Japanese chef shows how he built an empire with dish of rice and pork in garlic sauce
Japanese restaurant Sutadonya, founded in 1971, has won many fans with its Sutadon (rice with pork cooked in garlic sauce).
But it only expanded from three to 58 outlets across Japan - while still drawing long queues of eager customers - after Hideto Hayakawa took over the reins in 1995.
The Sutadon's success, says Hayakawa, lies in 'the use of whey-fed pork from northern Italy, which is usually used to make Parma ham and a garlic sauce made with a 40-year-old secret recipe'.
The veteran chef was in town on Thursday to launch a promotion in collaboration with Dondonya Shokudo, a casual dining restaurant chain in the city.
Hayakawa will be preparing his signature dish outside Japan for the first time. So locals interested in trying a bowl will not need an air ticket to Japan.
The Sutadon will be available at the six Dondonya Shokudo outlets from now until August 31.