Muneto Naoyo
Naoyo Maekawa Co-owner/sales/accounting, Maekawa's Kitchen LLC. Naoyo learned culinary business from several restaurants in New York City. Her strength comes from her focus on observing things 'on-site' and applying knowledge/research at the operating level. On her everyday life, she is a caring woman who feeds her family with healthy and tasty meals. She also humorously presents herself a boss figure in their Maze-Maze business. Her husband calls her “Shachou” a.k.a. president of company. Born in 1974 in Saitama, Japan, Naoyo grew up as the youngest with two brothers. The family had a tradition to have sushi at every celebrating occasion at home. Her father, who once pursued his dream becoming a sushi chef, always made huge platters of it for the kids with great appetite. As a kid, she learned there were always smiles around good food. At her early school age, she joined a cooking/knitting club. She got into crafting and soon started experimenting pastry. She was the one behind pastry business in school. Later years as a teen, she had a part-time job at a local noodle shop. Working there helped her to develop her sense of handling a culinary business at the operating level. After graduating high school, she worked at a Matsuzakaya, one of the Japan’s major department stores, as a sales associate for 3 good years. Then she learned the depth of professional customer care and hospitality. In 1996, Naoyo arrived in New York. She had pursued her career in culinary business at several different restaurants for over 15 years. In 2012, Naoyo married to Muneto and started a new family in a suburban house, the north New York. In 2015, she and her family started Maze-Maze.
Muneto Maekawa Co-owner/chef, Maekawa's Kitchen LLC. As a professional conservator restoring New York’s landmark architectures, Muneto is also the creative culinary brain behind Maze-Maze. After two decades of New York City life, he has happily relocated himself and his family in a house with a garden up in the north suburb. Born in 1969, at Suita, Osaka, Muneto is the youngest among 4 brothers. “Houchounin Ajihei”, a Japanese manga, opened the door to culinary culture for him growing up. Then it’s the outdoor cooking taught by Boy scouts that led him to the never-ending challenge of it. As a high school kid, Muneto got into a habit of fixing himself a night snack, rather cooking a late night meal. Since around that time, his cooking skill has always been appreciated among friends and family. As a self-taught young chef, Muneto also pursued his passion in Art and entered Osaka University of Arts to study Sculpture. After having obtained BA in Sculpture, Muneto flew solo to the states, and continued his study at Art Students League of New York. In 2000, his career as a professional conservator began at B & H art-in-architecture, Ltd. Two years later, his son was born during his first marriage. Since an early age, Muneto tried to have his son exposed to outdoor activities. Camping, for instance, has become their family tradition for more than a decade. Muneto hoped his son would learn a lot from the nature experiences just like back in days young Muneto was much inspired by outdoor cooking as a boy scout. Contrary to expectation, his son’s interest was pointing something else. Instead, Muneto has been able to create nearly a hundred of outdoor recipes. In 2012, He married to Naoyo and started a new family in the suburban house. In 2015, they started Maze-Maze.
前川直世 Maekawa's Kitchen LLC社、Co-owner、営業と経理。 通称「社長」。 マンハッタンでいくつものレストランを渡り歩き、飲食業界における経営と接客のノウハウを現場に学ぶ。 家族の食生活を管理する「お母さん業」と、Maze-Maze経営の舵を取る女社長という二足のわらじを履く。 1974年 埼玉県幸手市に生まれ、二人の兄に可愛がられながら末っ子で育つ。 若い頃寿司職人を目指した父は、いつも家族のお祝い事となると腕を振るう。 家族みんなで食べる父の寿司が大好きで、食卓でみんなが喜ぶ顔になることが幼心に嬉しかった。小学生になり、料理編み物クラブに入ったことをきっかけに、作る面白さに夢中になる。お菓子作りを始めたのもこの時期。 中学、高校時代となると、その腕に磨きがかかり、バレンタインの時期には友達のためにお菓子作りを代行するほどに大忙し。 そして高校時代、蕎麦屋でのバイトにて、作ることから少し離れ、オペレーションの現場とその現実に触れることになる。 高校卒業後は、松坂屋百貨店に就職し、3年間みっちり接客の奥深さについて学ぶ。そして、1996年、いよいよニューヨークへ。 以後、数件のレストランに勤務し、接客とダイニングオペレーションを現場で学び、自信をつける。 2012年、現在の伴侶であり共同経営者である宗人とニューヨーク郊外に家を構えたのを機に、レストランビジネスを一旦引退し、同年結婚。 2015年Maze-Mazeを立ち上げ、現在に至る。
前川宗人 Maekawa's Kitchen LLC社、Co-owner兼料理長。 通称「副社長」。 文化財指定建築物を扱う修復師としてキャリアを積む傍ら、Maze-Maze(移動式ビストロ)のレシピを担う。 20年に渡るニューヨーク都心での暮らしを経て、現在は郊外に畑付きの一軒家を構え、家族3人暮らし。 1969年生まれ。大阪府吹田市にて、男だけの4人兄弟の末っ子として育つ。 小学生の頃に読んだ「包丁人味平」で料理に興味を持ち、ボーイスカウトで教わった野外調理をきっかけに食への飽くなき挑戦が始まる。夜食作りにのめり込んだ中学生時代。 高校生になっても絶えず夜食を作り続け、腕を磨く。 仲間と集えば常に料理担当。 そんなキャラが定着した頃、大阪芸術大学に進学し、彫刻を学ぶ。 卒業後はニューヨークへ。 Art Students League of New Yorkにて彫刻を専攻し、在学中は作品作りに没頭する。 2000年、B & H art-in-architecture, Ltd社への入社を機に、修復師としての扉が開かれる。 2002年、前妻との間に息子を授かる。 かつて幼少期の自分を食の世界へと導いたボーイスカウトに習い、週末は息子をキャンプに連れ出すこと10余年。 残念ながら息子が鍋を振ることは一度もなかったが、自らの野外食レシピは本を出版できるほどに構築された。 2012年、再婚。 翌年、愛妻直世と息子の3人で郊外に移り住む。 そこからMaze-Mazeが発案され、現在に至る。