Madame Saito has been an ambassador of Japanese culture and fusion cuisine in the Philadelphia community for the past 25 years. As owner and chef of Le Champignon de Tokio located in historic Society Hill, she has pioneered the delicate integration of French and Thai cuisine with traditional Japanese themes.
This integration comes naturally from her love for food and travel around the world. Her ability to speak 4 languages allows her better access to flavors than most during her travels.
As the proclaimed “Queen of Sushi” in the Philadelphia area, Madame Saito is a perpetual learner of the culinary arts. She was recently recognized as an exemplary international sushi instructor by the Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia and had the opportunity to apprentice with Tadashi Yamagata of Miyako Sushi in Tokyo and Chairman of the All Nippon Sushi Association; Mr. Tsutomu Shimamiya of Sushizen in Tokyo; Mr. Tashiaki Sekine of Sansui Sushi in Tokyo and Haruyoshi Matsuda of Ozushi in Mie, all of the premiers sushi chefs of Japan today. In addition to her Japanese roots, Madame Saito also has formal education at the Le Cordon Bleu and the Ritz Escoffier in Paris