Kenta and Michelle met in 2001 and got to know one another in a tiny kitchen at the back of a dark artists’ loft space called the Cave, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. When he wasn’t busy performing improvised music or creating sound for dance and performance, Kenta was working hard to perfect his ‘takoyaki’ (Japanese octopus fritters) technique. He was obsessed. Michelle, also working as a sound artist, composer, and performer, was happy to be the official food taster. In 2002 they got married and have been cooking for each other—and along the way two lovely kids—ever since.

With no formal food training, Michelle and Kenta draw from their diverse culinary interests to create delicious, unique, and meticulously crafted foods.

Michelle brings a love of pastry and baking to the table, along with a fascination with color and texture. Her flaky hand pies stuffed with delectable local meats and seasonal veggies are a perennial favorite, while her salads, sauces, and grain bowls are a staple at the Troy Farmer’s Market. Michelle’s Spanish heritage (plus a good dose of Puerto Rican cultural heritage) and a year spent living in rural Japan have shaped her cooking and food philosophy enormously. Michelle loves to prepare and serve food that makes people feel good—about themselves, and about their place in the world.

As a native of Japan, Kenta has a passion for developing each element of a dish to it’s fullest, from broth, to seasonings, grains, vegetables, or protein. His work with meat and fish is characterized by thoughtful handling and detailed preparation, and the mantra to leave “nothing but the shadow” anchors his belief that every part of an animal can have culinary value. Having recently re-connected to the foods of his hometown region of Niigata, Kenta is deeply interested in traditional methods of fermenting and cooking. A naturally curious eater, Kenta samples, researches, and prepares foods from all over the world.