Sushi, sake and soy: Chef 's love affair with Japan

TOKYO - Foie gras paired with wasabi, Japanese-style open kitchens and a fierce work ethic: Joel Robuchon, hailed as "chef of the century" on his death this week, drew great inspiration from Japan, where 10 establishments now bear his name.

The world's most-starred Michelin chef developed an immediate love for sushi, sake and Japan itself after arriving for the first time in 1976, his luggage bulging with "forbidden or unknown produce like shallots, tarragon and chives," he once recalled.

Yosuke Suga, who worked with the famously perfectionist Robuchon for 17 years, said that he would often talk fondly of his first impressions of Japan.