Ono's work is "... a natural idiom for culinary poetry." - William Grimes, The New York Times

Tadashi Ono is a celebrated chef who has won plaudits for both his Japanese and French cooking in The New York Times, Gourmet, Food & Wine and other publications. Born and raised in Tokyo, Tadashi began training as a chef at the age of sixteen. He moved to Los Angeles in the eighties, cooking at the innovative French-Japanese fusion restaurant Le Petite Chaya and the legendary L'Orangerie.

Relocating to New York, he became the executive chef of La Caravelle, one of America's top French restaurants. After nine years there, Tadashi felt the pull of his Japanese cooking roots and opened up the fine dining restaurant Sono. In 2003 he launched Matsuri, where he introduced vibrant, modern Japanese cooking to wide acclaim. Tadashi is also the coauthor of "Japanese Hot Pots," (Ten Speed Press) a cookbook about Japan's beloved comfort food, which will be published in October 2009. Besides cooking, Tadashi is an accomplished potter and avid student of Japanese food culture. He considers the legendary Japanese chef, ceramicist and author Rosanjin his mentor and inspiration.