Great meals rarely happen by accident. Behind every plate that lingers in your memory is someone who has spent years chasing precision and flavour in equal measure. Chef Shusuke Kubota is one of those people, and within a year of leading his own kitchen he had already earned the MICHELIN Guide Singapore Young Chef Award, the kind of story that reminds you why a single evening out can stay with you for years.
Growing up in the Nagano countryside, Chef Shu’s earliest memories of food came from his grandparents’ vegetable fields and rice paddies, where picking fresh produce was simply part of everyday life. It did not feel remarkable at the time, but looking back, he realises he grew up surrounded by seasonal ingredients, a connection to the land that still shapes how he sees food today.
From Baseball to the Kitchen
Before cooking, there was baseball. Chef Shu credits the sport with teaching him the value of committing fully to one thing, though his frame ruled out a professional career. What stayed with him was a love of making things with his hands, and the idea of creating something from nothing for people to enjoy. Once he stepped into professional kitchens, that same commitment simply never left him.
Shaped by Kitchens Across Japan and France
His training took him from the Tsuji Culinary Institute through some of the most demanding kitchens in Europe and Asia, including Les Crayères in Champagne and L’Atelier d’Edmond in the French Alps, before returning to Tokyo as Sous Chef at Sincère. For diners exploring a Japanese restaurant in Singapore, that kind of grounding across both culinary worlds is rare to find in one chef.
A Mentor Who Shaped His Thinking
Chef Shu is quick to say no single person shaped him alone, but if pressed, he points to Chef Shinsuke Ishii at Sincère. It was not just Ishii’s skill that stayed with him, but the effort he brought to everything, his positivity, and his quiet advocacy for sustainable seafood. Watching one chef take that kind of initiative taught Chef Shu what good leadership looks like.
Recognition Within a Year
That grounding paid off quickly. Within a year of taking the helm at Loca Niru, Chef Shu was named the recipient of the MICHELIN Young Chef Award 2026, a rare distinction for a chef so early into leading his own kitchen. It follows an earlier mark of promise back in Japan, where he placed runner-up in the RED-35 competition in 2022, a contest recognising the country’s most promising chefs under 35.
Still Discovering His Own Voice
Ask Chef Shu to define his culinary identity, and he will tell you honestly that he is still discovering it. What he does know is that his cooking sits rooted in Japan, layered with French technique, and shaped by his years in Singapore, not as separate elements placed side by side, but as something that feels natural together. Before working with a local ingredient, he researches its cultural background and asks his team how it is traditionally used, because people who grew up eating something can offer ideas he would never find alone.
Experience It for Yourself
Today, Chef Shu leads the kitchen at Loca Niru, housed within the historic House of Tan Yeok Nee. Make your reservation at Loca Niru today and experience his blend of Japanese precision and French finesse firsthand. Reservations are highly encourag