{{short description|Japanese personal and business chef (born 1969)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}} {{Infobox person | name = Fumiko Kono | image = | alt = | caption = | birth_name = 狐野扶実子 | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1969|08|25}} | birth_place = Tokyo, Japan | death_date = <!-- {{Death date and age|df=yes|YYYY|MM|DD|YYYY|MM|DD}} (death date then birth date) --> | death_place = | other_names = | occupation = chef | years_active = 1997–present | known_for = Japanese-French fusion | notable_works = }} '''Fumiko Kono''' ({{langx|ja|狐野扶実子}} born 1969) is a Japanese personal and business chef who prepares fusion dishes of French and Japanese cuisine. Classically trained at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris, she has cooked for celebrities throughout the world, been the featured subject of documentaries, and has written her own cookbooks.
==Early life== Fumiko Kono was born on 25 August 1969 in Tokyo, Japan.{{sfn|Lelièvre|2006}}{{sfn|''Elle''|2009}} As a child, Kono, who plays the cello wanted to become a musician,{{sfn|Gaudry|2015}} but she also gained an appreciation and love of food from her great-uncle, Tatsujiro. As her grandfather had died during World War II, her great-uncle filled his place in her life, teaching her about combining high-quality ingredients. He was an untrained cook, but had a refined palate and used fresh herbs to season his dishes, teaching Kono that flavor mixing was not arbitrary, but due to skill.{{sfn|Lelièvre|2006}} She graduated in 1993 from Seijo University{{sfn|''News Store''|2012}} with diplomas in English literature and linguistics.{{efn|''News Store'' says that she graduated from the Department of English at the university's Faculty of Arts and Literature, not that she acquired two diplomas.{{sfn|''News Store''|2012}}}}{{dubious|reason=The sources appear to contradict each other on this point. Double-majoring and graduating with two diplomas is pretty rare in Japan and it seems unusual that NS would give her academic background without elaborating on that.|date=December 2019}} She moved to France that same year to begin studies on French civilization{{efn|''News Store'' says that she studied abroad with the intention of learning the French language.{{sfn|''News Store''|2012}}}}{{dubious|reason=The sources appear to contradict each other on this point.|date=December 2019}} and had plans to become a journalist. Without any prior knowledge of French, Kono rented a studio apartment on Rue Vieille-du-Temple,{{sfn|Lelièvre|2006}} decided to remain in France and married a Japanese journalist, who was based in Paris.{{sfn|''Elle''|2009}} After being invited to dinner at L'Arpège, she discovered French cuisine and decided to enroll in classes at Le Cordon Bleu,{{sfn|Lelièvre|2006}} graduating with honors in 1997.{{sfn|''News Store''|2012}}
==Career== Kono made her restaurant debut with chef Reine Sammut in 1997 and soon after went to work for Alain Passard as a kitchen assistant.{{sfn|''Elle''|2009}} Passard's philosophy was similar to her great-uncle's, in that he taught her that artistry must come from quality products. He taught her that colors, shapes, odors, and taste must be rigorously selected.{{sfn|Godineau|2004}} She studied with him for three years, working her way up the ladder at his restaurant L'Arpège to become his second chef. She did not like being in charge of other employees and left after a few months to begin working as a personal chef. Taking on international clients, Kono traveled worldwide cooking for celebrities,{{sfn|''Elle''|2009}} like Dany Boon, Bernadette Chirac, Judith Godrèche and others.{{sfn|Gaudry|2015}} In 2004, she designed a menu with French chef Richard Pommiès for Laurent Taieb's restaurant "Le Kong", which features Japanese-French fusion cuisine.{{sfn|Godineau|2004}}{{sfn|Labourdette|2007|p=25}} The following year, Frédéric Laffont produced a documentary about her as part of his series "Secrets de cuisine" which was broadcast on France 5.{{sfn|''Elle''|2009}} In 2005, Fauchon hired her as head chef of salty products and she revised several of their standards catering options,{{sfn|Gaudry|2015}} to create a lighter more international flair. She cooked risottos with Japanese rice, developed a lighter version of the house specialty Norwegian eggs and created a best-seller in the catering department, skewers of scallops with lemongrass.{{sfn|Lelièvre|2006}}
Kono began publishing cookbooks in 2007 with her most noted publication being ''La Cuisine de Fumiko'' (2009).{{sfn|''Elle''|2009}} In 2009, she was recruited to teach at the Alain Ducasse chef's cooking school on Rue de Longchamp in Paris and the following year, Kono opened a bistro, "Benoit", in Tokyo{{sfn|Gaudry|2015}} making her permanent home in Japan. She continued to travel acting as a personal chef for private functions worldwide,{{sfn|''Elle''|2009}} wrote food editorials, a guide to Parisian restaurants, and participated in several Japanese cooking shows. Kono has served as a guest chef for the Galeries Lafayette in Paris and Maison Hermès of Tokyo.{{sfn|Gaudry|2015}}{{sfn|Hellman|2010}} Since 2013, Kono has been one of the chefs creating food for Japan Airlines and in 2016, introduced a children's menu for the company.{{sfn|Webb|2014}}{{sfn|''eTN Global Travel News''|2016}} In 2014, she was asked by Ducasse to participate in an event held at the Palace of Versailles to celebrate French gastromony. Ducasse also offered Kono a six-month-long contract to serve as guest chef for the patio at his Plaza Athénée hotel in Paris.{{sfn|Gaudry|2015}} Kono's menu was so successful, two years later it was still served as part of the offerings of chef Mathieu Emeraud for the Garden Courtyard of Plaza Athénée.{{sfn|Beaudoin|2016}}
==Selected works== *{{cite book|last1=Kono|first1=Fumiko|title=Fumiko no yawarakana yubi: Ryōri no umareru fūkei|date=2007|publisher=Asahi Shuppansha|location=Tōkyō, Japan|language=Japanese|isbn=978-4-255-00384-9}} *{{cite book|last1=Kono|first1=Fumiko|last2=Gaudry|first2=François-Régis|title=La Cuisine de Fumiko|year=2009|publisher=Editions Albin Michel|location=Paris, France|language=French|isbn=978-2-226-18768-0}} *{{cite book|last1=Kono|first1=Fumiko|last2=Hall|first2=Jean-Blaise|title=Die fabelhaften Rezepte der Fumiko|year=2010|publisher=Collection Rolf Heyne|location=Munich, Germany|language=German|isbn=978-3-899-10467-7}} *{{cite book|last=Kono|first=Fumiko|title=Fumiko's Kitchen: kono fumiko no bisutoro ryōri|year=2011|publisher=Purejidentosha |location=Tokyo, Japan|language=Japanese|isbn=978-4-833-45046-1}} *{{cite book|last1=Fumiko|first1=Kono|title=Sekai shutchō ryōrinin|date=2014|publisher=Kadokawa|location=Tōkyō, Japan|isbn=978-4-041-10554-2|language=Japanese}}
== Notes == {{reflist|group=note}} {{Notelist}}
== References == ===Citations=== {{Reflist|30em}}
===Bibliography=== {{refbegin|30em}} *{{cite journal|last1=Beaudoin |first1=Maurice |title=L'enchantement de La Cour Jardin du Plaza Athénée à Paris |journal=Le Figaro Magazine |date=14 July 2016 |url=http://www.lefigaro.fr/gastronomie/2016/07/14/30005-20160714ARTFIG00011-l-enchantement-de-la-cour-jardin-du-plaza-athenee-a-paris.php |access-date=21 November 2016 |publisher=Figaro Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160919071048/http://www.lefigaro.fr/gastronomie/2016/07/14/30005-20160714ARTFIG00011-l-enchantement-de-la-cour-jardin-du-plaza-athenee-a-paris.php |archive-date=19 September 2016 |location=Paris, France |language=French |trans-title=The enchantment of the Courtyard Garden of the Plaza Athénée in Paris |url-status=dead }} *{{cite magazine|last1=Gaudry |first1=François-Régis |title=Le voyage de Fumiko Kono, du Japon à la Cour Jardin du Plaza Athénée |url=http://www.lexpress.fr/styles/saveurs/le-voyage-de-fumiko-kono-a-la-brasserie-du-plaza-athenee_1685666.html |access-date=21 November 2016 |magazine=L'Express |date=3 June 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160206201231/http://www.lexpress.fr/styles/saveurs/le-voyage-de-fumiko-kono-a-la-brasserie-du-plaza-athenee_1685666.html |archive-date=6 February 2016 |location=Paris, France |language=French |trans-title=The journey of Fumiko Kono, from Japan to the Garden Court of the Plaza Athénée |url-status=dead }} *{{cite journal|last1=Godineau |first1=Emilie |title=Fumiko Kono |journal=Journal des Femmes |date=May 2004 |url=http://cuisine.journaldesfemmes.com/magazine/itvw/it_kono.shtml |access-date=21 November 2016 |publisher=CCM Benchmark Group |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303200341/http://cuisine.journaldesfemmes.com/magazine/itvw/it_kono.shtml |archive-date=3 March 2016 |location=Paris, France |language=French |url-status=dead }} *{{cite news|last1=Hellman |first1=Peter |title=How to Be a Gourmet in the Paris Stores |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704324304575306623895086854 |access-date=21 November 2016 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal |date=29 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121214104/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748704324304575306623895086854 |archive-date=21 November 2016 |location=New York City, New York |url-status=dead }} *{{cite book|last=Labourdette|first=Jean-Paul |title=Paris Nuit|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=376Bs1xBYhsC&pg=PA25|year=2007|publisher=Petit Futé|location=Paris, France|language=French|isbn=978-2-7469-1882-5}} *{{cite magazine|last1=Lelièvre |first1=Marie-Dominique |title=Fumiko Kono cuisinière zen |url=http://www.lexpress.fr/styles/saveurs/restaurant/fumiko-kono-cuisiniere-zen_479673.html |access-date=21 November 2016 |magazine=L'Express |date=2 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160630103557/http://www.lexpress.fr/styles/saveurs/restaurant/fumiko-kono-cuisiniere-zen_479673.html |archive-date=30 June 2016 |location=Paris, France |language=French |trans-title=Fumiko Kono chef of Zen |url-status=dead }} *{{cite web|last1=Webb|first1=Sally|title=Airline food: Chefs striving to improve mile high meals|url=http://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/themes/food/64142445/airline-food-chefs-striving-to-improve-mile-high-meals|website=Stuff|publisher=Fairfax Media New Zealand Limited|access-date=21 November 2016|location=Wellington, New Zealand|date=14 December 2014}} *{{cite news|ref={{harvid|''eTN Global Travel News''|2016}} |title=JAL introduces new child meal menus developed by its star chefs |url=http://www.eturbonews.com/70580/jal-introduces-new-child-meal-menus-developed-its-star-chefs |access-date=21 November 2016 |publisher=eTN Global Travel News |date=21 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422154915/http://www.eturbonews.com/70580/jal-introduces-new-child-meal-menus-developed-its-star-chefs |archive-date=22 April 2016 |url-status=dead }} *{{cite magazine|ref={{harvid|''Elle''|2009}} |title=Personnalites: Fumiko Kono |url=http://www.elle.fr/Personnalites/Fumiko-Kono |magazine=Elle |access-date=21 November 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160413142823/http://www.elle.fr/Personnalites/Fumiko-Kono |archive-date=13 April 2016 |location=Paris, France |language=French |date=23 September 2009 |url-status=dead }} *{{cite news|ref={{harvid|''News Store''|2012}} |title=料理プロデューサー狐野扶実子とは？夫は？プロフィール |url=http://depanew.com/805.html |access-date=21 November 2016 |publisher=ニュースのデパート(News Store) |date=12 June 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160618151635/http://depanew.com/805.html |archive-date=18 June 2016 |location=Japan |language=Japanese |trans-title=What is cooking chef Fumiko Kono? Who is your husband? Profile |url-status=dead }} {{refend}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kono, Fumiko}} Category:1969 births Category:Living people Category:Chefs from Tokyo Category:University of Paris alumni Category:Alumni of Le Cordon Bleu Category:Japanese women chefs Category:Cookbook writers Category:21st-century Japanese women writers Category:Women food writers Category:Seijo University alumni Category:Japanese food writers