Thomas Frebel
Thomas Frebel is the co-founder and Head Chef of Inua Japan, the sister restaurant of Noma. Inua follows the philosophy of Noma, and its menu uses ingredients that are foraged or found indigenously in Japan. He was the former head of R&D at Noma for ten years until he opened Inua in 2018. Inua has since earned 2 Michelin stars of its own.
If you could recommend 3 books to anyone, what would they be?
Eckart Witzigmann. Sechs Jahrzehnte. by Tobias Eckardt
This book, though not as exciting as others, has probably influenced me the most at the start of my career, and maybe even now. It’s a biography of the chef who had shaped German gastronomy the most in the 70s-80s, he was like the Anthony Bourdain of that time, traveling and exploring flavours and bringing them to the world. I was seventeen when I read it, and though I hadn’t fully understood it, it made me realise that cooking wasn’t just a job behind the stove. Cooking allows you to explore the world through the culture of eating, flavour, and memories of our tastebuds.
Intrigue and Love by Friedrich Schiller
This is a book every child had to read at school in Germany. Not sure if this is something to be proud of, but I didn’t actually read it, rather, it was read to me every evening over dinner with my grandmother. This is a memory I’d almost forgot but treasure a lot, because though I didn’t read it on my own, I received the highest score (100/100!) at the exams.
The Future of Humanity: Our Destiny in the Universe by Michio Kaku
Recently, a lot of us found ourselves with a little more time on our hands so I came into the habit of going for very long walks. I downloaded this as an audiobook, plugged in my headphones and started walking. This book made me travel to the future, away from our current situation, and made me realise how insignificant some things are which in the moment seem so significant to us. It reminded me that there is a much bigger picture to everything than we believe there is.
What are you reading now?
I’ve just finished Scale by Geoffrey West and am about to begin Multipliers by Liz Wiseman. I think it’ll be a useful book that could enhance my management skills and help make my staff better, happier, and more efficient.
Whose reading list are you most curious about?
"Peter Zumthor, the Swiss-born architect. I admire his works a lot and have a few of his books which had inspired in me in many ways.”
— Thomas Frebel
