Nagashima Japanese Restaurant, Jericho

Born in Sendai, Japan, Makoto Kobayashi was raised in the oceanside city where it was once known to be Japan's number one tuna harvesting area. Makoto's mother was a Japanese chef and he would help in the kitchen for as fas back as he could remember. At sixteen, he attended Miyagi Chorishi Gakou, the number one culinary institute in northern Japan and became a Japanese chef and tempura specialist. Makoto worked at Tenkatsu as a tempura chef for three years before coming to America in 1976. He immediately picked up his tools and became a chef at Inagiku, the Japanese restaurant at the Waldorf Astoria. For about six years, he expanded his abilities as a Japanese chef at Inagiku, working with a variety of Japanese foods and sushi. In 1982, Makoto came to west Long Island where he worked in different Japanese restaurants. About 20 years ago in 1991, Makoto opened Nagashima in Jericho, Long Island where he continues to hone his skills to serve the best Japanese cuisine in Long Island..