In 2020, Chef Kataoka of IMU Hotel was chosen as a finalist in the 1st Vegetarian Chance JAPAN. Drawing attention as a leading figure in vegan cuisine, he put Minoyo's soybean paste and soybean dashi residue to use in actual dishes. We asked him to speak frankly about the real, on-site evaluation he felt.
"As an ingredient, it is highly refined." The strength of the soybean paste that a professional recognized
From September to December 2025, Minoyo's soybean paste and soybean dashi residue appeared on IMU Hotel's vegan menu. Polpettini (a vegan version of Italian-style meatballs), ganmodoki, aji-furai, hamburg steak. Chef Kataoka deployed the soybean paste across a variety of dishes.
"I feel that, as an ingredient, it is highly refined." Chef Kataoka's evaluation was clear.
The greatest strength: "There's no soybean fishiness"
He says the biggest challenge when using soybean ingredients in the field of vegan cuisine is the fishiness specific to soybeans. "Soybean odor tends to make the 'vegan-ness' come through strongly. It ends up as a compromise flavor that makes customers feel, 'Well, it's vegan, so it can't be helped.'"
But with Minoyo's soybean paste, roasting the soybeans and then simmering them cleanly removed that fishiness. "No fishiness means it's simply delicious as a dish. It becomes a dish you can serve to vegan and non-vegan customers alike, without distinction."
Chef Kataoka said this is a strength unique to Minoyo that other soybean ingredients don't have.
"Soybeans = protein." What vegan customers are looking for
Another thing Chef Kataoka emphasized is the value of soybeans as protein. "Many vegan customers want to get plenty of protein. Having tofu or soybean-derived ingredients is welcomed on that count alone."
In particular, foreign vegan customers frequently request ingredients that serve as protein sources, he says. Soybean paste contains plenty of protein while being served in a delicious, easy-to-eat form. For a hotel's vegan menu, it was truly an ideal ingredient.
Dishes where the "sticky aftertaste" comes to life, and dishes where it doesn't
Chef Kataoka's interview continued with real evaluation that only a professional's perspective can offer.
Soybeans have a characteristic "sticky aftertaste," which he says becomes either a strength or a weakness depending on the dish. "It's perfect for potage and polpettini. The thickness from the pectin contained in soybeans comes to life. On the other hand, there are cases where it doesn't suit lighter dishes."
He also shared ways to make the most of the ingredient's characteristics, such as turning it into a paste that further intensifies the soybeans' aroma, and cooking methods that thoroughly sear it together with mushrooms, as in aji-furai.
"Minoyo's story adds persuasiveness to the ingredient"
What Chef Kataoka praised was not only the quality of the ingredient.
"It's precisely because there is a background as a bean shop with history—Minoyo's story—that the ingredient gains persuasiveness." It means that because it is not merely a foodstuff but an ingredient imbued with an artisan's skill and history, a professional chef can use it with confidence.
Even now that the collaboration period has ended, the soybean dashi residue remains a staple on Chef Kataoka's menu. A chef continuing to use something is the most honest evaluation of all.
A future dream: "It would be ideal if we could make aquafaba from soybean dashi"
At the end of the interview, Chef Kataoka shared one dream. "If we could make aquafaba from soybean dashi, I think the possibilities would expand even further."
Aquafaba is the liquid that comes out when boiling beans such as chickpeas, and it is an ingredient drawing attention in vegan cuisine as a substitute for egg white. If aquafaba could be born from soybean dashi, the possibilities would expand even more. The challenge taken on by Minoyo and Chef Kataoka is far from over.
Chef Kataoka's profile
A vegan cuisine chef with IMU Hotel. In 2020, selected as a finalist in the 1st Vegetarian Chance JAPAN. A leading figure in Japan's vegan cuisine world who continues to pursue the potential of plant-based ingredients.