Menu Development & Kitchen Direction for Milky House Inn
(Hokkaido, Japan)
At Milky House, a long-standing guesthouse in the snowy heart of Niseko, Hokkaido, I was invited to design and lead a new food concept focused on approachable, ingredient-driven cuisine for international travelers. Drawing from local Hokkaido produce and seasonal Japanese ingredients, I created a warm, casual menu where rustic Italian roots met Japanese flavors. The project included full recipe development, sourcing strategy, kitchen workflow, and onsite training to support daily service in winter seasons.
The Challenge: Traditional family business with incredible recipes but zero modern kitchen systems. Three generations of knowledge trapped in "that's how we've always done it." No standardized portions, no cost control, no scalability. Amazing food, chaotic operations.
The Solution: Translated recipes into professional specifications without losing the soul. Created standardized systems that honored traditional techniques while introducing modern efficiency. Developed portion control that maintained family-style generosity but controlled costs.
The Result: Kitchen operations streamlined by 40%, food costs reduced from 42% to 28%, staff training time cut in half. Most importantly - kept the family recipes intact while making them profitable and teachable.
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