Sadly, just a few months before he competed in Season 18 of Top Chef, Shota closed Adana.Ī post shared by Shota Nakajima after this chapter of his culinary career had come to an end, Shota said that he entered Top Chef with a "nothing-to-lose mentality." "Honestly, I just missed cooking with people. Shota would go on to bring what he learned during his time in Japan back to the United States, opening two restaurants in Seattle, each with a fresh take on Japanese comfort food, Taku and Adana. Shota, who was born in Japan and raised in Seattle, would later move to Osaka when he was 18 years old to learn from Michelin star-rated Chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto. He found his culinary calling early on in life, working for a highly acclaimed sushi restaurant at the age of 16, according to his bio on. He can't recess, he's gotta do this.' And now - now that kid's on Top Chef, you know?" You know, growing up in schools, a lot of teachers were like, 'Oh, he really can't do it. "And I just worked and worked and worked. I dropped out, I needed to get a job, and I started working in restaurants," he said. Shota's journey to Top Chef, let alone the Season 18 finale, hasn't been an easy one. "And again, like, being really proud of myself for being there, 'cause I wasn't even, you know, thinking of being there." "I remember walking into the kitchen and looking at these two amazing chefs and overwhelmed with joy being like, 'Yo, I don't know why I'm here, but I'm here cooking with these guys right now, and that means something,'" he told The Daily Dish during an interview in late June.
Pellegrino Sparkling Natural Mineral Water.Įven though Shota didn't ultimately take home the top title for Season 18, he was "so honored" to compete in that finale, which aired on Bravo on July 1. Well, the Seattle-based chef did a little (read: a lot) better than that, not only earning a spot as one of this season's finalists, but he was also voted Fan Favorite, winning $10,000 furnished by S. Shota Nakajima came into Season 18 of Bravo's Top Chef with one goal in mind: to make it to the top four.