When Sachi arrived at Fay from Japan in the fall of 2000, American cuisine was a world apart from what she was used to. Gone were her familiar breakfasts of rice, soup, and fish, replaced instead by a rainbow of sugary cereals. But as she settled in, Sachi discovered a love for the new flavors around her, from the meals she enjoyed in the Dining Room to the irresistible lure of American snacks like soda, Skittles and Lay’s potato chips. “Everything was so mesmerizing—all the different colors of milk? At home, there is only one color!” Little did she know that one day, this period of exploration would inspire a career: teaching American cooking back home in Japan. She also recently published her first cookbook, New York Local Cookbook, a mixture of classic American dishes and New York favorites.

 

After graduating from Babson College, Sachi headed to New York for culinary school, where she mastered classic French cuisine before returning home to Tokyo. But the tastes of New York and New England stayed with her. After her son was born, she turned that passion into a new career, teaching cooking classes focused on these regional American flavors. She was determined to challenge common Japanese misconceptions—that American food is all hamburgers and no fish. Sachi introduced her students to everything from creamy clam chowder and buttery lobster rolls to the vibrant mix of Jewish, Jamaican, Italian, and Greek dishes that make New York’s food scene so unique.

 

Sachi also cherished the warmth of the family-style meal tradition in the Dining Room. “That experience is one reason I'm teaching American cooking now,” she says, noting that she has carried those traditions into her classes where students eat together, wait until everybody is served, and clean up as a group. She has also lent her culinary talents as a food producer to well-known television food franchises as they break into the Asian TV scene, including MasterChef in Singapore and Bake-Off Japan.

 

Sachi has discovered a sweet spot serving American expats craving sugary desserts from home. During Covid, she expanded into custom baking, a rarity in Japan, where few families own ovens, creating apple and pumpkin pies, birthday cakes, and cupcakes. “Buttercream frosting is a bizarre concept for the Japanese,” she laughs. “Why would you eat super-sweet butter? It’s so unhealthy!” Through her cooking, Sachi continues to share the flavors and joys of her American experience with her community.