Welcome back from the Easter and Anzac Day break Dear Readers! I hope you had a restful fun time. To welcome you back I’ve got a special treat for you-keep reading to see what it is 
When I turned thirty a few years ago (cough cough) I had my first Tetsuya experience. I was dating Mr NQN at the time and he didn’t care one jot about eating in fancy restaurants and as anyone that has dined at Tetsuya’s can attest, it is one of the pinnacles of cuisine in Sydney. I paid for Mr NQN to eat there with me because I knew he would enjoy it and our friends and I were enraptured.
Fast forward a few years later and I have been lucky enough to attend a cooking masterclass and another meal at Tetsuya’s as well as visit his Singapore restaurant Waku Ghin. The masterclass was a once in a lifetime opportunity and only invited guests of Electrolux are given one of the prized spots. He taught us how to do things like scramble eggs his way and in the absence of having a spot at one of these classes you can also watch it below in the video (and it also features my blogging buddy Bridget from The Internet Chef).
From the masterclass: how to make scrambled eggs, Tetsuya style
What I always wanted though was to ask him some questions which I was lucky enough to do-I was curious to hear what he thought of bloggers and why he came to Australia out of all the countries in the world. Why the obsession with Tasmania and whether he has any unfulfilled dreams. My friends of course asked me to ask him about being his next wife – cheeky girls (and they’re already married!).
NQN: What did Tetsuya the boy want to do when he grew up?
Tetsuya Wakuda: I actually wanted to be a gunsmith, but I think I was fortunate that I found a career in cooking first!
NQN: Why were you attracted to Australia?
Tetsuya Wakuda: I grew up in a small town in rural Japan, and as a child I always dreamed of travelling and experiencing Western culture. When the time came in my early twenties, Australia was my destination.
NQN: I heard you mention at your masterclass that you are looking for a wife. Surely there is no shortage! What would a potential wife need to know about you?
Tetsuya Wakuda: She would need to know that I am married to my restaurants!
A dish from Waku Ghin: Marinated Botan Ebi (prawns) with sea urchin and Oscietre caviar
NQN: Why did you decide to make Waku Ghin a Japanese restaurant? What challenges are there to opening up a restaurant in Singapore as opposed to Australia?
Tetsuya Wakuda: I would describe Waku Ghin as being strongly Japanese-influenced, rather than a Japanese restaurant. I have had a long relationship with Singapore. It has been my favourite destination for years, and I have many friends who have encouraged and supported me in my dream to open a restaurant there. I have been fortunate to have the support of the Marina Bay Sands, which has eased many of the logistical challenges I might have faced. I have also been blessed by the ease of accessing produce in Singapore: they have much less stringent import restrictions than Australia, which means I can use ingredients from all over the world.
NQN: Who do you consider to be an equal or peer in the industry?
Tetsuya Wakuda: I think it is easy for people to categorise chefs for the purpose of comparison, but when it comes down to it, we are all cooks.
NQN: What is the one thing that everyone in your kitchen would learn?
Tetsuya Wakuda: I have to say that discipline is the key lesson that I would teach. In this industry, a good work ethic and discipline is essential to success.
NQN: Is there a dream that you’ve yet to fulfil?
Tetsuya Wakuda: Well, I would love to be able to go fishing every day, or even to be able to catch tuna off the Tasmanian coast once in a while. But mostly I feel very lucky in my life.
The iconic confit of Petuna ocean trout from Tasmania
NQN: What is it about Tasmania that you love so much?
Tetsuya Wakuda: It is so clean and untouched, from the beautiful landscape to the pure waters. The produce is wonderful and offers me inspiration. I have had a beautiful wooden boat built in Tasmania, and the island allows me a tranquillity and peace that is hard to otherwise find in my life. And of course, I have many good friends there!
NQN: What do you think of food bloggers?
Tetsuya Wakuda: I think food bloggers have, in a sense, opened up a new area of restaurant reviewing. A diner chooses to go to a restaurant for his or her own personal reasons, and will write what they think about it from a personal perspective. Food blogs can also be like an online test kitchen, as people are cooking and writing about it, experimenting with recipes and comparing results. Anyone with the passion to write a blog about dining or cooking should be admired.
NQN: What do you want your legacy to be?
Tetsuya Wakuda: I hope my cooking has pleased people who have a love of food, and that I might have inspired others to become interested in food and cooking. I hope I can be remembered as someone who contributed to progress in gastronomy during my time, and who made a difference to the identity of Australian dining and recognition of our produce internationally. Most of all, I hope people just remember me as someone who loved what he did.
Thanks to the lovely people at Electrolux we are giving away signed editions of the Tetsuya’s cookbook to five lucky Not Quite Nigella readers! This is a competition that is open to anyone in the world! I know overseas readers get upset when they aren’t included in giveaways but the decision to ship outside of Australia isn’t mine but this time anyone can enter 
For a chance to win this all you have to do is tell me what you would like your legacy to be! Simply add your answer as a comment to the story. The competition ends at midnight AEST 28th of May, 2011. You can enter this competition once daily and it is open to anyone in the world!
Best of luck!
Lots of love,
Lorraine
xxx
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204 Comments | Add your own
I’d like my legacy to be:
“she gave more than she got. she cared.”
That’s what I really want in life – to give, to be present, to care – and for others to know it (meaning that its real)
Thanks for the chance to win!!
I saw a TV special a few months back about Tetsuya – he seems like a genuinely nice guy. I’m yet to have the pleasure of eating at his restaurant though – first on my list next time I go to Sydney!
I’ve been collecting old photos and documents to help me research our family tree, so I guess I hope my legacy will be that of the family historian – I think in a few generations without someone collecting this information (and importantly, writing WHO is in the photos), the information can be lost. So I hope that will be my legacy.
Great giveaway and oh wow, I’m so excited that this is open to everyone! Hmmm, that’s a great question…I think I want my legacy to be that getting in the kitchen and inventing and experimenting is fun!
Wow -what a great Q & A? Hmm my legacy??? I really do hope that my family is my legacy – and that I have been a great wife, daughter and friend (hehe corny but true!)
Hmmm -I would like my legacy to be that I was adventurous in all aspects of life, not afraid to go outside the square if I wanted to do something.
I loved the interview… very interesting! Beautiful photos as always! Sadly I’m not eligible for the drawing:(
My legacy: the freedom to fail.
The ability to celebrate anything and everything, eg I’m having a royal wedding party, I learnt how to make a cocktail at the taste festival and came home and had a coctail party, I had an Anzac bake offf catch up and am going to the USA so having a stars and stripes party with food themed – fabulous fun!
How exciting, i love his documentary. GOsh my legacy, thats a bit deep
It would be nice to inspire people to become more interested in eating and cooking fresh local produce.
One of creativity and giving something to others. I am just about to travel to Japan to photograph for a fundraiser, would love this book!
To translate a fleeting moments of joy and happiness into permanent works of art.
A very happy family (that is, happy with me!)
I remember my grandma through seeing her “in” my mother. Through her kind generous characteristics, her loving manner and her real passion and love for her family. Her hot cross buns & christmas pudding were to die for. I hope that my legacy can be the next link in this chain through my grandma, my mum, and then me to my family.
I hope that my legacy will be first and foremost a great mother and wife and that the great love of cooking and good food and wine that I have passed on to my kids ( son included) will continue through the generations as part of our family culture.
My legacy … my hand written cookbook and notes for my son who has food allergies. It’s a labour of love. Developing it brings me much joy as well as lots of experimentation to devise great eating experiences for him. He’s only 9 so my notes will be my gift to him when he’s older.
To help at least one person achieve their dream, that would be my ideal legacy.
I would like my legacy to be that I loved and lived for my family and friends, and they could always come to my place and have a beautiful dinner or snack made with love!
Of all things – for my daughter to grow up a balanced, content, compassionate and thoughtful person. A bit dumb I know, but if I go to the grave having that blessing, I’ll die happy
My best legacy is already established, my three adult kids love each other and don’t even mind spending time with me! Each one is unique, speak their own mind and are not afraid to work at maintaining a relationship with the other. I see their keen response to music, the world of artful creativey, history and food all having links back to my input.
I would like my legacy to be my recipes which I have perfected over the years to become staples in my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren’s lives. Each time they cook them I want them to fondly remember Sunday’s at my house and those familiar smells and tastes to warm their homes and hearts.
Legacy’s such a big word! But I’ll try…That I’ve served my borrowed time on earth well, loved well, eat well and perpetuating the love that I’ve been fortunate enough to receive from my family and friends. For one’s blessed in life so that he/she can be a blessing to others. I so didn’t know Tetsuya’s single now!
I am young and foolish and have no kids, so I hope that my legacy is that I am remembered and respected in my profession as someone thoughtful, intelligent, feminist and just. Having a building or a scholarship named after me wouldn’t be bad either…
Tetsuya reminds me of a happy Buddha!!!
Like his food which is thoughtful almost meditative, harmonious & beautiful.. Amazing to say the least.
A worthy Legacy to hand down from me would be to know I have made a difference… In my life,love & friendships.
“He breathed in, he breathed out, he moved on”
Meeting Tets IS on my Bucket List,
HOPEFULLY in my lifetime, will not be an experience to be missed!
My legacy? Well, let’s see,
Hoping I MADE a difference by simply being ME!!!
My legacy would be to leave the world a better place than when I entered it. A big ask, but I strive to achieve.
~~~My Legacy?
~~~ servant of the people.
~~~ the world was a little bit more joyful because she were here…
~~ That she was a great Mother…
If I am lucky enough to be blessed with a child (some difficulties there at the moment) I want my legacy to be a child with a love of food like mine, but maybe a little more restraint than I have!
happy, contentent, smiling well fed beautiful people across the globe,-hopefully that’ll be my legacy….
let me ponder on that…my legacy is ENJOY
Caused no lasting pain and was considered a good friend.
It’s not so much a legacy for me really but, a way of life – To always be generous and appreciate the simplicity of life like nature, being around friends and family you love, to appreciate and be thankful for them and what one has, enjoying the comfort of eating with others and sharing food, being present in the moment and being mindful.
my legacy: to continue my
mom’s legacy- being a good daughter, sister, friend, wife and mother to all of her kids.
share whatever God has given me- love, courage, knowledge and determination to succeed…
My legacy- He treated people how he wished to be treated in this life.
I’d love my legacy to be “saved a hundred orphans from a burning boat by sheer force of will”, but I’ll settle for producing a grounded, beautiful and refined daughter – my Gracie Bear!
i would like my legacy to be:- he didnt have much but he gave whatever he could and helped who he could just to get a smile
Hi NQN,
Great interview & contest, especially when it’s open to your international readers too.
I hope my legacy will be “she’d lived, loved, laughed & cooked with love”.
Thank you & looking forward to your next post.
Tetsuya is a wonderful, sweet, humble soul with a lovely approach to life. His approach to food is superb. I don’t really think in terms of legacies for myself, but maybe one of mine could be to pass on my Tetsuya cookbook which I won from your blog, Lorraine.
A wonderful interview to read – especially for someone who has been doing battle with spoof email, computer viruses and banks for the last day! PLEASE: dear bloggers worldwide – keep away from anything with ‘bobiyou inc’ address – nasty to the max!!
My legacy amongst so many good ones: I think hoping that people who knew me would say ‘every time she fell, and there were so many times in the last three decades, she got up, dusted herself off and kept on going’!
What I would like my legacy to be.. I would like to leave behind a bunch of good recipes to a happy and beautiful family so they can always cook something yummy and remember me and be happy!
This is a huge cliche i know
but I would like my legacy to be that I gave my three children “roots and wings” and also great food a love of cooking and to enjoy life and others.
To never ever have been mediocre at anything I set my heart out to do.
Tatsuya is a wonderful chef and as I’ve said before I love that he is a champion of Tasmania and the wonderful produce available there. I grew up in Tasmania and love going home and exploring all the wonderful wineries and farms and gourmet products available. They truly are blessed.
I’d like my legacy to be that I brought joy through my cooking to everyone I met.
I would have loved to have passed down to the next generation the recipe for my mothers oh so yummy apple pie. As you all know, your own mother makes THE best apple pie.
However, that is not possible as she did not leave it to me, so I will have to settle for trying to be as much like her as is humanly possible as she was surely the best mother EVER.
to pass on a love for life and to try everything with no regrets and no fear of failure
I would hope my legacy would be a kind and generous heart a loving mum and someone who,s love shone through their cooking and that integrity and truth and truth to oneself was a code to live by
We’re not here for a long time, so let’s make sure it’s a good time … Eat well, drink lots and live like there’s no tomorrow …
That is what I’ll be remembered for!
P.S. Keep up the awesome work!
As much as I would like to say a legacy revolving around food, as food is so wildly important to me, I hope to leave a legacy of encouragement to others. I hope my legacy will be many other lives were changed because I believed in them.
I guess the legacy for the heirs to my throne is to get involved and be counted and having an opinion. (And also to be confident in the kitchen!)
What a fascinating interview. I still can’t get over how he wanted to be a gunsmith. I wonder if it’s because you need such precision for both that and cooking.
My legacy for my children is that they know ” A Giving Heart is an Open Heart”.
My legacy? To inspire families to cook together, eat together, and grow together.
I want my legacy to be passing on a signed Tetsuya cookbook to my kids one day!
That’s funny that he went down south instead of west for a western experience! Hee hee.
I’m so glad you opened this up to everyone! Yay! Finally!
My legacy…would be a Pulitzer Prize in food writing and also several Christian books.
Kate cooked and all ate and shared. The lives of her companions gained from her gift.
If I have kids, I want my kids to learn how to cook and what good cooking is. If I don’t, I still want to be able to leave it my nieces and nephews and maybe god children
I would love my legacy to be that I have shared my passion for life! This includes food – be it through cooking, dining or blogging
My legacy?
*a happy family
*great bread
My boyfriend and I went there for our 3 year anniversary last year and it was amazing. Although I had food overload when I took a bit of the first petit four…
“Her zest for life lives on in the lifes of her children and children’s children”
Well firstly I can’t believe that he isn’t married. Really? Who wouldn’t want a sweet, happy man who can cook for a husband!!
My legacy, is to bring up two amazingly compassionate children (I work hard at this every day) AND to help everyone I meet in some small way. Whether that’s by being kind, lending them a dollar, letting them know that they are being listened to – anything really. As long as I help, I am happy.
wonderful interview, love your questions…my legacy–she lived, loved and gave
sweetlife
Thanks for a great interview! As my children grow older, I see just how much of an impact I have on them – positive and negative. I feel confident that they will think for themselves and above all know just how much they are loved….that would be my legacy.
Smiles. I want my legacy to be smiles and laughter.
And chocolate obsessions.
One day I will eat at this restaurant. As for my legacy, well I would be happy to know that I have passed on some wonderful recipes to my daughters.
Excellent interview! He seems so down to earth
I think i’d like my legacy to be ‘she made a difference to the world’… even just a little difference
“That Emma, well she’s alright! And did you ever taste her pad Thai?! Bloody amazing” ha ha, something along those lines!
I hope I can inspire people to travel the world and have a fun life.I will also leave behind a great costume jewellery collection, I just need a daughter-in-law.
Wow I always wanted his cookbook! Hope I can scoop one up this time! I want my legacy (or shall I shall a legacy I look up to) to be live life being the best person you can be.
Currently I am working on not complaining and enjoying each day for it’s rich ever changing variety. That’s what I would like to be remembered for.
My Legacy is to not only Be a Mum to my Daughters but also Their Best Friend. Someone they can rely on No Matter what Life brings them
I would love my mealtimes to be my legacy, when my family sit down to eat and cook meals I have served up and enjoyed with them, I would hope they would remember the lovely times they spent with me.
great write-up! my legacy would be… she ate well, lived well, and lived life to the fullest with no regrets.
My legacy would be my values and the (hopefully) friendships I have built. I only want people to say ‘she had a good heart and soul’. Really!!!
I would like to be remembered as someone who worked hard, played fair. A compassionate and generous person who lived and loved life to the full.
Thanks for the blog, it was very interesting.
My legacy will be my blog- in years to come, I hope to be able to show my kids how cool their Mum used to be (ha!) and show them how much fun can be had in life by just enjoying food as I do now.
Wow… You are so lucky to meet him so many times!
I think Tets was my first real fine dining experience… back when he was still in the top 5 Restaurants, I took my mum there for a treat as a graduation present from me to her.
And she absolutely loved it. So Tetsuya always has been a fond memory! Would be super awesome if I had his cookbook to emulate perfection in Jap cuisine!!
WOWZER! I have never been, Im thinking that for my 30th I’ll book in at Tetsuya. I hear wonderful things about the dega.
I’m thinking my legacy will be The HG blog and hopefully some plump little foodie kiddies who can whip up a masterpiece in the kitchen.
I’d like to be remembered for putting people at ease, tickling their tastebuds and their funny bone.
Must get to Tetsuya’s this year!
I would want my legacy to be ‘this was a woman who lived life to the maximum and who wouldn’t have changed a thing’.
I always enjoy reading about Tetsuya and his personal and professional achievements!!! I have worked with pre-schoolers for many years and hope my legacy for these precious little people and my children and grand daughters would be that they think of others and actively seek to make friendships with and help those that might be experiencing difficulties during their life.
Truly Happy Children who go on to be Happy no matter who they meet or what career they choose…
What a great interview and thanks for sharing the scrambled eggs Tetsuya’s style! My legacy? I lived life to the fullest and, through fulfilling my destiny, helped others fulfil theirs.
Sigh, I have no luck in getting a reservation at Tetsuya Sydney and here in Singapore. Am still trying… not giving up.
In the past, when I have volunteered for something, helped someone or given something away my kids have been known to say ‘why did you do that, no one paid you to’. I always reply that I am a good and kind person and can afford to help others. I hope I am remembered as a good and kind person and that my kids follow in my footsteps.
That’s true–the best chefs are married to their work!
I hope my legacy would be that I taught young adults about the importance of food knowledge and to love and get excited with cooking!
The legacy would be that I loved my children and that I was decent kind to everyone. And don’t forget I had a great sense of humour.
My legacy will be that I will film and document my family’s and my husband’s family’s secret recipes especially from the older generations so that we can keep them going on forever
my legacy is to show my grandkids that i love them dearly not only by devotion but by helping me bake and pass on the experience.
I love Tetsuya’s humility, he seems like such a lovely guy.
For my legacy I would like to have made a differece. Not necesarily a dramatic one, maybe even a ripple effect- a smile at the right time that changed someones perspective or attitude, and stopped them thinking no one cared. Maybe that person would then go on to change the world.
I think Tetsuya’s sounds amazing (I haven’t had the pleasure of going!) and I don’t care if he’s dropped off the top whatever whatever list, I STILL WANT TO GO! It’s still on my to EAT list when I come back for sure.
You met Tetsuya!!!! Omg!!!! He is so cute and his food is amaaaaaaaaazing.
My legacy…hopefully many patches of fertile, productive earth all teeming with life and edibles to be consumed in many kitchens all over the world! I’ll be happy if I’ve managed to impart a sense of love, respect and attachment for the earth to my loved ones both family and friends.
Wow what an amazing prize! So glad it is open to the UK as well. I hope my legacy is friends and family who love me and a chocolate cake recipe that is passed down generations.
My legacy wish … that i may be known to have given more than i have taken … that i touched those who i come in contact with me – by any means – in such a way that they feel the love of the one who inspires me and i leave laughter in my wake … ;0)
Ohhh what a great prize! I am lucky enough to be celebrating my birthday at Tetsuya’s this Saturday night, so excited!
I want my legacy to be that my house was always open to those who needed shelter; my heart was open to those in need of compassion; and for those who shared a meal at my table, it was one full of love and inspiration.
I’ve already commented on my legacy but I just wanted to reply to some comments about going to Tetsuya’s. I went last August for my 40th birthday and it was just fabulous. I’ve eaten at some truly posh restaurants in Sydney and around the world but this was just magical. We are off to Quay at the end of June and have enjoyed your review Lorraine. A great way of comparing the menu with your review and photos.This is your legacy.
The one thing I can say I wished to be left as my legacy is that my daughters have learned to truly enjoy cooking and trying new and different foods and that they pass that along to their children.
that women can do anything men can! (my dad taught me that)
Those eggs look heavenly! I love all these ‘insider’ interviews with chefs, makes me feel like I’m getting a glimpse of them without even having to meet them and despite being miles and miles away.
My legacy… That success can be unlocked from adversity…the key is tenacity.
Interesting interview with Tets! He seems like such a nice, down to earth guy.
My legacy would be pursuing my dreams, even the unconventional ones.
I’d like my legacy to be one of kindness, strength and determination. We all have to face things in life that we would rather not, and I would like to leave others the knowledge and will that they can, indeed, face whatever they are dealing with and come out the other side.
Good question! I would like to be remembered for always being incredibly kind to everyone I interact with. I’d like that to be my legacy.
What a wonderful discussion with Tetsuya. You are both admired for your offerings and have already left your legacy for the world.
If a legacy is one,
as sure as a shadow follows the sun,
then each day our behaviour ensures we will be remembered by what we have today done.
Our family is our surest bookmark, always loving, forever in our heart.
When we are young we hope to change the world;
‘why is this so?’ we ask, ‘how can we unfurl these attitudes.’ Then we mature, accept this is so, have our own children and onwards we go! Contentment, peace, warmth and nurturing,
always giving always returning.
Love with honest, good living will carry it’s own message towards our memory when we are gone. Therefore our legacy is almost preordained, give one’s best to ones’ family, comfort to all; I will be remembered for this and much more. For providing a safe haven for all who enter the door, plenty of good food, love, warmth and compassion for all.
That is my legacy and despite not reaching fortune or fame, I am happy with my standing just the same.
Legacy: A life of deep learning, laughing, loving – and inspiring others to do the same.
thankyou so much lorraine for the interview with tetsuya – what an amazing being – like a previous comment he is indeed a buddha –
legacy indeed a complex word –
i watched a show on tetsuya a few months back and cried and cried – i cried because of the true humility and grace he simply offers – all this celebrity chef carry on in australia – and we have the most passionate chef australia has to offer – displaying such humility – i would like to feel and show such humility as a human and as a chef – i may not cook such amazing food – but whole foods and nourishing foods – offered with humility and grace, to that end i aspire – he is an wonderous example of humanity
blessings lorraine – xxx
Kindness is like butter – the warmer it is the more easily it spreads that’s what’s important not material things or wealth so I’d like people to be kinder out of respect for me when I’ve gone!!
hmm, this is going to sound corny but my legacy is in my kids – so foodwise that means I want to raise kids who can cook, enjoy real food, identify real food and where it comes from as compared to processed junk and understand the difference it makes. So far so good, Jamie Oliver is their hero but they’re still young, school may yet corrupt them!
My legacy: love of life, the outdoors and food
My Legacy. My loud laugh and big heart. Knowing that I have helped people smile or given something even though they do not know it’s from me. That my children and friends will smile when they remember me.
I would like the legacy to my 2 daughters to be that they are as happy and settled in their lives after I have gone as they are while I am here. I would also like that they continue some of the traditions that I have started with their families.
I’m from an Indian background.
My legacy: To keep my grandmother’s spice tin, always full & alive…
Chilli is the spice of life.
My legacy would be that my grandchildren remember the tastes of real food, grown in my garden. That they recall the tastes of each herb, the joy of shelling a spring pea, the picking of the first zucchini, the french radishes and cherry tomatoes, and the Jack in the Beanstalk beans. And from that memory, they will recall my cooking and continue to cook real food from real ingredients.
I hope that my children will remember me as a loving mum, my friends will remember me as a loyal pal, my colleagues will remember me as a helpful fellow, strangers will remember me as a friendly passer-by with a wide smile.
I hope that I am remembered as someone who inspired other people to always do the best that they can and to always seek the best that they can.
I would hate to think that I had ever made anyone think that they should settle for less than what they are worth! We are all worth the best and we should all strive to be our best!
A legacy of family and friends who could see how much I loved God and did things his way, Children who learned to live that way too and learned to love through seeing the way my Husband and I respect each other and are a team of love, laughter and joy! Sounds so lofty doesn’t it
It sounds like it was a really great interview! And although I’m in Singapore, I’ve yet to step foot into Waku Ghin – guess I should amend that soon ;p
Hmmm, I haven’t exactly thought of how I’d want my legacy to be, but it would probably be something along the lines of “she who dared to be different”
Being a Peranakan Nyonya in Melbourne, in a mixed marriage too, my sincere wish is to celebrate a global life for my children. Food is the soul of life and I want my children to swim in the ocean of diversity of the world’s cuisines.Everyday I aspire to make this a reality with my dreams in the kitchen to the table, into their soul. That’s my legacy. That’s my dream.
mine, freedom to love
I hope that my legacy will be a well rounded daughter! She only 7 and yet swhe teaches me things everyday… I hope that she can look back and think that I have taught her too!
Since reading your wonderfully honest interview with Tetsuya and his humble yet far reaching hope for his life legacy; you’ve made me think about what we can do for our legacy. Endeavouring to be the best, warmest, loving, understanding, compassionate family member and friend we can be is paramount. Filling our loved ones with good, wholesome, fresh home grown food and our life’s teachings are essential.
However, thinking about a longer reaching legacy; I have contacted Council to put my parents family name in a request to have a street named after them in the next subdivision. They both come from convict settlers blood and have been in this town for a l-o-n-g time. If this is excecuted – what a lingering legacy!
Thank you Tetsuya for sharing your views. Thank you Lorraine for always recording every interview, details + photos so accurately and interestingly.
Wonderful interview Lorraine! I want my legacy to be that I loved with all my heart. There is nothing better than being loved!
Well, what a wonderful insight into the culinary genius that is Tetsuya Wakuda!
Having not made it into the League of superhuman or action hero lol, I hope that I have been able to instil in my two daughters the following traits.
Be true to yourself but also be able to laugh at oneself. Realize that making mistakes is part of life but the key is to learn and grow from them and hopefully not repeat them. Be kind to people and smile , you use less facial muscles smiling than frowning. The all important family for love, tradition and as a support system. Last but not least , have fun ! We are here for but a fleeting moment!
I would love to be remembered as a person who could always see the good in any situation – I hope I can pass my general excitement for life on to my new son.
I want to leave my legacy in the form of a novel… I will write it one day!
Nothing better than leaving behind a good story that people love.
‘she lived well and loved well’
I’d like my legacy to be, she loved well, she ate very well and she lived life to the very fullest.
Tetsuya is such a genius don’t you think?
My legacy is that I make my friends, as they put it “The best damn puddings that they have ever tasted” I am always asked to bring dessert because I enjoy giving people the frivolities of life not the necessities. I look for new and interesting morsels to delight them and finish off a pleasant evening of conversation. That’s what I want to be remembered for.
My Legacy – don’t be afraid or ashamed of succeeding
My Legacy – she did it everything with a smile
She made a difference – in a good way.
Who remembers for more than a few years – how sad?
I suppose my legacy is my descendants and I have absolutely no control over them!
i’d like my legacy to be: “and not a single damn was given”
Tetsuya is an amazing guy, he’s one of my favourite chef! anyway my legacy would be to enjoy and embrace life and nature/ environment.
My desired legacy – live a life of love and serving others where every opportunity is made upon to be be able to bless humanity
I would like to master that wonderful cooking skill that I’ve been labouring at for so long ow. Perhaps one day my tombstone could read … “She came, she cooked, she didn’t really quite get it, but kept on cooking and eventually she conquered”! LOL
What a great opportunity. I hope that my legacy in food comes from cooking for my community through fundraising efforts. Having raised quite a bit each year for the Make A Wish Foundation and others – I feel this is worth remembering
In a world of many egotistic (often megalomaniac) ‘celebrity chefs’, it is refreshing to hear from someone of Tets’ pedigree who after all these years continues to focus on produce and discipline to his craft.
I hope that my legacy will be to teach my sons that life is about nourishing the body, mind and soul, and that good food and family is a great way to achieve all three.
Sigh… I really need to get to Sydney with more than a few days’ notice so I can book myself in to Tetuya’s!! He seems like such a down to earth person
Very much enjoyed reading this thanks!
My legacy? Probably to instill in my children a sense of fun and light-heartedness. There may be some challenging times in their lives as they grow up but hopefully they’ll learn to offset those moments with remembering how to have fun and enjoy the simple things where possible
I hope they can tell from my own exploits in cooking that it’s all about fun!
Alien contact was made because my computer sifted through the data from SETI and found the message “Greetings Earthlings”. That is what I want my legacy to be.
I would like to be remembered as someone who loved to smile and who made the most of every minute.
It certainly wont be my eggs – unless you like crunchy, sloppy and split scramble (my faithful Fido never complains) and it definitely wont be for my cleanliness (stop whining about the dirty floor, why do you think you’re wearing shoes?!) nor for my inability to stick to a budget (I have nothing to add here…) BUT! I can be sure of one thing – I have loved and I will continue to love until the day I pass on through this wonderous slip stream. Love lives in my life every day in every way, from sneaking kisses and naughty high school feel-ups with my husband away from our teenager’s omnipresent embarrassment to hopelessly grinning at my incorrible Beagle when he’s sleeping soundly in my basket of freshly washed linen or feeling that rush of affection and gratitude for life when witnessing a good deed passing between two strangers. I live to love!
I would like to be remembered for changing people’s lives for the better in some small way.
I hope to pass on a love for life and a want to try everything with no regrets and no fear of failure
I think i would want my legacy to be that I was fiercely protective and loving of my family. A person has nothing if they dont have family. Money means nothing if there is no family to share it with. That would be my legacy!
Having just given birth to my first child – you hope your children will be your legacy – and that they grow up to be happy, healthy and make the most of every day.
My daughters being happy, healthy and productive members of society.
If I could leave a legacy as an inspriation to just one person I would be satisfied.
As per my previous post (#96) we went to Tetsuya’s on saturday night to celebrate mine and another friends birthdays.
It was the most amazing meal and the service was fabulous. Two highlights for me were the Beef Short Ribs with Beetroot Jus & Wasabi Mustard and the Steamed Murray Cod with Blackbean and Bacon.
It seems for many years Tetsuya has inspired the Australian dining scene to a whole new level.
If I could choose my legacy:
A selfless person is what I’d be,
I’d try to leave my mark on humanity,
And make sure I regularly gave to charity
But ultimately, what I’d like to see
Is that people understood and appreciated me.
What it would be…..Ummmm
I have already created my legacy and I am savoring every minute of my three kids….
They complete me
I would like to help more people than I harmed.
That I’ve influenced all the delightful,sweet pre-schoolers I have taught to view themselves as capable and lovable little people who will be comforted by these thoughts when things in life don’t go quite as they had wanted!
My Grandmother recently died at age 99, she lest me a huge legacy of cooking and craft, I hope to carry this on and one day leave a similar legacy!
Tetsuya is so inspiring, you’re so lucky to have had the chance to learn from him, let alone to meet him in person!
My dream is to open up darwin’s first izakaya up here! I absolutely love Japanese food.
I would want my legacy to be exactly that of my parents, who always always put their children before themselves to give them a better life. Being married and planning on starting a family now myself, I realize now the sacrifices they’ve made for their children.
In saying this, I remember when I was younger, at the dinner table, my father would always save me (the slowest eater in the family) the best pieces of food
My legacy to my children: my strength. I have gone through many hardships in life, bad marriage, unemployment, divorce, breast cancer and yet I have managed to re-build my life and have survived.
My legacy Hmmmmm…… I have no children but I have my family including four nephews all of which I spend much time with, but other than that it will be with the many people I cook for, drink wine with and share stories with. Maybe my experiences will add a little spice and humor in their lives, I know they bring all this and more to mine!
Hmmm… Hum di hum… Legacy… Hee ho…
#squints eyes#
Gah, I dunno! You’ve got me stumped!
Gee whiz.
Well, if I may paraphrase here; I think I just AM
Tetsuya is one of my favourite chef! Hes really amazing and really an inspiring chef!
I would like my legacy to always care for others and be kind
My legacy… She lived, she laughed she tried, she learnt.
Give it a go, you never know what you can achieve.
I would like to leave behind a legacy of someone that loved passionately, someone that laughed happily and someone that lived fearlessly.
My legacy would be to advocate for my children, you only get out what you put in. The more I put in now, the more they’ll grow and pass it on to their children
My Legacy will be, that I was always to make people laugh and feel good about themselves. Whether it be work, play or cooking a meal for friends I made people smile.
My legacy is that i taught my daughters how to cook and experiment with different foods and flavours. sometimes there great other times they are disasterous, thats the fun about cooking you never know how it will turn out
that i was passionate, live, loved and laughed lots
Tetsuya is one of my food heroes, it is his gentle humility I so admire, along with his food. How wonderful it must be to work with him. I think legacy is such a deep and meaningful word, I have thought long and hard about this, since you posted this in fact. As I do not have a family, or a job where I make a huge difference to the planet, I think my legacy will be this – to gently, quietly influence young people I come to know, through work and so on, into some of the wisdoms we learn with age and experience. To take those who are looking for it, under my wing, and gently coax them to understand that they should always value themselves and therefore expect that others will treat them accordingly. It took me far too many years to learn this lesson myself. I would love to meet Tetsuya – I share his love of nature and the outdoors – and I’m single too!
I would love to be remembered for being a great Mother
Hosting our regular, quintessential summer barbeques with our family and friends!
I want to be known to be a cooking master with fabulous banquets, delicious parties and unforgettable dinners. Now all I know is a Tetsuya cookbook!
My legacy i would like to be remembered for is :
Not only did i teach my own family the love of food and cooking, but i also gave my time at their primary school to teach hundreds of children the same thing and to many i changed what happened at their homes, and many still talk to me about it to this day
My legacy is to eat well and live well.
I hope that I pass on the legacy of financial support for my family’s next generation.
Great prize! Thanks for the chance to enter for a Tetsuya Cookbook. It’s spectacular.
I would like my legacy to be:
She lived life to the fullest, enjoyed each day and had no regrets.
It will more than likely be though:
She tried her best, but always wanted more!
A loving mother and wife who would do anything for her family
I would liked to be remembered as always throwing a great dinner party, with friends wanting to come back for the new and interesting meals that were served.
My legacy would be as a champion of the bees! Imploring councils to save the bees instead of the current practice of sending in pest controllers to kill them.
I would hope my legacy would be simply that I gave much in love to not only those I knew & cared for but to also those in need.
To have all my students remember me with love and respect.
I would like my legacy to be the happiness of my Kids!
“She came, she cooked, AND she did the washing up!”
Each month I take my kids to the Farmers Market to buy seasonal, fresh, local produce. I would like my legacy to be that they appreciate the importance of buying and eating food this way.
A gentle soul
a peaceful life
A wonderful mother
A faithful wife
my legacy i hope will be instilling a sence of freedom, free thinking, kindness and strong work ethic into my children – triplets.
Leave the world in a better state than you found it, give more than you recieve and hold onto love let go of hate.
I want my legacy to be – I helped, cared and nurtured to the best of my ability. I don’t believed in giving up and will give everything life throws at me a go!
)
My Shoe Collection – Imelda Marcos eat your heart out!
A recipe that will be passed down my family tree for generations to come…
I’d like my legacy to be be….a holsitic woman who promoted health for the complete body and mind- I’m a psycholgist and love to promote the body and mind being integral companions – good nutrition and lifestyle so often helps with good mental health
My legacy will be a signed copy
Of a Tetsuya cook book
work to live…not live to work
My legacy ;
For all people to put into practice the 3 R’s
Reduce
Reuse
Recycle
But really do it!!
I would love for my legacy to be one of never giving up.. I know it’s cliched but a heap could’ve held me back in life.. I was just too stubborn to let it!
Just being remembered by family and friends will be enough for me
My Legacy……She came, she saw, she made a difference.
my daughter (who wants ti be a chef) raves about this guy
fingers crossed – this is for you Courtney
As a passionate cook and a beloved Mama who is also the craziest fan of Not Quite Nigella, I love cooking for the Salvos, for the poor and hungry, so they too can enjoy the pleasures of food like anybody. I hope everyone can follow in my footsteps, by bringing food to the needy so they don’t have to wait on others’ doorsteps. My lasting legacy would be to end world hunger, starting from right at home here in Australia, bringing the joy of food and warmth to the homeless, and encourage everyone to give them a little thought during these cold winter months.
I would like my legacy to be… I’m not sure. I guess I just want to live a happy life that my children (in the future) will benefit from. ^^
If my legacy was that I FINALLY won a Not quite Nigella prize I’d be happy
Parents teach us many things
of life’s journey and what it brings
they provide us with
guidance and affection
and bring us thoughts for reflection
Using their experiences and tales
and lessons of moral fables
they fill us with countless memories
of their legacy
A memory of lives touched and affected
stories told and reflected
of assistance, support and resistance
through achievements and success
providing courage and support, no less,
providing love and kindness beyond and above
giving happiness and laughter
loyalty and devotion, thats what we may be after
Thats what I’d like to be, my legacy.
The first time you open a contest to the world and I win. Big smooch.
My dream legacy would be to have:
- Invented the secret to making ALL cake ZERO calories (and lived off the income stream from the patent royalties)
- Achieved gender equality
- Had a champagne named after me
- Be known for having lived hard, loved well and had a lot of fun trying
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