Chef Shota is the owner of Taku and Kobo Pizza in Seattle and a three-time James Beard Foundation Awards semi-finalist. In 2023 he placed in the top 8 in Food Network's Tournament of Champions competition show. He has received an Eater 'Young Guns' award, a Zagat's '30 Under 30' chef designation, and competed on Iron Chef Gauntlet and Beat Bobby Flay. In 2021 he was named one of 'The Most Influential People in Seattle' by Seattle Met Magazine. Chef Shota seizes every opportunity to get outside and forage or fish, alongside his border collie Dodger, taking advantage of the abundance of wild goods in Washington's mountains and waters.