about

Chef Tetsu Mori

“My passion is to feed people!”
Born in Sendai, Japan, Tetsu first found his passion for cooking at the young age of 10. His first attempt at creating a meal consisted of traditional Japanese noodles, called ramen. Although the meal was a far cry from what he is preparing today in the kitchen of Zen 8, where he has held the title of Executive Chef for the past 7 years, it nevertheless sparked an urge to pursue a passion in the culinary arts.

Tetsu’s career first began to blossom at Hagitei, in Sendai where, under the tutelage of the Oyakata (Executive Chef), he mastered the art of traditional Japanese cuisine in the forms of sushi, sashimi, and shojin ryori. Tetsu spent the next 5 years there honing his skills before moving to Canada.

Landing in Vancouver, BC; Tetsu, after a few short stints in Whistler and Jasper, refined his training to produce dishes pleasing to the North American palate.

“I love the challenge of making new dishes, I love the look on a guest’s face as they take a bite into a dish I have specially prepared for them and I love to talk to my guest’s about what they enjoy most about food!”

Tetsu continues to drive his passion of feeding people with his ever changing mix of ideas, combining traditional with modern techniques, and his irresistible charm. As you step through the doors of Zen 8 you can be sure the first voice to yell out “Ira-Shai-Imasai” (welcome!) will that of the Executive Chef, Tetsu Mori.