Interview with Seribe owner Berry, also known as Kazutaka Sudo
We spoke with Kazutaka Sudo, owner of Washu Rakushoku Seribe, known by the nickname “Berry,” about how he opened the restaurant and what it means to him.
This interview was conducted during our first visit in September 2019.
How he came to open the restaurant
Could you tell us how you came to open the restaurant?
Berry
Actually, I worked in the IT industry, a field completely unrelated to cooking.
After graduating from school, I worked at a factory and then became a systems engineer (SE).
I worked as an SE at two companies, and while I was at the first one, I was transferred to Tokyo.
While I was in Tokyo, I commuted by train, so my bosses and colleagues often invited me to all kinds of restaurants.
As I watched the people working in restaurants and ate their food, I gradually started thinking that someday I’d like to run a restaurant of my own.
I’ve always liked cooking, so I often cooked at home, too.
Then, when I turned 40, I decided that I really would open a restaurant someday.
To train for it, I changed careers and entered the culinary world.
Wasn’t it difficult to change careers to an industry you had no experience in?
Berry
Fortunately, I had some good connections.
The first restaurant where I interviewed didn’t hire me, but the owner really liked me.
So the owner introduced me to a hotel’s head chef, who was an acquaintance, and I was able to work there in the kitchen as a part-timer.
Later, through the head chef’s introduction, I got a job at a Japanese restaurant in Kurashiki.
When I applied, I told them I wanted to become independent and open my own restaurant someday. They taught me all kinds of skills and knowledge while I worked there.
However, I was assigned to the kitchen there, so I couldn’t learn about customer service. I wanted to try serving customers, too, so after learning a certain amount about cooking techniques and knowledge, I changed jobs to find an environment where I could learn customer service as well.
That was the company I worked for before going independent.
It operates various restaurants, mainly in Kurashiki.
I draw on my experience with teppanyaki to serve steak on the menu, and I gained experience at a teppanyaki restaurant while working for that company.
I worked there for about four years, gaining experience at various restaurants and even getting the chance to be a manager.
Then, in June 2018, I opened Washu Rakushoku Seribe.
However, about a month after opening, the “Heavy Rain Event of July 2018” occurred.
Because of its impact, it was tough that customer numbers remained low for quite a long time after we opened.
Customers finally started coming in greater numbers around early spring 2019.
The origin of the restaurant's name
What does the restaurant name “Seribe” mean?
Berry
When I was naming the restaurant, I thought I’d take the name from something important to me.
I’m a fan of Toyota’s sports car, the Celica.
I still drive a 1994 Celica.
By the way, this is my second Celica.
(Photo courtesy of Seribe)
Also, my hobby is growing blueberries.
I started growing them after an acquaintance gave me some blueberry seedlings.
Now I grow more than 50 pots in my garden.
I grow all kinds of varieties from around the world.
So, I took letters from my beloved “Celica” and my hobby, “blueberries,” to come up with “Seribe.”
By the way, the nickname “Berry” is used on your business cards and menus. Does it perhaps come from blueberries, too?
Berry
That’s right!
Growing blueberries is unusual in Japan, so I guess it makes an impression (laughs).
By the way, growing blueberries is purely a hobby, so I deliberately don’t use them on the Seribe menu, which is my business.
Blueberries are in season in summer, and when I get a good harvest at home, I sometimes offer them to customers as a little gift.
It’s just a hobby, so it’s only a little gift, and they’re not always available.
How he selects sake
I’ve heard that Seribe takes sake seriously and that you like sake. How do you get information about sake, and how do you choose what to serve?
Berry
There are two ways.
One is through my dealings with liquor stores.
I get all kinds of information from liquor stores, and from among those recommendations, I stock the ones that catch my eye or that I try and like.
The other is from breweries.
Sometimes people from breweries around the country drop in unannounced.
I listen to what they have to say and try their sake. If I think, “This is good,” I serve it at the restaurant.
Also, we actually have a fairly small selection of local sake.
That’s because quite a few places around Kurashiki serve local sake.
So I deliberately keep our local sake selection small and gather sake I like from all over Japan.
People who run restaurants specializing in local sake sometimes come to us because they want to try sake from different regions.
Also, we don’t always carry the same brands; the selection changes with the seasons.
We have a lot to choose from, so if you’re not sure, please feel free to ask me!
The restaurant's concept and future outlook
Could you tell us about your future plans?
Berry
Future plans… I don’t have any (laughs).
That’s because my goal was to have my own restaurant, and I’ve already achieved that goal.
So if I had to say, my goal for the future is to keep running Seribe just as it is now.
I don’t intend to expand Seribe, hire staff, or open branches.
I really like the way Seribe is now: I make the food I like, serve customers the sake and dishes I enjoy, and they enjoy them, so we can all have a good time together.
So I’d like to keep running the restaurant just as I have been.
From the Writer
During the interview, it came across very clearly just how much Seribe’s owner, Berry, loves sake and cooking.
Berry’s personality is also one of the restaurant’s charms.
As its name, “Washu Rakushoku,” suggests, I think Seribe is a place where Berry and his customers talk over sake and share good times over food.
Be sure to enjoy the fine sake Berry has selected, along with the many dishes that go well with it.
Even if you don’t usually drink much sake, Berry can recommend something easy to drink for beginners.
The beef steak, which draws on his teppanyaki experience, and the lunchtime menu are also recommended!
Washu Rakushoku Seribe details
| Name | Washu Rakushoku Seribe |
|---|---|
| Address | 1F Rose Garden Building, 1253-1 Funagura-cho, Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture |
| Contact | 086-436-6824 |
| Parking | None |
| Hours | 11:30 a.m.–2:00 p.m. 5:00 p.m.–10:00 p.m. |
| Closed | Irregular holidays |
| Payment methods |
|
| Reservations | Accepted Reservations can be made by phone, through Gurunavi, Hot Pepper Gourmet, and other services |
| Seating | 14 seats ・Counter seats: 10 ・Table seats: 4 |
| Smoking | Non-smoking during lunch only |
| Restroom | Western-style toilet |
| Accessibility | Wheelchair access available (step at the entrance) |
| Website | Washu Rakushoku Seribe |
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