JOJINY

Chef George’s innate appreciation for fish and love of food would become a foundation for his rise as a sushi chef. In 2004, Chef George took on an opportunity to work for world-renowned Chef Masa, initially hired as a server. Recognized for his dedication and work ethic, he was soon training in the kitchen and at the grill station. When his potential as a sushi chef was revealed, he spent nearly 2 decades honing his craft at Masa.

This incredible opportunity to train in both front and back of the house in three Michelin starred Masa developed Chef George’s keen understanding of Japanese cuisine and commitment to fine dining.

Chef George introduces his namesake Jōji as an homage, a celebration and an interpretation of the cherished omakase experience.

Born in Fuzhou, China, Xiao Lin, whose mother was a chef, moved to Japan for two years when he was 21 to study the Japanese language at school and then college. After that, he came to America where he worked intensively to immerse himself in the subtleties of Japanese cuisine. Passionately dedicated to cooking a wide range of styles, he quickly graduated to work in a Michelin starred Kaiseki restaurant, Brushstroke, before moving to the highly acclaimed Bar Masa and Masa. His most recent position before joining the remarkable team of friends in the kitchen at One Vanderbilt was Head Chef at Sushi Azabu. Chef Xiao’s love of food and the thrilling pursuit of collaborating with a team inside the kitchen of a great restaurant is the culmination of 20 years of passionate involvement in the culinary world.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, Chef Wayne’s culinary journey began at the age of 17, inspired by his upbringing surrounded by the uni farms of his father and the Cantonese cuisine of his grandfather.

Since moving to New York City in 2009 to work at three Michelin starred restaurants Masa and Eleven Madison Park, he has continued to evolve his cuisine, inspired by his Cantonese, Japanese, and European culinary training background. After successfully developing the kitchen menu at NYC’s hottest new cocktail bar Martiny’s, Chef Wayne is eager for this next chapter: bringing his fresh perspective and unique culinary style to sushi omakase at Jōji.