Takagi Kazuo: Receiving Michelin Stars Is Not an Endpoint, but a Beginning

▲Takagi Kazuo opened his Kyoto-style restaurant 《Kyōryori Takagi (たかぎ)》 under his own surname in 2007, and from 2010 onward, it received Michelin two-star ratings for five consecutive years. (Photo / Huang Shiyuan)

Reported by Huang Shiyuan / Taipei

Recently, Taiwan has seen a growing number of guest appearances by chefs from Michelin-starred restaurants, sparking a trend among consumers to chase these “stars.” However,for Chef Takagi Kazuo, earning a Michelin star is not a goal or an ending, but a beginning—a starting point for using this recognition to help others.

Takagi Kazuo opened his Kyoto-style restaurant 《Kyōryori Takagi (たかぎ)》 under his own surname in 2007, and from 2010 onward, it received Michelin two-star ratings for five consecutive years. Meanwhile, his hot pot restaurant 《Kojitsu》 also earned one Michelin star in 2014. Regarding achieving the two-star rating, Takagi said he didn’t feel much fluctuation emotionally because it was the result of his past efforts. But this wasn’t the end—it was another beginning. He believes that having the Michelin endorsement has made his name more prominent, but he is also aware of how to use this fame to help more people and give back to society.

Takagi gave an example: before his restaurant received any stars, he had already been designing menus for school children, aiming to make meals both delicious and healthy for them through his expertise. After receiving the stars, he continued doing this, and while the media began reporting on it, their focus remained mainly on the star achievement. However, it also incidentally highlighted his work designing menus for schoolchildren, drawing more public attention to the issue.

Additionally, Takagi mentioned that after earning the Michelin two-star rating, he didn’t change much.Providing the best food and service to satisfy guests remains the most important thing.However, Takagi laughed and said there was one interesting thing: after getting the two-star rating, the number of congratulatory flower baskets they received was even greater than when the restaurant first opened.

Although Takagi currently runs two restaurants, their proximity allows him to maintain quality control. But if he were to open a third or fourth location farther away, he might not be able to oversee them directly. That said, he would be willing to collaborate with talented chefs, capable staff, and well-equipped restaurants. He is ready to share all his skills, cooking philosophies, and ideas, believing that such a collaboration would definitely result in a good restaurant—and it might even have a chance at earning Michelin stars.