From the Kitchen

Japanese Knives.
Real Experience.

Guides written by a working sushi chef in London — no recycled YouTube knowledge, no guesswork. Just what actually works in a professional kitchen.

What I Learned After 10,000 Nigiri

All Articles

Best Whetstone for Japanese Knives

Sharpening

Best Whetstone for Japanese Knives — What a Professional Chef Actually Uses

Japanese Knife Etiquette

Knife Skills

Japanese Knife Etiquette — The Unwritten Rules Every Chef Knows

What Is Umami

Sushi Making

What Is Umami — The Fifth Taste Explained by a Sushi Chef

What Makes Perfect Nigiri

Sushi Making

What Makes Perfect Nigiri — Two Things Most People Get Wrong

Best Japanese Knife for Home Cooks

Buying Guide

Best Japanese Knife for Home Cooks — Honest Picks from a Professional Kitchen

Best Japanese Knife for Sushi

Buying Guide

Best Japanese Knife for Sushi — What a Professional Sushi Chef Actually Uses

Best Gyuto Knives

Buying Guide

Best Gyuto Knives — Top Picks for Every Budget

Japanese Condiments for Sushi

Sushi Making

Japanese Condiments That Elevate Sushi — What We Actually Use at the Bar

Common Knife Mistakes Beginners

Knife Skills

The Most Common Japanese Knife Mistakes Beginners Make — And How to Fix Them

Honing Rod Japanese Knives

Sharpening

What Is a Honing Rod — And Should You Use One on Japanese Knives?

Best Cutting Board for Japanese Knives

Knife Care

The Right Cutting Board for Japanese Knives — What We Actually Use in Professional Kitchens

Carbon Steel vs Stainless Steel

Knife Guide

Carbon Steel vs Stainless Steel Japanese Knives — Which Should You Actually Buy?

Best Japanese Knives Under £100

Buying Guide

Best Japanese Knives Under £100 — A Professional Chef's Honest Picks

How to Store Japanese Knives

Knife Care

How to Store Japanese Knives — What a Professional Chef Actually Does

What is a Usuba Knife

Knife Guide

What Is a Usuba Knife — The Precision Vegetable Blade of Japanese Cuisine

What is a Yanagiba Knife

Knife Guide

What Is a Yanagiba Knife — The First Knife I Touch Every Shift

What is a Kiritsuke Knife

Knife Guide

What Is a Kiritsuke Knife — And Should You Buy One?

What is a Deba Knife

Knife Guide

What Is a Deba Knife — And When Do You Actually Need One?

What is a Nakiri Knife

Knife Guide

What Is a Nakiri Knife — And Should You Buy One?

Sushi Station at Home

Sushi Making

How to Build a Sushi Station at Home — A Chef's Honest Guide

How to hold a Japanese knife

Knife Skills

How to Hold a Japanese Knife Correctly — The Pinch Grip Explained

What is VG-10 Steel

Knife Guide

What Is VG-10 Steel? — Why It Matters When Buying a Japanese Knife

Why Japanese Knives Chip

Knife Care

Why Japanese Knives Chip — And How to Avoid It

How to tell if knife needs sharpening

Sharpening

How to Tell If Your Knife Needs Sharpening — 3 Tests I Use Every Day

German vs Japanese Knives

Buying Guide

German vs Japanese Knives — Which Should You Actually Buy?

Sourcing Fish for Sushi

Sushi Making

Sourcing Fish for Sushi — What Chefs Actually Look For

Single vs Double Bevel Knives

Knife Anatomy

Single-Bevel vs Double-Bevel Knives — What Actually Matters in a Professional Kitchen

Sushi Rice

Sushi Making

How Sushi Rice Is Really Made in Professional Kitchens

Tools Beyond Knives

Sushi Making

Tools Beyond Knives — Hangiri, Makisu and How They're Actually Used

Nigiri

Sushi Making

What I Learned After 10,000 Nigiri — Lessons from Behind the Sushi Bar

Wa vs Yo Handles

Knife Anatomy

Wa vs. Yo Handles — What I Actually Use in a Professional Sushi Kitchen

Whetstone Grit Guide

Sharpening

Whetstone Grits Explained — From a Chef Who Sharpens Every Week

Clean and Store Knife

Knife Care

How I Clean and Store My Knives After Every Service

How to Sharpen

Sharpening

How I Sharpen My Knives Before Every Service — Step by Step

Sushi Making Tools

Sushi Making

The Sushi Tools I Actually Use — An Honest Guide for Home Cooks

Santoku vs Gyuto

Buying Guide

Santoku vs Gyuto — Which One Should You Actually Buy First?

Maintain Knife

Knife Care

How to Look After a Japanese Chef Knife — What I Do Every Day

First Japanese Blade

Buying Guide

Best Sushi Knife for Beginners — A Professional Chef's Honest Guide

Types of Sushi Explained

Sushi Making

Types of Sushi Explained — Maki, Uramaki, Futomaki, Temaki, Nigiri and Sashimi