Chef Shota began his culinary journey at the age of sixteen working for a well-acclaimed sushi restaurant in his hometown of Seattle, WA. At the age of eighteen, Nakajima moved to Osaka, Japan to learn about the art of Japanese cuisine. In Japan, Nakajima had the opportunity to work for Michelin Star rated Chef Yasuhiko Sakamoto. This is where Chef Shota learned about the service industry; the mentality it took to be in a kitchen and the utter importance of service towards guests. Since returning to Seattle, it has been Nakajima’s dream to convey Chef Sakamoto’s approach to hospitality and Japanese cuisine in the United States. In 2017, Chef Shota competed on Iron Chef Gauntlet and in 2018 he defeated Chef Bobby Flay on ‘Beat Bobby Flay’ and was a semi finalist for the James Beard Award.