Open since 2005, Zest Japanese Cuisine is an amalgamation of coincidence and destiny. Executive Chef Yoshiaki Maniwa was eager to bring to Vancouver a dining concept that would raise the bar of perceived Japanese cuisine . He found investors who shared that vision and he also recognised the talent of a young chef by the name of Taiki Sugimoto. Taiki had just emigrated from Chiba, (Central/East Japan) and has a passion for creative cuisine – how many Japanese chefs worked in a Japanese-based Italian restaurant? Maniwa and crew went to work and found the location that was to become Zest and a new home of fine Japanese cuisine in Vancouver.

Vancouver patrons of the Vancouver Japanese food scene will recognise the name "Yoshi". This Yoshi is Yoshi Maniwa and yes, he did work with the Masters “Yoshi” at Shijo on 4th in Kitsilano but Yoshi's story begins much before then.

Yoshi was born in the heart of traditional Japan... Kyoto. Both the traditional and ancient capitol of Japan and the home of Japan's Emperor. Here Yoshi fell in love with food and the traditions of fine cuisine (not to mention sake, too). From Japan, Yoshi strayed to far off and exotic lands, if you can call New Zealand and Australia exotic! What Yoshi's travels did do was to begin a process of layering the skills of an emerging chef with styles and tastes foreign to his own.

Finally arriving in Canada in 1988, Yoshi continued to hone his skills under a trio of Japanese Master Chefs at Shijo (at that time, Vancouver's finest Japanese restaurant). Our Yoshi, joined Master Chef Yoshi when the latter opened Yoshi's, on Denman Street. Maniwa continued to fine-tune his skills and soon matured to the point where it was time to unleash his talent in his own restaurant. We are sure glad he did!

Today, Maniwa is at the peak of his career. He is a young father, married to a wonderful woman and mentors a talented group of chefs in a beautiful restaurant but, we are the lucky ones to be able to enjoy his artistry.