Shigeyuki Furukawa is the only person to bring home a nomination for the James Beard Award in Minnesota this year.

You’ll find him in the North Loop of Minneapolis at Kado No Mise.

The name means “corner shop” in Japanese. It’s a small space, and if you’re lucky enough to sit at the counter, you have a front row seat to the pursuit of perfection. 

On Tuesdays they do Kaiseki, a traditional tasting menu. Furukawa aims to share traditional Japanese food at the highest level possible. His food is where art meets function and even simple dishes are not easy.

He trained in Tokyo, Kyoto and New York, but never imagined he’d end up in Minneapolis. When he arrived he only knew one name: “Prince.”

Getting his products has gotten easier in the nine years since he’s opened up shop. It’s also gotten easier to share his food with a Minnesota audience. In the early days, some customers would complain about his food, but now Furukawa thinks they understand. 

“They want to have real Japanese food,” he said.