What Makes a Michelin Star Sushi Restaurant?

About this episode

Cheng Lin discusses his journey as a sushi chef and the elements that contribute to earning a Michelin star.

Our guest is Cheng Lin who is the chef/owner of Shota Omakase  https://shotaomakase.com/  in Brooklyn, New York.  After nearly three decades of studying and serving sushi at notable restaurants in New York City, including Sushi Seki, Blue Ribbon, and ITO Tribeca, he opened his Omakase-only sushi restaurant Shota Omakase in August 2023 and earned his first Michelin star within a year.    In this episode, we will discuss how Cheng got into sushi, an inspiring book that steered his career as a sushi chef, how he finds unique ingredients from Japan, such as seven-year-old vinegar and a rare sushi rice, the advantage of being non-Japanese as a sushi chef, how to eat confidently at an Omakase sushi bar and much, much more!!! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

People in this episode

Guest: Cheng Lin

Topics covered

• Michelin star
• sushi
• Omakase
• culinary arts
• Japanese cuisine

Keywords

• Michelin star
• sushi restaurant
• Omakase
• Japanese ingredients
• sushi chef

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Shota Omakase, Sushi Seki, Blue Ribbon, ITO Tribeca

Places: Brooklyn, New York

More episodes of Japan Eats!

• Why Is Japanese Wine So Hot Right Now? · June 12, 2026 · 54 min
• Making Waves in the Latte-Driven Matcha Boom: An Italian Woman Introduces Authentic Japanese Tea Culture · April 6, 2026 · 26 min
• Food Is The Foundation Of Our Mindfulness: Zen Monk Masaki Matsubara · February 20, 2026 · 50 min
• Crafting Shogun-Selected Barrel Aged Soy Sauce For Over 330 Years · January 15, 2026 · 41 min
• Discovering Real Japan: The Oldest Izakaya, Fermentation Lab And Singing With Japanese Bluegrass Musicians · December 19, 2025 · 58 min
• Konbini Culture: Unwrapping Japan’s Unique Convenience Stores · December 4, 2025 · 56 min