Chef Satoru Tanaka
田中 覺
Chef “BOSS” Satoru Tanaka is one of Japan’s most respected authorities in Wagyu and premium meat dining. Born in Gifu Prefecture in 1967, he was raised in a family deeply rooted in livestock, cattle trading and butchery, making him the third generation in a lineage that has devoted more than 80 years to Japan’s beef industry.
From an early age, Chef Tanaka developed an instinctive understanding of Japanese beef. He first picked up a knife at the age of three and began formal meat-cutting training at ten, laying the foundation for a career defined by precision, discipline and an uncompromising respect for ingredient integrity.
He began his culinary journey in Nagoya and opened his first restaurant at 25. In less than a decade, he built 20 meat-focused restaurants across Japan, becoming one of the country’s most recognised names in contemporary meat dining. His MICHELIN-selected restaurant, Nikuya Setsugekka Nagoya, together with acclaimed establishments such as Nikuya Tanaka Tokyo, has cemented his reputation as a leading Wagyu expert and a defining figure in modern meat cuisine.
Known affectionately as “BOSS,” Chef Tanaka is celebrated for transforming Japanese Wagyu dining into a refined and immersive culinary experience. Through expert knife work, precise temperature control and a deep understanding of flavour, he presents Wagyu in a way that honours both tradition and innovation.
For Chef Tanaka, Wagyu is more than a luxury ingredient. It is a cultural expression of terroir, craftsmanship and hospitality. Today, he continues to bring Japan’s proud Wagyu heritage to an international audience, offering guests a deeper appreciation of the artistry and philosophy behind premium Japanese beef cuisine.
About TANAKA
Japan’s leading and the world’s 27th best steakhouse, awarded by the world’s 101 best steak restaurants. Helmed by Chef Satoru Tanaka, a third-generation meat master known affectionately as “BOSS”, Nikuya Tanaka represents over 80 years of the Tanaka family’s devotion to Japanese Wagyu. From his grandfather, a cowherd, to his father, a butcher, and now himself, Chef Tanaka carries forward a rare heritage of expertise and craftsmanship. His flagship in Ginza is among Tokyo’s most coveted reservations, celebrated for kappo-style dining rooted in Japan’s deepest culinary traditions.
Design Philosophy
YASUMICHI MORITA
Designed by internationally acclaimed designer YasumichiMorita, TANAKA Hong Kong draws inspiration from the architectural details of Japanese shrines and temples, reinterpreted through his signature retro-future perspective.
Guests enter through an elegant arrival framed by Naguri wood before stepping into the main dining room, where a sweeping curved ceiling, warm layered lighting, traditional Rokuyō metal detailing, earthen walls, pine-needle accents, and gold-leaf Hishi-dōrō lanterns shape a calm yet dramatic spatial atmosphere.
At the center of the restaurant, the chef’s working area, also known as okudosan, is conceived as a stage, with chef’s counter seating and sofa seating arranged around it in a theatre-like composition. This layout allows guests to experience Chef “BOSS” TANAKA’s craftsmanship, rhythm, and live culinary performance up close, transforming dinner into a multisensory journey shaped by wagyu, artistry, and Japanese beauty.
“TANAKA Hong Kong expresses both the deliciousness of wagyu and the beauty of Japan. I wanted to transform traditional details from Japanese shrine and temple architecture into a retro-future spatial language, where tradition and innovation coexist through light and detail.”
— Yasumichi Morita, CEO of GLAMOROUS co.,ltd.