Hi everyone. I’m Kenji.
I write books, including the James Beard Award-winning and bestselling cookbooks The Food Lab and The Wok, and the best-selling children’s book Every Night is Pizza Night. You can get any of my books wherever you typically buy your books, or order them here.
I have a YouTube channel with more subscribers than is reasonable where I post cooking videos and other food-related content. I shoot a lot of them with a GoPro strapped to my head which may or may not be your style. If it is, please enjoy. If not, there are lots of other great channels out there to watch!
I’m also a New York Times food columnist, and the Chief Culinary Advisor for Serious Eats, home of the best, most thoroughly-tested and explained recipes and food features, well, pretty much anywhere. Additionally, I’m the the former chef and founding partner at Wursthall in San Mateo, a German-inspired California beer hall and restaurant. You can try some of my food there. I’m also a huge fan and partner at Backhaus, a San Mateo bakery specializing in naturally-leavened sourdough, pretzels, and European-style pastries. I live in Seattle with my children Alicia and Koji.
My Editorial Ethics
The trust of my readers, viewers, and followers has always been and will continue to be my most valuable asset. As such, I have several personal and professional policies in place to ensure that my word is trustworthy. As a general policy, I do accept free food, samples, or products for review. On the occasions that I do receive samples or other products, there is never a guarantee of coverage in my videos, site, or social media, and there is never a guarantee that any coverage will be positive. Here are some more details:
Food: If Iam reviewing a restaurant or a dish, I pay for all food I order, and I pay full price. If I am offered food on the house. In these cases, I politely decline and insist on paying for my meals. Occasionally a chef or restaurant owner will send out an extra course or a sample of a different dish for me to try. In these cases, I will ask for the food to be added to my bill. In rare cases, I’ll be offerend dishes that are off-menu or small bites that are not able to be added to the bill.
Books: As an author with a years-long reputation, I receive many books from my own publisher and other publishers, typically looking for feedback or occasionally for cover quotes or blurbs. I also receive books to review for various publications and best-of lists.
Products and equipment: Most of the products and equipment I use in my home/studio kitchen are bought with my own money. Sometimes I receive products for review or feedback. Receiving products for review does not guarantee coverage or positive coverage.
Affiliate Sales: Some products linked or tagged in my posts or videos generate affiliate sales revenue for the site. This fact does not impact my review or recommendation process, and in general, we favor third-party affiliate links over direct affiliate links in order to avoid any conflicts of interest. Any links that generate affiliate sales revenue will be clearly labeled.
Advertising and sponsorship: I do not accept any direct advertising, and the content I present in my videos and writing it 100% my own opinions or unscripted reactions. Depending on what platform you are viewing my content, there may be programmatically-placed ads or sponsorship language surrounding the content. These sponsorships and advertisements do not affect the editorial content in any way.
Partnerships: I have collaborated with various producers and companies in the past to design, produce, and sell unique products that would not exist without my input or help. Examples include the Kenji x Leone Salt Cellar or the Earlywood Wok Spatula. In some of these cases, I receive a portion of sales revenue.