N.Y. chef Bouley named Japanese cuisine ambassador

NEW YORK – Renowned New York chef David Bouley, whose downtown restaurants include the kaiseki (traditional multi-course cuisine) mainstay Brushstroke, received the honorary title of Japanese cuisine goodwill ambassador on Friday. The American chef said it was "truly an honor" to accept the designation from the Japanese government and praised the health benefits of the cuisine during a ceremony at the residence of the Japanese consul general in New York. Bouley, 63, opened Brushstroke in 2011 as a joint venture with Japanese master chef Yoshiki Tsuji and the Tsuji Culinary Institute in Osaka. The acclaimed New York restaurant serves kaiseki-inspired course meals emphasizing seasonal ingredients, as well as a sushi omakase (chef's recommendation) meal in a separate dining area. Following his studies at the Sorbonne in Paris, Bouley apprenticed under several chefs in Europe and opened his original Bouley Restaurant in lower Manhattan in 1987, drawing largely on French cuisine for inspiration.