How I love Japanese Knives!

HEY GUYS!

Today I want to share about how I really love Japanese Knives!

I started working in the kitchen 3 years ago since I came to Sydney. I’ve been thinking to learn how to cook and open a restaurant in the future, but only when I came to Sydney I finally started to work in the kitchen.

As how all of the chefs in the world started, I also started as a kitchen hand in a sushi train shop called Japone Sushi in Newtown, Sydney. Basically I learn how to cut and cook for 1 year in this place, and I actually really lucky to meet the owner of this restaurant Mr. Yani!

He is an amazing guy that teach me and change me a lot during my journey as a chef, and I felt in love with japanese knives also because of him.

 

This is my 1st and 2nd knives that I bought 2 years ago.

• GYUTO ( Chef Knife )
  My 1st knife is Gyuto or what we called chef knife, gyuto is basically the most basic knife that every chef will have. It’s a multi purpose knife that you can use for chopping vegetable, cutting meat, mostly every basic task in the kitchen. The knife that I bought was a 210 mm Mcusta Zanmai V8 steel Hexagon grip, for someone that just started to learn how to cut 210 mm is the best size for you to really learn how to work in the kitchen.

• YANAGIBA ( Sashimi Knife )
  My 2nd knife is Yanagiba or what we called Sashimi knife, yanagiba is a knife that sushi or sashimi chef will use to slice sashimi fish, such as tuna, salmon, kingfish, snapper, etc. My yanagiba is a 240 mm white steel yanagiba.
  There is a different between my gyuto and yanagiba steel material, to simplify v8 steel is basically a stainless steel so it will never rust. However, white steel will rust if we left it wet! but if we sharpen the white steel properly it will become a super sharp knife.

• DEBA ( Filleting Knife )
  My 3rd knife is DEBA, or what we called filleting knife. It’s a knife that we use to fillet a whole fish. Deba is a super thick knife! My knife is a 180mm long DEBA and I bought it from Japan when my previous head chef go back to Japan for holiday.

• SUJIHIKI ( Slicing Knife )
  My 4th knife is Sujihiki, or what we called Slicing knife. It’s a knife that we use mostly to slice meat, and sujihiki is thinner than yanagiba. My Sujihiki was bought together with Deba from Japan, the brand is Misono with 240mm length and I actually have my name crafted on the grip. 
  Some people actually use this knife as well for slicing sashimi, it is a multi function knife and basically we can use it for almost all task in the kitchen.

After 2 years working as a chef, I changed all my knife become a one side knife. My Gyuto and Sujihiki was not a two side knife, however after I learn how to sharpen my knife and upon 2 years of training  I learn how to change my knife shape. For me a one side knife will be easier to take care and more comfortable to use.

So what’s the different between japanese knife and western knife ?

Actually I can say maybe is not about the knife! But the habit and delicate style in using the knife! How Japanese way to sharpen the knife and do cutting and clean the cutting board after finish the job. Everything is just amazing.

However there are difference between Japanese knife and western knife, Japanese knife especially Honyaku is a handmade knife that have been process through a lot of step. Honyaku is a special that maybe not all chef in the world will use. The price it self is vary and really hard to take care because it need someone with maybe more than 10 years experience of sharpening knife to do a proper maintenance on it.