Jul 13, 2024
Traditional Italian: Gnocchi Verdi
Hiro at Work
Hiro’s Millefeuille: A Work of Precision
Private Chef Hiro in a Tuscan Villa Kitchen
Where East Meets West
Hiro Shikata arrived in Italy in 1995 after gaining experience in kitchens in Japan and an Italian restaurant in Singapore. Following a stint in Sicily, he traveled north but soon found himself broke in Rome. He decided to dine at a renowned restaurant and, when the bill arrived, offered to work in the kitchen to pay it off. The restaurant owner accepted his offer, and nearly 30 years later, Hiro still calls Italy home.
His culinary journey has taken him from rustic trattorias and simple osterias to renowned Michelin-starred establishments and back again. Today, he works as a private chef between Siena and the Val d’Orcia, where he has gained a reputation for his unique fusion of Eastern and Western cuisines.
During the off-season, the talented Japanese chef often works abroad. My sister, Victoria Trauttmansdorff, a well-known actress in Germany, met Hiro on a film set near St. Moritz in the Swiss Alps. Together with his wife, Emiko, and their two daughters, they provided catering for the film crew at a winter campsite situated 2000 meters above sea level—an adventure I plan to share more about soon.
When my sister learned that the Shikata family was based in Tuscany, she messaged me urgently: ‘I’ve found the perfect private chef for Trust&Travel!’ Despite being deep in the snow, the talented Shikata family delivered the finest film set catering that my sister has experienced in her impressive four-decade-long career.
PRIVATE CHEF HIRO: Visit Hiro’s website to book him for a private chef service, a cooking class in Tuscany, or exciting culinary projects around the globe.
