DHS grad studies at Tokyo restaurant

Dana Hildreth of DeKalb recently returned from a 3-month stay in Tokyo, Japan, where she fulfilled the externship requirement for graduation from the Cordon Bleu program at the Cooking and Hospitality Institute of Chicago. Living in Tokyo for three months and working with Chef Seiji Yamamoto at the Restaurant RyuGin was a profound culinary and cultural experience for her. &#8220I had studied the language for over a year before I went, but when I arrived in Tokyo, I realized I knew only a fraction of the Japanese I would need to know; there was a lot of adjusting to the culture as well as the kitchen. The endless newness was nearly overwhelming and frustrating at first, but everyone at work was so kind and helpful that I soon felt at home,”