European Sushi Championships at The Niwaki restaurant

On Monday March 27, the first edition of the European Sushi Championships was held at THE NIWAKI restaurant, the ultimate Japanese destination in the Principality of Monaco.

During this competition bringing together candidates from ten European countries, Monaco, Italy, France, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Norway, Spain, Portugal and Belgium, the French candidate, Michael Pankar, won the trophy in front of a jury of international professionals.

Made up of:

• Mr. Hirotoshi Ogawa (president of the WSSI – World Sushi Skills Institute) Chef Kodera (sushi pioneer in Monaco)
• Chef Ippei Uemura (Chef of the Tabi restaurant in Marseille)
• Mr. Patrick Duval (founder of the Wasabi sushi school in Paris)
• Japanese writer Chihiro Masui
• The MOF potter Stéphane Montalto

Italian Diego Vianello was ranked second, followed by SORIN Zaharia (Romania) and Shandhi Peter de Costa (Poland) tied for third.

The 10 candidates were separated by 2 tests:

• preparatory test (60 minutes): preparation of raw materials. The chef must present to the jury all the products he will use during the next event. The fish will have to be cut in saku.
• creative test (60 minutes): the chef will have to offer on one or more plates 40 to 50 pieces of sushi including necessarily nigiri, maki, uramaki, kazari-maki, kazari-sushi, vegetarian sushi, as well as 15 pieces of sashimi.

The candidates presented two creative sushi as a “signature” on a separate plate for tasting. One of the “signature” sushi had to present a vegetarian recipe using Kopper Cress products.

It was in the restaurant THE NIWAKI, specialist in “Japanese couture cuisine”, that this unique event took place. A Monegasque establishment featuring a sushi counter headed by Chef Wagner Spadacio, winner of the titles of vice-world champion (2018) and French sushi champion (2017).