The Journal · Pillar
Chef Yamamoto, behind the counter, and news from Aji Sushi MTL.
At Aji, four principles shape every decision: ma (restraint and negative space), shun (seasonality as compass), shokunin (the craftsman's lifelong dedication), and omotenashi (hospitality without expectation of return).
Aji opened in Rosemont with 14 seats and a single conviction: that the edomae tradition, served at the right scale and in the right neighbourhood, could become genuinely Montréalais.
A day at Aji begins with morning fish delivery, works through knife preparation and rice cooking, reaches its peak during service, and closes with care of the knives and the counter. Every step is preparation for the next.
Chef Yamamoto spent thirty years moving from teppanyaki to edomae sushi, training in Japan and Europe, before choosing Montréal and fourteen seats as the right scale for the cooking he wanted to do.
