2025.01.27
Growing up in Adelaide, Australia, Chef Daajm Coombe always had a love for food. Today, as the head chef of An Dining in Ki Niseko, Daajm masterfully blends her global experiences with the rich, seasonal produce of Hokkaido, creating a dining experience that is like no other. Her story is one of passion, exploration, and a commitment to showcasing the best of Japanese and international cuisine with a spotlight on local ingredients.
What inspired you to pursue a career as a chef, and how did your journey lead you to An Dining.
I've always loved food. I did really well at school and I thought the next step would be University and finding a 9 to 5 job, but I realised it wasn't for me. I have a love of food, so I thought, why don’t I continue that? But travel was also another big love of mine, and I am very passionate about that as well. So the two just seemed to go together. I started doing my apprenticeship when I was 21 with a one way ticket to Europe. I spent close to 4 years working and traveling, then came back home to Adelaide and realised I wasn't done. I still wanted to learn more about food, so I went to Canada for two years and that’s where I started working in a Japanese restaurant. While working there, I fell in love with the food, and also with the people. The way that the kitchen worked was also quite different to Western ones. After working at that restaurant I decided to just jump in and move to Japan to further my skills and knowledge in Japanese style cooking.
How does your personal background influence your approach to cooking?
I was adopted when I was six, so when I came to Australia as a young child I was very, very fussy. I wouldn't eat anything but my mum and dad were very big on bringing up kids that weren't fussy. So we had to eat everything. My mum's very big on cooking, she loves food and it’s her love language. So that's how I got a passion for food and cooking for others. This love for food became deeper and I continued to develop it through school and working part time jobs when I was younger.
What is the philosophy behind An Dining’s menu and experience?
There are two different seasonal experiences at An Dining. We have our Winter menu, where we want to shine a light on the best of Japanese cuisine, but still do it in a way that is enjoyable for foreigners who may not have experienced some of the dishes or flavours that are significant to Japan and its culture. Whereas in Summer, it's a little bit different. We have a lot of Japanese people that are traveling within Japan, and their taste buds are completely different. I love to showcase flavours and educate our Japanese guests by showing them a little bit about different kinds of foods around the world. For both winter and summer, we always use Hokkaido fresh and local produce as much as we can. That is something that always shines through in both our seasonal menus.
How important is it to use Hokkaido, local, seasonal ingredients in your dishes, and how does that influence your creative process in creating the dishes on the An Dining menu?
It is very important to all of us at An Dining. I believe that we should contribute and give back to the amazing locals in the community. On a personal level, I want to be more involved by learning the language, so I can reach out to more local farmers. I think it's good to showcase what we have to offer and show people travelling here what Hokkaido can do and produce. What we can grow here in Hokkaido is vast and very different, especially in summer. We've got everything readily available with all the farmers being so close to us. I would love to go and have tours to see how they grow their crops, see their soil, and just have a more integrated working relationship, truly making it a farm to table experience.
Are there any signature dishes at An Dining that hold special significance for you?
A lot of our meats and proteins have been sourced from local Hokkaido farms; from our pork to Wagyu and even fish. But one dish, that you have to try would be the 540 Kutchan potatoes, just because the story behind it and how it all works is very fascinating. The potatoes are stored for 540 days in a specialised “snow-room storage unit” powered by snow and electricity. This unique aging process and low temperatures bring out the natural sweetness as the potatoes begin saccharifying (changing into sugar).
While we are only halfway through the season are there any moments or achievements in your time at An Dining that you've been really proud of?
I am really proud of how the kitchen is being run and how the team is working together – we've worked really hard. There's been improvements and we've just really come together as a team. A lot of the achievements here wouldn't have been possible without the help of my team and them wanting to work hard to contribute to An Dining’s success.
How would you summarise the dining experience at An Dining in three words?
Friendly, Sophisticated and Inclusive.
How do you approach creating a menu that highlights the best of Hokkaido?
First I see what produce we have, what we can get, and what's in season. From there comes the elements you want on the plate – colours and flavours. But it all starts with the fresh produce and what we can source locally.
What are your goals for An Dining in the coming years?
I want An Dining to be a place where people come for a culinary experience. They come for the food, not just because they've booked a trip to Niseko. I also want people to come and enjoy food that they may not have every day, or try and learn something new.