Your Kobe knock-off is only one cow away! Chefs seem to have a case of made Kobe disease lately

Art Culinaire,  Fall, 2004  by Carol M. Newman

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He repeats something he said earlier and this time we know he's not joking. "I want to retire early. I want a boat in Majorca, Spain, to go fishing. I would love to see the ocean from every window of my house. There, the sea sits directly below cliffs right in front of you."

Please, Maestro another encore?

IT'S PLACID ON THE 35TH FLOOR

Nori Sugie is the antithesis of flash and clamor. And regrettably, he's been a subject of slate by interim New York Times dining critic, Amanda Hesser. While Mr. Sugie and I talk, he says (could he be referring to the Times review?) "People talk about the restaurant. I try to do my best." And "best" agrees his peers, like Thomas Keller and a few other chefs who stand in support of Mr. Sugie's harmonious cuisine. Word on the street is, the group dined at Asiate right after the review and wrote responses to those weightless words.

When Mr. Sugie studies the Polaroids from our shoot, he's reflective, telling us that these dishes are tributes to those places he's traveled. Essentially, what we shot is a personal narrative.

He points to one photo with obvious Japanese influences. About another he tells me, "This one represents Australia." He marks a third, "France" and a fourth "America." There is no doubt his travels have influenced him profoundly, and he brings those experiences with him--here at the brand new Mandarin Oriental on 60th and Columbus in New York City--and anywhere else he may wander, maybe it's a walk to his new habitat in West Greenwich Village.

"I think learning from different cultures is important--there are so many different smells and tastes." He's in awe of new places--like Australia. His description, "it's a special location." "In Australia, it's all very natural. The colors are beautiful." He's thrilled about a trek to Thailand--"It was amazing. There, food is for everyday."

Where else does he want to go? He laughs at the question. "I want to see South America. I want to see more and more and more ..."

"Here at Asiate, I try to bring East and West together. For my kitchen, I wanted to find people from different cultures and of different talents." He believes the diversity has a positive influence on not just the food, but his kitchen staff, raising the level to a higher consciousness. "It's much more interesting," he says of this approach.

Nori Sugie grew up in the coastal port city of Hitachi, Japan, and left 13 years ago. "I grew up by the oceanside, fishing. I was lucky. These were things a lot of people never get to experience, depending on where you live."

Aside from fishing, he spent his time in a band. "I tried to be a rock star." A fan of the Rolling Stones--he still plays guitar, saying that playing relaxes him. He was only a teen--15--when he took a job in a kitchen to support the pastime. Soon it was on to France and cooking school, a branch of the Osaka-based Tsuji Culinary School in Chateau de l'eclair, Liergues. His CV only matured: There was Bordeaux's three-starred L'Aubergade, one-starred Moulin de Martorey and the two-starred Hostellerie de Vieux. He crossed continents--to Sydney, Australia, working in Restaurant Tetsuya and Restaurant VII. Sugie sums it all up succinctly, "It's nice that cooking and travel come together."