How Yhangry Helped Chef Keiko Get Discovered & Fully Booked

Chef Keiko’s culinary path is anchored in heritage. She has always turned to Japanese cuisine not just for flavour, but identity. “I can cook other dishes, but as a foreigner in this country, I directed it to my culture.”

Rather than stretch herself thin across trends, Keiko focused deeply. “You have to be confident. I don’t feel right cooking Spanish or Italian. I know Japanese food—I’ve tasted it all my life. I know what I’m doing.”

This commitment served her well in professional kitchens, where her attention to detail drew high-profile admirers. Natalie Portman requested her vegan sushi at a bar counter. Gordon Ramsay was served sushi by her during a private appearance. Yet despite the calibre of her work, her independent bookings were infrequent—only a handful each year.

Keiko began private chef work in 2009. It wasn’t a bold, calculated leap—it was a quiet one, filled with uncertainty. “I didn’t have any confidence,” she says. “But I started anyway. That’s my motto—do it anyway. If you make a mistake, you learn.”

Early on, she worked tirelessly but undervalued herself. “I was giving more than they paid,” she reflects. “I didn’t know my value back then.”

She learned through action. Even after praise from guests, she often revisited the same dishes at home. “Sometimes I come back and think, ‘That chicken wasn’t good enough.’ Even if people say it’s delicious, I want to make it better.”

That perfectionism extends to her events. She pays close attention to how much guests eat, what’s left behind, and how quickly dishes disappear. “If two children don’t eat the chicken, maybe it was the ginger. Next time, I ask about that.”

When Keiko joined Yhangry in late 2020 or early 2021, everything began to shift. “Before joining, I only had maybe four bookings in a year,” she recalls. “But now I had 2 to 4 per month—sometimes more.”

What changed wasn’t just the numbers—it was the infrastructure around her. Yhangry offered steady leads, professional support, and the freedom to focus on what she does best: cooking.

“They’re not like an agency just trying to make money off you,” she says. “Yhangry is a community. They support us. If I ask something, they reply within five hours. It feels personal.”

Keiko doesn’t chase attention, but her creativity shines in subtle, thoughtful ways. She sticks to tradition, yet introduces modern elements with care—always testing new ideas one or two days before an event.

One such experiment turned into a high-profile collaboration with Greggs, the beloved British bakery. While press coverage suggested she reached out, the opposite was true. “They approached me,” she explains.

Greggs sent over pastries and breads and asked her to explore fusion options. She developed around 15 original concepts. Eventually, the company selected five favourites and created a video series featuring her work. “I realised they wanted my creations when they started filming,” she laughs.

This balance of play and precision defines her process. Whether it’s adjusting dishes for children’s preferences or tweaking a sauce after tasting it for the fifth time, Keiko is always learning.

Keiko is clear in her guidance to others who feel unready or hesitant—especially women navigating a male-dominated industry.

“If you’re scared, that’s okay. Just try it part-time. Build your knowledge. Make one mistake, learn from it, and try again.”

Looking back, she wishes she’d had more tools around marketing and communication when she began. But through Yhangry and experience, she’s grown into her value. “If you do nothing, nothing happens. But if you try, something might.”