Worldly travels influence chef's borderless cuisine
Two weeks before D&J Bistro's scheduled opening in 1987, chef and co-owner Masato Suzuki was sidelined by a ruptured appendix.
Asked by one of his partners, Dominique Legeai, if they could still open on time, Suzuki said, "Why not?"
Perhaps he was misguided by his pain meds; but in any case, still suffering and unable to lift heavy pots or sacks of potatoes, Suzuki stepped up to the plate, literally, and hasn't stop for 22 years.
"This is how I am," says Suzuki, a Vernon Hills resident whose English is swirled with Asian accents. "If I am committed, I am committed as long as I can move."
Half Chinese, half Japanese, Suzuki grew up in China and Japan. He earned his chef's jacket at Hattori Nutrition College in Tokyo, the Japanese equivalent of the prestigious Culinary Institute of America.
Before opening D&J he worked for eight years with Dominique at the highly regarded Le Titi de Paris in Arlington Heights.
Today D&J Bistro has expanded from 3,200 to 6,800 square feet, with 220 seats and 25 on the patio, a survivor of numerous economic downturns and one ill-timed case of appendicitis.
Why become a chef? When I was 10 my mother took us back to Japan and had to make a living, so I had to make dinner for my brother and sister. My mother gave me a little budget for dinner, and I had to go to market every day. It is my biggest advantage, learning by needing to cook.
What is your culinary style? Borderless. I trained as a French chef, but I cook with global flair; Asia, South America, Eastern Europe -
What ingredient intrigues you now? Celery root. I puree it; I slice it julienne and mix with Dijon and mayonnaise to make a salad. I put some cream with it to make a gratin, I can dice it with other root vegetables and mix with lemon, oil and shallots to make a salad. It's kind of potato-ish, with a good flavor of celery, and a lot of fiber.
How has your menu evolved? When we opened we were very limited in fish - trout, salmon, white fish. And the sauces were very old classics - beurre blanc and Hollandaise. Now I serve barramundi, skate wing, Arctic char; sauces are lighter and sometimes I don't use one. Today I have walleye pike, sauted with herbs and shallots, accompanied with pureed celery root and water cress and apple salad.
Where do you find inspiration? When I travel to different countries. In the past year I have been to London, Portugal, the Caribbean and Alaska. In June I will travel to South Africa for three weeks to attend the World Cup soccer game and visit a winery in Cape Town.
What's your favorite pastime? Mountain hiking. I went to Glacier National Park last year, into Canada, and loved it; Canada is beautiful. But hiking in Tucson fascinates me, too. Dry mountains with cactuses are beautiful as well.
What are your favorite kitchen tools at home? A garlic crusher; I don't like my cutting board to get smelly; and a microplane cheese shredder. It doesn't get dull.
Tell us about this recipe: Seven Wonders Chopped Salad. We like to present this dish with all the ingredients neatly arranged in rows to showcase the different textures, colors and aromas, like a Cobb salad. It is very good because the cranberries and wheat berries are chewy, the arugula, tomatoes and corn really tease your palate. We mix it at the table.
Try this at home or at D&J Bistro, 466 S. Rand Road, Lake Zurich. (847) 438-8001.
• To recommend a chef to be profiled, write to food@dailyherald.com.
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