Hi everyone!
Let me introduce myself!My Name is Nana Tanaka. I’m half Japanese and half Filipino. I was born In Japan but moved to Manila, Philippines when I was three. That’s why I spent most of the time growing up in the Philippines.
Philippines is a country where everyone loves to celebrate occasions and different kinds of festivals. But Veganism is not so in demand and not yet known by the locals. So growing up in a country where meat dishes are popular and part of the culture, it is very difficult for me to adjust at first to this what we called Veganism. Actually this word is still very fresh to me.
I studied Bachelor in Science International Hospitality Management Major in Culinary Arts at Enderun Colleges. Our main focus was to study French Cuisine which we used so many kinds of meats, poultries, seafoods and other non-vegetarian products. During that time, I only know that Veganism is for healthy diets, religious reasons etc. I don’t have this kind of awareness so I cooked what I want, and eat what I want to eat. I worked as a part-time in a Japanese Cafe, I also worked in a French fine dining restaurant (were I worked in both cold and hot section) I also worked in Pastry section during my day-off for a volunteer work to further my knowledge in baking and pastry.
So moving forward, I moved back to Japan year 2017. A sudden opportunity came which actually thrilled me because it was really on my list of goal to work in Japan, particularly in Tokyo and of course, might as well grab this chance to know more about the other half of me. To know more about the culture, language and its cuisine.
My first job in Tokyo was at the Apollo Ginza. A modern Greek restaurant originated from Australia. It was really is a challenge for me because I didn’t had any idea about Greek food plus, I can’t speak Nihonggo (Japanese)yet at that time so everyday was a challenge. In Apollo, I really learned an ample of things about the ingredients, the cuisine itself and of course different kind of cooking techniques. Undoubtedly, not everything you learn in school is the same when it comes to the actual reality. You need to adjust, keep up and ready to learn new things every single day.
Basically, The Apollo Ginza was my stepping stone. After two years, I worked at the Westin Hotel Tokyo. Our restaurant was the main outlet of the hotel since it was an international buffet restaurant. From breakfast, lunch, dessert buffet and dinner, we serve various kinds of food. So from there, I gained more knowledge about international cuisines, met numerous people from this industry and that’s where I heard more about Veganism.
The people I met in this field including my present partner started to open their Vegan restaurant. During my off, I was helping them for their R&D (Research and Development) for their recipes. During that time, that’s where I got interested in Veganism. How do you re-create dishes without using things we usually use when we cook like dairy products, meat stocks, and any other animal products? How do you make it vegan? How do you make it flavorful? And that’s the time it challenged me as a person, who’s been working years in the kitchen to further my knowledge about this.
Since then, I enjoy re-creating dishes into vegan and at the same time discovered my interest in baking and pastries. A lot of people really appreciate my desserts most especially my family, friends and colleagues. The thing I love the most about cooking and baking are the reactions and compliments from the people who taste your food. That is the most priceless reward for me that makes me more driven, like a source of power to create more.
So ,ever since I started helping out in their Vegan restaurant, It helps me to know more about veganism. I searched, watched documentaries about how cruel human beings to animals. How these pure animals being treated just for the sake of creating products for us, humans. It made me feel horrible and guilty for consuming animal products all this time. It opened my eyes and made me realized that we should stop this NOW. IF NOT NOW, THEN WHEN?
Seeing these kind of things moved me. I started not to eat meats this year of 2021, made me more aware of the products that I use and in some certain ways made me more connected to the nature.I think it is not too late for everyone to start too. It is tremendously difficult at first, but let’s trust the process and encourage others! This is the reason why I created this VegaNice project. To influence others about veganism through cooking incredible vegan food!
So join me! Let’s have a VegaNice cooking time!