Category Behind the Counter

The craft perspective: technique, philosophy, the chef’s world, ingredient stories

Behind the Counter

The Rice Was Touched More Than the Fish

Close-up, eye-level shot of an elderly chef's weathered, wet hands meticulously shaping a small, oval ball of seasoned sushi rice over a rustic wooden cutting board. The rice has a slight golden-brown hue, indicating the use of red vinegar, and a single slice of raw, pink tuna sits nearby on the dark wood. The chef wears a blue and white pinstriped sleeve, and the background is softly blurred, showing a warm, traditional Japanese kitchen setting with ceramic bowls and wooden utensils bathed in natural light.

I sat close enough to hear the faint sound of the willow blade moving through the flesh of a lean tuna. The cut took only a fraction of a second. The chef laid the ruby slice gently on his wooden…

Mei Lin Tan
April 9, 2026

Behind the Counter

A Brief Pause Before the Richest Course

Two people sit at a cozy, dimly lit izakaya counter, enjoying yakitori and drinks. A cook, surrounded by smoke, grills skewers in the background.

The rhythm of the meal had been firmly set. For an hour the chef moved with a steady and unbroken cadence. Slice the fish, press the rice, present the offering. We received each piece of subtle white fish and bright…

Mei Lin Tan
April 2, 2026

Behind the Counter

The Same Bowl Returned, Empty, Every Time

A close-up, eye-level shot shows a person’s hands gently holding a small, rustic ceramic bowl filled with clear liquid, likely water, over a weathered wooden table. The bowl is a deep mottled blue with a brown rim, and the water inside reflects a soft, warm light. On the textured grain of the light-brown table, a damp, circular ring stain is visible where the bowl previously sat, alongside a neatly folded grey cloth in the blurred background. The person, wearing a dark, long-sleeved garment, holds the bowl with both hands in a manner that suggests care or ritual, while the shallow depth of field keeps the focus tightly on the vessel and the interaction between the hands and the wooden surface.

I watched the master dip the tips of his fingers into a small ceramic bowl. The bowl itself was unremarkable. It was glazed in a muted indigo with a slightly uneven rim that suggested it was shaped by hand. The…

Mei Lin Tan
March 23, 2026

Behind the Counter

Nothing Was Explained, Yet Everything Was Clear

In a warm, traditional Japanese kitchen, two chefs in white uniforms stand behind a light wooden counter during a moment of silent, disciplined transition. The chef on the right carefully presents a long, slender Yanagiba (sashimi knife) with both hands, offering the dark-handled blade horizontally for inspection. The chef on the left holds an open hand ready to receive it, their focus directed toward the precision of the tool. In the foreground, a whole, fresh red sea bream rests on a dark wooden cutting board, while another long blade lies flat on the counter nearby. The background reveals organized wooden shelves stocked with ceramic bowls, emphasizing a professional atmosphere of culinary craft and unspoken apprenticeship.

The chef did not look up from the cutting board when he needed the next knife. He simply shifted his weight slightly to the right and left his hand open in the empty space above the cypress wood. The apprentice…

Mei Lin Tan
March 19, 2026

Behind the Counter

Every Towel Folded the Same Way

Eye-level medium shot of a sushi chef in a dark navy samue uniform and cream-colored apron. He is standing at a light wood prep counter, pressing his hands flat against a clean, folded white towel. To his right, a stack of identical, neatly folded white towels sits on a deep red lacquer tray. In the blurred background, another chef is visible working at a separate station, emphasizing the organized, rhythmic atmosphere of a professional kitchen.

I watched the apprentice in the far corner of the room while the master prepared the opening course. The young man stood in silence beside a deep wooden basin. He held a stack of plain white cotton cloths. He took…

Mei Lin Tan
March 12, 2026

Behind the Counter

The Knife Never Hesitated

A close-up of a chef’s hands using a long, thin knife to precisely slice a block of fresh, raw red tuna on a wooden cutting board.

I watched the blade hover for a fraction of a second above the block of tuna. It was not a pause of uncertainty. It was a gathering of breath. The chef did not measure the distance with a ruler or…

Mei Lin Tan
March 5, 2026

Behind the Counter

I Realised the Order Was Decided Long Before I Sat Down

A chef's gloved hand uses chopsticks to garnish three pieces of salmon nigiri resting on a white plate atop a wooden counter.

From my seat at the counter, I am always aware of time passing in different rhythms. There is the sharp, purposeful pace of the chef’s hands during service, every motion precise and counted. Then there is the quieter, the unseen…

Mei Lin Tan
February 27, 2026

Behind the Counter

The First Time I Didn’t Ask What Was Coming Next

A chef's hand placing a piece of Sayori (Japanese halfbeak) nigiri sushi, featuring a knot of silver-skinned fish over seasoned rice, onto a square black plate.

I used to be a student of the menu. Whether it was a leather bound tome or a single sheet of paper, my mind would race ahead, charting the course of the meal. I would anticipate the arrival of each…

Tracy Ann Lim
February 25, 2026

Behind the Counter

No One Rushed, Even When the Room Was Full

A professional sushi chef preparing fresh nigiri at a polished wooden omakase counter for a group of seated diners in a dimly lit, authentic Japanese restaurant.

The counter was completely occupied, a seamless line of shoulders from one end of the polished wood to the other. In most restaurants, a full house translates to a subtle escalation of energy. You feel it in the brisk pace…

Mei Lin Tan
February 19, 2026