Latest news with #Noriko
NDTV
18-06-2025
- Health
- NDTV
Owners Of Former Michelin Star Restaurant In Japan Arrested After 80 Cases Of Food Poisoning
Owners of a popular restaurant in Japan have been arrested after nearly 80 diners reported coming down with food poisoning after eating food from the restaurant. Kiichi, a restaurant in Japan's Osaka Prefecture, is run by family members Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his wife Noriko, 68, and son Hirotoshi, 41. All three of them were arrested on June 16, 2025. Authorities suspect that they violated the Food Sanitation Act, which requires food establishments to implement basic hygiene and safety standards, reported the New York Post. In early February, Kiichi was ordered to suspend its services after 33 customers reported symptoms aligning with food poisoning and norovirus, including diarrhoea, stomach pain and vomiting. As per reports, despite the order to suspend the services, the restaurant allegedly continued to operate behind closed doors. They sold 11 traditional Japanese lunch box meals on February 16, 2025, that were contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms, according to the investigators. Norovirus was detected in the restaurant's food for a second time, and 23 diners reported food poisoning in February. The restaurant's suspension was extended through March. Police suspected that the food poisoning and norovirus cases were a result of poor management. The restaurant finally admitted to not enforcing strong hygiene practices. In late March, it wrote on its website, "We take this series of incidents seriously and deeply regret it. We will work to ensure food safety by strengthening and thoroughly implementing our hygiene management system to prevent a recurrence." Kiichi was honoured with a Michelin star for the Kansai region during the 2010s, but the restaurant was later removed from the prestigious list.
New York Post
18-06-2025
- New York Post
Family owners of former Michelin-starred restaurant in Japan arrested after nearly 80 cases of food poisoning
A family trio behind a Michelin-starred restaurant in Japan that had a steep fall from grace was arrested after nearly 80 diners reported coming down with food poisoning in February. Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his wife Noriko, 68, and son Hirotoshi, 41, who all run the Kiichi restaurant in Japan's Osaka Prefecture were arrested on Monday. Authorities suspect that they violated the Food Sanitation Act, which requires food industries to implement basic hygiene and safety standards. In early February, Kiichi was ordered to suspend its services after a staggering 33 customers reported symptoms aligning with food poisoning and norovirus, including diarrhea, stomach pain and vomiting, Kyodo News reported. Advertisement The owners of the Kiichi restaurant in Japan were arrested after nearly 80 diners reported cases of food poisoning and norovirus. Google maps Unperturbed by the mass illness tied to their restaurant, the Kitano family allegedly continued to operate behind closed doors and sold 11 traditional Japanese lunch box meals on Feb. 16 that investigators believe were contaminated with pathogenic microorganisms. Even more people became sick in the following days. Norovirus was detected in the restaurant's food for a second time, as another 23 diners reported food poisoning, all before the end of February. Advertisement The restaurant's suspension was extended through March as police began to suspect that the food poisoning and norovirus cases were a result of poor management behind the scenes. Eventually, Kiichi admitted to not enforcing strong hygiene practices among its staff. The Kiichi restaurant held one coveted Michelin star during the 2010s. Ricochet64 – Advertisement 'We take this series of incidents seriously and deeply regret it. We will work to ensure food safety by strengthening and thoroughly implementing our hygiene management system to prevent a recurrence,' the restaurant wrote on its website in late March. Kiichi boasted a coveted one-star rating in the Michelin Guide for the Kansai region during the 2010s before eventually being booted off the acclaimed list. On the other side of the world, a Brazilian family was poisoned by a relative after she purposefully dumped expired products and a mysterious white liquid into a cake she baked. The gruesome triple homicide took place mere months after the deviant baker's husband died from food poisoning.
Hindustan Times
17-06-2025
- Health
- Hindustan Times
Japan's Michelin-listed eatery owners arrested as customers test positive for ‘highly contagious illness'
Three members of a family in Japan who run a once Michelin-starred restaurant in Osaka were arrested Monday after nearly 80 people fell ill from food poisoning earlier this year, according to local reports. Hirokazu Kitano, 69, his wife Noriko, 68, and their son Hirotoshi Kitano, 41, were taken into custody on suspicion of violating Japan's Food Sanitation Act. The family runs Kiichi, a traditional Japanese restaurant located in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture. The restaurant was first ordered to shut down in February after dozens of customers reported symptoms including diarrhea and stomach pain, Kyodo News reported. Some of the cases tested positive for norovirus — a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhea, the UK Independent reported. Officials said the initial two-day suspension came after 33 people became sick after eating at the restaurant on February 8. But investigators later discovered that Kiichi continued to operate and sold 11 bento lunch boxes on February 16. Those meals were also suspected to be contaminated. Also Read: 'New Baba Vanga' predicts major disaster on this date. It's sooner than you think In the following days, more people reported getting sick, and norovirus was again found in the food, prompting a second suspension in March. Authorities believe poor hygiene at the restaurant was the cause of the outbreak. The restaurant acknowledged the issue and apologized publicly on March 20 after the suspension was lifted. 'We take this series of incidents seriously and deeply regret it. We will work to ensure food safety by strengthening and thoroughly implementing our hygiene management system to prevent a recurrence,' the statement read. All of the people who fell ill have since recovered. Kiichi once held a one-star rating in the Michelin Guide during the 2010s and describes itself as a 'famed Kyoto kaiseki restaurant that has been continuing for a quarter of a century.'
Straits Times
16-06-2025
- Straits Times
Former Michelin-star restaurant owner in Japan arrested after food poisonings
OSAKA - Members of a family who run a formerly Michelin-starred restaurant in western Japan were arrested on Ju ne 16 for ignoring an order to temporarily shut down the establishment after a spate of food poisonings, investigative sources said. Hirokazu Kitano, 69 , along with his wife Noriko, 68, and his son Hirotoshi Kitano, 41, and have all been involved in the operation of the traditional Japanese-style restaurant Kiichi in Kawachinagano, Osaka Prefecture. It is alleged they violated the Food Sanitation Act. According to the prefectural government and other sources, the restaurant was handed a two-day business suspension order on Feb 15 after 33 customers experienced vomiting and diarrhoea following meals at the restaurant or after consuming 'bento' boxed meals sold earlier in February. Norovirus was detected in some of the people, which a local public health centre determined was linked to food poisoning. Norovirus i s a highly contagious virus that causes vomiting and diarrhoea. It is usually spread through contaminated food or surfaces. Then, 23 more people who ate at the restaurant between Feb 22 and 24 fell sick and norovirus was again detected, prompting authorities to order the restaurant to close indefinitely from March 2. Subsequent investigations found that the business had continued to sell bento boxes during the initial suspension order. KYODO NEWS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
The Star
20-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Star
Making Italian feast great beyond words
AS proof that food, like music, is a universal language, one has to meet Motokazu Yonezawa, a Japanese chef who specialises in Italian cuisine. The 49-year-old, affectionately known as chef Moka, speaks very little English and has even weaker command of the language of the cuisine he has chosen to specialise in. And yet, Yonezawa has managed to helm four restaurants, first in Malaysia and subsequently the resort area of Niseko in Japan, throughout his 30-year career. Smoked Duck with Strawberry Coulis and Balsamic Sauce. Genesis John Dibble, a Malaysian who has been working with Yonezawa for the past six years, revealed that his boss manages by using sign language as the main method of communication. Another method is the use of simple sentences of at most four words. For example, if an urgent order for pasta has come in, something along the lines of 'make pasta faster' is uttered. The biggest credit, however, goes to Yonezawa's wife, Noriko, a sommelier and fluent English speaker, for being his trustworthy translator for the past 21 years. The couple met in 2004 while both were pursuing their studies in the field of culinary arts in Florence, Italy. The silky Scallop Chawanmushi topped with salmon roe is a highlight of the feast. According to Noriko, Yonezawa had impressed her with an artichoke and fresh tomato pasta. Married in 2007, the couple have a 17-year-old daughter. Noriko and Dibble shared these anecdotes during a preview of 'The Ritzy Weekend Feast' at The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, where Yonezawa will be showcasing his artistry and culinary repertoire as the weekend buffet's guest chef. Diners can expect to be impressed with his array of dishes. At the preview, three starters were prepared. One was Smoked Duck with Strawberry Coulis and Balsamic Sauce, with the coulis and sauce drizzled delicately over the cold cuts of duck. For a touch of freshness, it was garnished with strawberries, orange and kiwi. Sea Bream Carpaccio, surrounded by small dollops of cherry tomato sauce. There was also a Sea Bream Carpaccio. Sprinkled with pink pepper and given a dash of colour with yellow cherry tomatoes, the fish, sliced paper thin, sat atop a bed of fennel surrounded by small dollops of cherry tomato sauce. Of the three, it was the silky and flavourful Scallop Chawanmushi, made with fish stock and topped with salmon roe, that stole the show. Diners, who had come back for seconds (and thirds) were heard saying, 'one is not enough'. For main courses, Yonezawa made Spaghetti with Mustard Greens, Cherry Tomatoes and Sliced Squid, and Chicken Cacciatore, a hearty stew simmered in a tomato sauce, enriched with zucchini, eggplant and capsicum. The pasta dish can also be enjoyed with the sauce from the cacciatore. The secret behind the cacciatore's flavourful quality lies in the fact that, in the chef's own words, it was 'made with love'. Another main course to look out for is the Baked Salmon Cartoccio. Encased in a paper papillote, the fish dish was served accompanied with a green sauce of parsley, basil and garlic, blended in olive oil. Yonezawa will be showcasing his Italian dishes at 'The Ritzy Weekend Feast' until May 31. The buffet is served on Fridays and Saturdays, from 6.30pm to 10pm. It is priced at RM170++ per person. In addition to the dishes prepared by the guest chef, diners can also expect an array of dishes from the hotel's kitchen team. The roast beef, which comes with Yorkshire pudding, is a sure draw. Separately, the hotel's RC Bar is serving a 'one-for-one' offer on all Mom Gin cocktails every Thursday. There is a choice of five cocktails, using different ingredients such as sparkling wine, liqueur, dark chocolate, and tea paired with the label's different flavours. THE COBALT ROOM, Level One, The Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur. (Tel: 018-623 0037). Pork-free. This is the writer's personal observation and is not an endorsement by StarMetro.
