Kitchen Stories: The sommelier who majored in psychology
I first encountered Ronald Kamiyama several years agone at the feted L'Effervescence in Tokyo. What was an impeccably-suited, English-speaking Peruvian-Japanese sommelier doing at a three-Michelin-star eatery? Well, performing a mesmerising green tea ceremony, for ane matter.
After serving usa an unforgettable meal, Kamiyama brought it to a climatic ending with his sharply focused rendition of the classical Japanese matcha grinding, steeping and pouring ritual that dates back to the 9th century. Information technology was spellbinding.
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Imagine my surprise, then, when I sighted him a twelvemonth later in Singapore at the opening of pasta and wine joint Bar Cicheti. He had moved hither to join The Cicheti Group as a partner, to caput their restaurants' vino programmes and help grow the business organisation.
Turns out there was probably no person in the world more than suited for the job.
THE THRILL OF A Claiming
Kamiyama, 40, had started his wine career in New York Urban center within Daniel Boulud'due south culinary empire before joining upwardly with Mario Batali's B&B Hospitality Group and working his manner up to head sommelier at Babbo. When the group opened Osteria Mozza and Pizzeria Mozza at Marina Bay Sands, Kamiyama was asked to relocate to Singapore to be the wine director.
Following a two-yr stint at Mozza, he decided to spend some fourth dimension in Tokyo with his family unit, and although he wasn't looking for a chore, Michelin-star restaurants fought to rent him because of his language ability.
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How did he land at Fifty'Effervescence, where chef Namae Shinobu serves up soul-touching dishes of Japanese ingredients cooked with French techniques?
"I had dinner at L'Effervescence and the dark-green tea ceremony truly amazed me," he said. "What other place in F&B would practise something like this? I was so amazed. I felt similar I had achieved the mecca of hospitality."
Then information technology came to be that after grooming under a 20th-generation dark-green tea master at a 500-yr-old school, he came to be extending this hospitality to me.
Simply for Kamiyama, Michelin-star restaurants are been-in that location-done-that.
When he was invited to join upwardly with The Cicheti Group's other managing partners, Singaporean Liling Ong and her cousin, chef Lim Yew Aun – and his married woman coincidentally got a job posting here around the same fourth dimension, he said yeah.
"I've always worked with pinnacle chefs – Daniel Boulud, Mario Batali, Namae-san – but for me, it's more challenging to work with a grouping that wants to become that. I can brand it happen, from all my experience," he said.
It certainly looks like it's happening, with the recent opening of the group'southward latest concept, Wild Child Pizzette at Circular Route, and some other top-secret projection in the works.
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"What I love is that it's a local family – at that place are no Italians in this Italian joint, and I don't remember information technology'southward necessary," Kamiyama said.
"These are people who are then passionate most Italian cuisine and civilisation that I am more impressed by looking at that. I beloved the fact that yous are not from that part of the world but you can practise it well. I think information technology has to do with the person's passion, not the race. I tin confidently say I know a lot nigh Italian wines, more than many Italians, as well. Then, when I come across these guys bring Italian culture and cuisine to a level where it'southward quite impressive, I like information technology, and I can exist proud of it. Information technology but takes a lot of hard work, delivery and cede."
PSYCHOLOGY AND SOMMELIER-ING
Kamiyama himself has always been a global citizen – although his educational groundwork has zip to do with restaurants or wine.
His father'southward family emigrated from Okinawa to Lima, Peru, where his father met and married his Peruvian mother. Kamiyama was born in Lima merely the family moved to the US, where he grew up in New Bailiwick of jersey speaking English, Spanish and uncomplicated Japanese.
He graduated from Rutgers University with a Bachelors of Science, majoring in psychology.
"I find the man mind quite fascinating. To exist able to communicate with someone, or try to understand people ameliorate – I find it quite intriguing. You know, when people argue or relationships don't work well, there are always reasons behind," he said.
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He paid his mode through schoolhouse, working equally a system researcher for the cognitive department at Rutgers University and at a local restaurant. "In the mornings, I would accept classes, and then in the evenings, I would piece of work in the eatery," he said.
A psychology background undoubtedly helps when he'due south wearing his sommelier hat.
Reading the customer, for instance, is a huge part of the job. Based on little things like the kind of h2o they order and the questions they enquire nearly the menu, he tin predict, based on the patterns he's observed through serving thousands of guests, what their preferences might exist.
"If someone says, 'I like something smooth', I know they don't similar acid or tannins. 'I want something interesting' – oh, they're into natural wines. All these footling questions that I've been asked millions of times in the past – by now, I know.
"The number i question that I'd say tells me about the person is when they say, 'What's good?' Information technology tells me that the person wants to put his night'southward experience in your hands. Every bit long as I can explain why I chose something, this person is going to savour the dark. Sometimes, people observe it difficult to express what they similar, so you kind of have to bring it out from little statements they make. No ane is going to come and say, 'I want something floral, aromatic, from high altitude vineyards'."
Just like in his school days, "Nosotros have a lot of research and information analysis – basically what works, what doesn't piece of work. If it doesn't work, change information technology. And continue evolving – don't stick to just the same concept. I'k e'er looking at what's coming in".
There are sommeliers who choose wines based on what they themselves similar, but being practiced at the chore means "you have to learn to exist function of your team. You take to understand your chef's cuisine. You lot have to understand who your customer base of operations is".
Practice sommeliers read people for cues based on their appearance? "I remember when I was working in New York, my mentors, the head sommeliers, would say, 'You see the sentry, or the band, on the lady? Now, y'all tin can push button the sales. Don't exist shy! 96 Dom Perignon? Of grade!'" He laughed. "Of class, that shouldn't exist the way, and that doesn't always piece of work, but I know in this manufacture, people do that."
DISRUPTING, DEFYING, DEMOCRATISING
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More interesting for Kamiyama is surprising people, or getting them to see things a little differently.
For example, he likes to play what he calls the "blinders game", where guests get to approximate what wine they've been served, and enjoy a discount if they get it right.
"We ask them, 'What practise you think the grape is? What land, what region, do you retrieve it'southward from, and ultimately, which producer? And as it gets us more difficult, you get more discounts – 10, 20, 30 or 50 per cent off. It'due south a game that every sommelier always plays – a sommelier learns about wines blindly. Many manufacture people come up in and get the blinder. We have regulars who come up every week and will order the blinder for fun – they don't care virtually the discounts. Depending on who'due south at the table, considering I can read the guests, I make it simple or difficult. If it's a sommelier at the tabular array, I'thou not going to go far piece of cake!"
At Cicheti, where the focus is on native Italian grapes, "You'll discover Verdicchio, Teroldego, things that people are not very familiar with, but whose flavours are very similar to a grape that they are familiar with, so if someone comes in and says, I want Sauvignon Blanc past the glass, I'll say, 'Why don't y'all endeavour this Verdicchio from Castelli di Jesi?"
Bar Cicheti is a place where people can learn more while having fun, and then there are things similar orange wines and Pet-Nats. "I do the blinders game and the 'sommakase' tasting so that you're not just going in that location to drinkable whatever wine, you're going there to experience something new, and hopefully to come up out at that place and say, 'I didn't know that Pinot Grigio, when it's macerated through the skins, turns red'; or, 'Oh, wow, I've always been disgusted by orange wines, I hate their smell, just this ane was actually really make clean and pleasant and calorie-free'; or, 'I've never had a Japanese wine from a native Japanese grape. But I had that at Bar Cicheti'."
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And at Wild Kid Pizzette, which is much more of a casual hangout, there are beers every bit well equally "the kind of sake that I used to work with at L'Effervescence – you know, the kind of place where you spend over S$250 per caput. I said, 'People don't desire to spend so much'. Try these amazing products. I can bring those products and sell them for affordable prices."
Role of the fun for him is in finding affordable alternatives to large-proper name wines that taste highly like.
He once had a customer who said, "'I want to taste Petrus, just I desire to but pay 85 bucks.' I was like, 'Ha, ha – but I know what you mean. I'm going to make it happen. I have something from Fronsac, it's really on the correct banking concern in Bordeaux as well. (The customer) was like, 'Wow. I was kind of joking, but it's perfect'."
What does Kamiyama himself drink on his own time? Only tea, java and water, he said with a laugh.
"Once you get to the point where you have a family unit and a kid – I merely want to slumber early. Of course I accept some wines at dwelling house, simply they're just sitting there, and I only bring them out if I'm going to go out and drink with friends. I think tea is the non-alcoholic beverage that'south closest to wine. The terroir and the land information technology comes from matters, the fashion they care for it is just like grapes. Information technology all matters."
Still, he's thinking of adding a Chief'south in oenology to his CV. And the dream, of course, is to retire on his ain vineyard.
I can't look to gustation the vintages from Chateau Kamiyama. But for now, a sip or three off of Kamiyama's advisedly curated drinks list at Wild Child Pizzette, paired with the deliciously hot and crisp pizza slices, volition have to do.
Wild Child Pizzette is at 50 Circular Route.
Source: https://cnalifestyle.channelnewsasia.com/dining/cicheti-ronald-kamiyama-sommelier-282551
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