Outside of Jinsei and Maki Fresh, what are some of your other favorite restaurants in Birmingham?
I love to sit at the chef’s counter at Hot N Hot Fish Club. Café Bottega has been a favorite since it opened. I love any French bistro, so Chez Fon Fon is a favorite. Taste of Thailand for Thai. Golden Rule Irondale for barbeque. Jim Davenport’s for pizza. I am assuming your mother (Zoe) was a big influence on your culinary interest? When I was a young boy my mother cooked dinner every night. I loved to watch her and help anyway I could. Mom inspires me every time I cook. I always think about her and what she would do. We cook without recipes and by taste. No matter what I cook, hers always tastes better, except sushi. I dominate in that arena. The idea of eating healthier seems to have definitely caught on. How have Jinsei and Maki Fresh benefited from this trend? I grew up eating really healthy. My grandmother taught my mom about eating healthy. Lots of olive oil, cheeses, chicken, fish and fresh greens. Maki Fresh and Jinsei are based on Japanese cuisine, which follows a lot of the
