takuya Motohashi and CEO George Katagai.

MVP Trip Preview – A pastry tour in Tokyo

Written by Lisa Nakamura

Pastry Chef Chris Janik

On Friday, September 9, Miku MVP and Executive Pastry Chef Chris Janik will be heading to Japan to explore Miku’s roots in Miyazaki, and to indulge in Tokyo’s decadent pastry culture. By visiting shops of renowned European pâtissiers and the hidden gems of traditional wagashi (Japanese sweets), Chris hopes to bring back new flavours and inspirations to Vancouver.

Chris will be joined by CEO George Katagai, executive chef Takuya Motohashi, manager Caitlin Bryant, and myself, Lisa Nakamura, communications specialist for Miku. I will be documenting our journey on this blog, sharing stories and capturing beautiful images of Japan, the food and the people.

The highlight of the trip will be our visit to Miyazaki, home of Miku’s sister company, Tora Corporation. Here, we will be meeting with over 400 employees of the Tora group, attending their annual conference and visiting all eight of their restaurants. The next post will be written from a hotel in Tokyo!

Here is Chris’ list of top pâtisseries and chocolateries to visit in Tokyo:

1. Jean-Paul Hevin – Born in 1957, Jean-Paul Hevin is a French manufacturer of high-end chocolates operating four stores in Paris,  five in Japan and two in Hong Kong. In 2004, the economic newspaper, Nikkei Shinbun, ranked Jean-Paul Hévin, the #1 chocolate maker in Japan. In 2004 and 2005,  his chocolate macaron was elected as “Paris’ Best Macaron.”
2. Pierre Marcolini – A Belgian master chocolatier, who has won titles like Belgium’s Best Patissier 1991, World’s Best Patissier 1995 and European Patisserie Champion of 2000. He owns shops around the the world, including Japan and Kuwait.
3. La Maison du Chocolat – The story of La Maison du Chocolat goes back to 1955, when pastry and confectionary shop owner, Robert Linxe, transformed the “La Marquise de Presle” into a catering business. Robert sold his pastry side of the business to the famous pastry chef, Gasto Lenôtre.Robert, who developed the business into a boutique chocolaterie. Today, there are numerous locations in the food capitals of the world including, London, Paris, New York, and Tokyo.
4. Oriol Balaguer - A Spanish pastry chef,  who is often called a ‘gastronomy revolutionary’.Winner of the Best Dessert in the World (2001), Best Pastry Chef in Spain (2008), and Best Gastronomy Shop in Madrid (2008), Oriol Balaguer shops can be found in 11 countries.
5. Sadaharu Aoki - In 1991, Sadaharu Aoki arrived in Europe to work at Jean Millet’s and Couderc’s restaurants in Paris, and at Girardet’s in Switzerland. He opened his work atelier in 1998 in Paris, and now has four boutiques between France and Japan. Chef Aoki is also contracted with All Nippon Airways (ANA) to create in-flight desserts for business-class travellers.
6. Pierre Herme - French pastry chef, most famous for his macarons of unusual flavour combinations. One of his most famous creations include the  Ispahan, made with rose, lychee, and raspberry. French Vogue magazine calls him “The Picasso of Pastry.”
7. Hidemi Sugino - Winner of the 1991 World Pastry Competition, and no doubt, the Japanese heavy-weight in the pastry world ever since. His one and only store draws in large crowds, with customers lining up starting around 8.30am.
8. Yoshi Kaneko – A Japanese pastry chef, who has worked with an impressive list of French pastry masters including, Philippe Andrieu chez Ladurée, Gilles Marchal at l’hôtel Bristol, Arnaud Larher, Patrick Roger and Laurent Ledaniel

Miku MVP Program 2011

A surprise of a lifetime for 3 Miku employees!

Our sister company in Japan called Tora Corporation has been running a MVP program for many years.  A year ago, our very own CEO, George Katagai achieved the title of MVP.  He was awarded with a trip to Miyazaki, Japan where he got to fully immerse himself with the people and explore the history of Tora Corporation.  The visit was life-changing for him, and it filled him with an emotion of true appreciation and gratitude like he had never experienced before; he wanted to bring this light back to the Miku Vancouver team.

Last month, George launched our first annual Miku MVP program.  Team members were asked to nominate a peer, anyone from front of house, back of house and management. The question was, which employee do you think truly embraces our company philosophy, ningenmi? Literally translated to English as the “human flavour”, the philosophy is a difficult one to express through words, as it is based more on feeling and heart, rather than something tangible.   It’s about showing passion for not only their work, but their life.  It’s about honoring and respecting themselves and to anybody who crosses their path.  It’s about loving what you do, not because you have to, but because you want to. It is being the best being you can be. The winner was not only based on the number of votes, but by the sincerity and thoughtfulness of the submissions.

The prize?  A trip to the roots of Miku Restaurant, Miyazaki, Japan.  In case, you didn’t know, Miyazaki is a bright and breezy town located in the southern island of Kyushu.  It is a charming beach town plotted with palm trees and a deep surfing culture.  The MVP will get to enjoy some sunshine, explore the culture and most importantly attend the annual Tora Coproation Keiki Taikai, a one-day conference and team builder for all Tora employees.

On July 29th, George asked all Miku employees to join in the morning meeting for the announcement of the winner.  Scheduled and non-scheduled Miku staff showed up and were anxiously waiting to hear the results.  Before revealing the winner, George surprised everyone with a special announcement of two people who will also be partaking in the adventure to Miyazaki.  It was a complete and utter surprise.  The first lucky employee was Lisa Nakamura, our communications specialist.  She was a part of the opening team back in 2008, left a year later to pursue her dream to work for the Vancouver Olympic Committee, and joined us again after it ended.  She single-handedly started and built the foundation of the Miku support team. The second employee was Caitlin Bryant.  George met her in L.A. and could see and feel ningenmi illuminating off of her .  She is now working with us at Miku Vancouver, but will soon become one of the managers of Miku L.A.

As the anticipation and emotions grew, George finally announced the MVP winner.  With tears streaming down his face, he was proud to announce our Executive pastry chef, Chris Janik as the first ever Miku MVP.  Chris has been with Miku before the doors opened to the public.  He is the mastermind behind all of Miku’s desserts. His dedication to his work, his passion for all beings, and his contagious love for desserts radiates to everyone.  Here is what others said about Chris regarding his ningenmi:

• “Every day that I work with Chris I find he is always positive! I find a pleasant aura about him. He always has his game face on even when he has to make 10 desserts in a row when it’s crazy busy! He is always happy to answer any questions or even let you taste something if your unsure about one of his fabulous creations. He is open to suggestions and always asks for opinions. Anytime I have asked him to come speak to one of my tables he is more than happy to. He also is always trying to perfect and continue creating tasty treats for Miku and our guests.”

• “Chris has the biggest heart in the restaurant. Day in and day out he puts his soul into the desserts that he creates. Not only does he aim for perfection in his menu, but he helps out in the restaurant in any conceivable way he can. He is there at lunch, spooning out miso soups. He is helping Nana-san in the back with the dishes. His attitude, smile and passion for the restaurant is incomparable to anyone else. It’s about understanding your fellow staff, striving for the best on a consistent basis (not just for yourself but for the guests and the betterment of the restaurant), and staying positive through troubled times.”

• “I feel as if the trip to Miyazaki will not only open Chris’s eyes to the larger family of Tora, but will bring him a greater appreciation for Miku. I think Chris is one of the more underappreciated staff in the restaurant and just having the title of MVP will make him realize that what he does is extremely valuable to the whole. Being in Japan may give him a greater understanding of Japanese culture and be able to share with the FOH how to work together more efficiently with the BOH.”

• “Although Chris already have the qualities of NINGENMI and MIKU’s culture, I feel that him being in Miyazaki with the Tora group and connecting with the people there will enhance his MIKU’s experience and he will be able to share that by just being who he is, connecting with the team through conversations and by example (role model).”