Doha, 21 Nov (Xinhua) -- One of the Japanese team participating in the World Cup in Qatar is a "veteran of the Five Dynasties," who is not a player or a coach, but the chef Xi Fangzhao who is responsible for entertaining the "players' stomachs."
One of the reasons the Japanese team stayed at their training ground was just a ten-minute drive from their training ground, and one of the reasons he chose the hotel had to do with Saikatsu – allowing him to set up teppanyaki in the restaurant lobby and cook live for the players.
In the lobby of the hotel where the Japanese team stayed, a Xinhua reporter saw 60-year-old Xifangzhao. The net hat on his head to prevent hair loss has not yet been removed, and his figure is very thin. He first apologized for being 20 minutes late for the interview: "Because everyone ate for a long time today, I was late." ”
Xi Fangzhao was interviewed by reporters. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Wang Zijiang
The Japanese team's breakfast starts at 9 o'clock, and because some dishes are cooked on the spot, they have to wait until everyone has eaten before leaving. "The players were very nervous and tired during the game, and the luster and aroma of the dishes that were put there were greatly reduced. Doing it on the spot can stimulate their appetite, and eating well can maintain physical strength. ”
The main course of breakfast of the day is salt-grilled mackerel, lunch is steak, and dinner is the most sumptuous, with two meat dishes, two fish dishes, and three kinds of green vegetables, a total of 7 courses, as well as staples such as pasta, soba noodles, and rice. Xi Fangzhao also told reporters that a chicken dish at night would be made with Chinese food, and asked what the recommended sauce was. "I use old Chinese soy sauce, and there is a little alcohol in Japanese soy sauce, which I can't bring into Qatar. We bought Chinese old soy sauce locally. ”
In September this year, Nishiyoshi visited the hotel and local market reserved by the Doha Japanese team, from the cooling of the kitchen to the movement between the kitchen and the restaurant. Regarding the special ingredients, Nishiyoshi said that in addition to preparing chicken, beef and lamb, they also added highly nutritious liver and deep-sea fish. He will also discuss ingredients with players and coaches in advance, "Some players do not eat wheat staples in order to recover faster, and will prepare other things." Reasonable are satisfied as much as possible. However, some people say that they want to eat hamburgers every meal, so they can't agree. Xifangzhao said with a smile.
Burgers made with fried beef on site are one of Nishifutsu's specialty dishes. The Japanese team has three fixed menus: eel on the eve of the match, grilled cod on the first two nights, and burgers on the first three nights. At one point, Xifang said that he considered replacing the burger, but "it was protested."
Nishiyoshi previously worked as the head of nutrition and catering at a large soccer training base in Fukushima Prefecture. In 2004, he was invited by the Japan Football Association to become the exclusive chef of the national team. Since the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he has participated in five consecutive World Cups with the team, and has played more than 200 overseas matches with the national team and Kawasaki Frontale and other Japanese professional league teams. During the expedition, Xifang Zhao would enter the kitchen at six or seven o'clock in the morning and could not sleep until late at night. On the official Douyin of the Japanese team, there is a video of Nishi Fangzhao cooking live and the players lining up for the oven, and there is also a TikTok video of Nishi Fangzhao eating his own simple meal, laughing and saying, "I want to help them, even if I sacrifice my own sleep time." Both videos have more than 200,000 likes.
"I've seen the players talking about tactics countless times while taking food, and it's a great atmosphere, and I want to create restaurants where they can talk about how to win, where the players have fun and help them get the most out of themselves." Xi Fangzhao said that this is the greatest value of this job.
Japan vs. Australia in March's World Cup Asian Qualifiers was a few days before Nishiyoshi's 60th birthday. He received a surprise, and the captain Maya Yoshida presented him with a set of red chef clothes embroidered with the Japanese team logo on behalf of everyone. The players also asked him to "wear it on the day of the game", which will bring good luck to everyone. As a result, Japan won 2-0. "After I came back, Coach Morihoichi excitedly said to me 'win!', I said congratulations, congratulations, he was angry, how can I say congratulations, I should say great, you are one of us!"
After that, on the day of each competition, Xifang Zhao would wear this big red chef's suit. The three races this time are naturally the same. "I can't go to the game, but there is TV in the restaurant and I'll be there to cheer them on and wait for them to come back."
As the countdown to the World Cup in Qatar was one month, Saiyoshi, as a special member of the Japanese team, held an online press conference at the Japan Football Association to announce that this would be his last World Cup. "I really think so, it's a little hard to age and physically."
The reporter asked: "What if the players insist on retaining?" ”
He laughed and said, "No comment. ”
Images: All courtesy of the Japan Football Association, unless noted