About Hachidori

Meet Kaori Stuessy, a Master of Japanese Home Cooking

Kaori was born and raised on the island of Kyushu, south-western Japan, in a family that loved to cook and share nourishing meals. She learned to cook by helping her mother and  grandmother from a young age. At age 18, Kaori moved to California by herself for college.

Her inspiration for the culinary arts flourished as she prepared her home-learned Japanese dishes for her fellow students and was introduced to local farmers markets, organic farming, and the Bay Area's restaurants.  She also got inspiration from the journeys of other chefs, such as pioneering farm-to-table chef Alice Waters.

For the last 10 years Kaori has lived in Grass Valley with her husband and two daughters, and has started her business Hachidori Cooking, which offers catering and private chef services, as well as a stall at the Nevada City Farmers Market, since 2014. It is her joy to cook nourishing food for this community.

Outside of the kitchen Kaori enjoys a daily yoga practice, dance, and traveling to diverse and beautiful places around the world, gathering further ideas and recipes for her repertoire.