The Truth About Shota Nakajima From Top Chef Season 18

As we count down the days until the premiere of the next season of Top Chef, we can't help but get excited to learn more and more about what each contestant has in store for us. Out of all the contestants, Shota Nakajima presents a formidable challenge to anyone who stands in his way. According to Food and Wine, the chef hails from Seattle, Washington, where he runs and cooks at his restaurant, Taku. After studying under Michelin Star-winning chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto in Osaka, Japan at the age of 18, Nakajima returned to the United States to bring a new perspective to Japanese culinary traditions. He has since placed as a semi-finalist three years in a row for James Beard's Rising Star Chef of the Year (via James Beard Foundation), as well as developed new takes on Japanese comfort food at his restaurant.

While Nakajima plans to go head-to-head with some of the next great culinary talents across America, he's no stranger to television. According to Food Network, Nakajima appeared on Iron Chef Gauntlet in 2017, offering his unique take on Japanese cuisine and challenging anyone who stood in his path.

According to Food Network, Nakajima believes his greatest skills lie in his knife work and patience. He loves to go mushroom foraging and takes a great amount of inspiration from the natural world when it comes to creating new dishes. His love of bonito flakes as an ingredient and propensity towards Chinese cooking might just land him in some interesting positions in the next season of Top Chef that you don't want to miss. Like many other restaurateurs, Nakajima got hit hard by the pandemic, and had to close Adana, one of his two restaurants (via Seattle Met). While many others might have been knocked down by such a loss, Nakajima took the news with stride, declaring that he felt a sense of relief.

Since 16, Nakajima has pursued the art of cooking and we wouldn't want to miss his unique take on classic dishes over the course of the new season (via Clubhouse For Chefs). Keep your eyes peeled for this newcomer. With years of training and dedication to his craft like no other, Nakajima has the potential to go all the way this year. We'll see on Top Chef, which returns on April 1st on Bravo.