Out of five nominees for this year’s James Beard Award for Best Chef: Midwest, three specialize in sushi and Japanese cuisine. Among them is Shigeyuki Furukawa, the only Minnesota chef named a finalist this year in any category. This is the second year in a row he’s been nominated. Karyn Tomlinson of Myriel in St. Paul won the award in 2025.

Furukawa co-owns Kado no Mise, which means “corner restaurant” in Japanese. Wednesdays through Sundays, he and his team serve a tasting menu of delicate, traditional sushi. On Tuesdays, they offer a different concept: ten courses drawn from a centuries-old cooking tradition called “kaiseki.” He also has a Japanese whiskey bar tucked in the same building.

Chef Furukawa joined MPR News host Nina Moini to talk about the nomination and his approach to food.