Recommendations needed for set of knives

[pennman]

The son of a friend, a recent culinary school graduate is working in Japan this summer at a restaurant and is asking for recommendations for the types of knives he would need. It’s a hybrid european/Japanese restaurant. He wants to get them here beforehand.

What would be good for him to start? I’m thinking gyuto, yanagi, petty, sujiki to start. Any other recs? Let’s assume $1500 is the budget to start. Don’t need to be from the same maker.

 

[Ochazuke]

He should probably wait and ask whoever is working above him in the kitchen. They'll be able to recommend the type of knives he'll need and usually be able to tailor the suggestion to his skill level in usage and maintenance.

 

[mhpr262]

He'd better start upping his sharpening game

Does he know how to sharpen on stones? IIRC Japanese apprentice cooks spend the first six months of their training doing nothing but sharpening knives on water stones.

 

[JBroida]

The son of a friend, a recent culinary school graduate is working in Japan this summer at a restaurant and is asking for recommendations for the types of knives he would need. It’s a hybrid european/Japanese restaurant. He wants to get them here beforehand.

What would be good for him to start? I’m thinking gyuto, yanagi, petty, sujiki to start. Any other recs? Let’s assume $1500 is the budget to start. Don’t need to be from the same maker.

Which restaurant?

 

[Ruso]

Not sure about the type, but something in AEB-L for sure!

 

[DitmasPork]

The son of a friend, a recent culinary school graduate is working in Japan this summer at a restaurant and is asking for recommendations for the types of knives he would need. It’s a hybrid european/Japanese restaurant. He wants to get them here beforehand.

What would be good for him to start? I’m thinking gyuto, yanagi, petty, sujiki to start. Any other recs? Let’s assume $1500 is the budget to start. Don’t need to be from the same maker.

Ah, this is fun, making a blind recommendation without knowing the preferences of the culinary school grad! Based on my personal preferences, and feeling like a first knife set should not be very expensive high-end knives, here's my recommendations with a max of $1500 in mind—note that I've added a honesuki (use mine a lot).

Gyuto
https://www.cleancut.eu/butik/knifebrands/mazaki-migaki/gyuto_kasumi-3130-3131-detail
$250
[or Kaeru if stainless is desired]

Suji
http://www.japanesenaturalstones.com/kaeru-kasumi-stainless-sujihiki-270mm/
$200

Yanagi
https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...products/gesshin-uraku-270mm-white-2-yanagiba
$200

Petty
https://www.japaneseknifeimports.co...oducts/gesshin-ginga-150mm-stainless-wa-petty
$155

Honesuki
https://japanesechefsknife.com/coll...steel-series-boning-knife?variant=29243195075
$160

Total: $965

This come in at $535 under budget—which could go towards a nice knife roll, edge guards, set of whetstones, etc.

I've not tried the Kaeru but have read positive things about them.

 

[JBroida]

He should probably wait and ask whoever is working above him in the kitchen. They'll be able to recommend the type of knives he'll need and usually be able to tailor the suggestion to his skill level in usage and maintenance.

this is great advice... show up with a decent gyuto and maybe a petty and you should be good... everything else, they will let him know what he needs (usually, but it can depends on the restaurant, hence my earlier question).