Get ready cooking fans, the fourth episode of Chef’n It, Behind the Apron Media’s monthly cooking series, premiered today. The new episode features Kenta Kamo, managing partner and executive chef of the Michelin-recommended Temaki Den at The Source in Denver’s RiNo Arts District.
Meet Chef Kenta Kamo
Raised between Baton Rouge and the Tokyo/Saitama region, chef Kenta Kamo grew up straddling two distinct culinary worlds. In Louisiana, food was celebration and comfort, and in Japan, his childhood summer visits introduced him to a cuisine where simplicity and intention guided every dish. Those early experiences sparked Kamo’s passion for sharing his culture through food.
“I never thought I wanted to be a chef when I was younger,” said Kamo, a 2025 Chef-of-the-Year finalist in the Colorado Restaurant Association’s HOSPY Awards. “What I did want was to bring Japanese culture and Japanese food to the American people.”
Through years of global travel and working at a ski resort hotel in Nagano and izakayas in Tokyo, Kamo absorbed the discipline and rigor of traditional Japanese cuisine. Its core principles of simplicity, purity of flavor, and deep respect for letting ingredients speak for themselves became the foundation of his culinary identity.
He eventually found his way to Denver in 2014 when he took a line cook position at Ototo. There, he began working under his mentor Kyotaka Ido, whom he refers to as his oyakata, or “father figure” in the kitchen.
“I learned about 85% of what I know about traditional Japanese cuisine from him,” Kamo said, recalling how he was first promoted to sous chef largely to help translate for Ido, who spoke little English. “He had mad skill.”
Kamo rose through the ranks due to his talent and dedication at Ototo, ultimately replacing Ido as executive chef, and helping the restaurant earn its reputation as one of Denver’s premier Japanese dining destinations. In collaboration with restaurateur Toshi Kizaki, co-founder of Sushi Den, Izakaya Den, Ototo, and most recently Kizaki, Kamo opened Temaki Den in 2020.
Culinary Principles: Kaizen, Kodawari, and Hiku
Throughout filming episode four of Chef’n It, Kamo returned often to the Japanese culinary principles that anchor his work, beginning with kaizen, the commitment to continuous improvement.
“That’s kaizen right there,” he remarked as host Tarah Runco proudly revealed her noticeably sharper knife cuts.
He also demonstrated hiku, the traditional sashimi technique of slicing by pulling the knife rather than pushing. These teachings, he explained, speak to the core philosophies of his cooking: simplicity, balance, and respect for high-quality ingredients.
“In Japanese cuisine, they call it addition and subtraction,” Kamo said. “You can add things to something, like soy sauce or wasabi to tuna, to make it taste better. You can also subtract from things. All our white fish we lightly salt to draw out moisture, concentrate flavor, and remove fishiness.”
Another guiding principle at Temaki Den is kodawari, the relentless pursuit of perfection. Kamo’s drive for excellence is unending. While filming, he sampled ingredients from Denver’s Pacific Mercantile with the same intentionality he brings to his kitchen.
A bonus video featuring Kamo’s shopping trip at Pacific Mercantile and ingredient taste testing will be released on Behind the Apron Media’s YouTube channel later this month.
Temaki Den: Tradition Meets the American Palate
Located inside The Source Market Hall, Temaki Den strikes a balance between tradition and approachability, blending Japanese technique with flavors tailored to the American palate. Kamo is candid about the distinction, explaining how diners in the U.S. often crave bolder flavors with more salt, fat, and heat. Temaki Den meets those preferences without compromising craftsmanship.
For Kamo, creating pathways into Japanese cuisine is what he’s most proud of. “We’re exposing people to a cuisine and a culture they never knew existed, and now they’re obsessed with it.”
Kenta Kamo’s Temaki Spread
In episode four, Kamo shares his signature Temaki Spread, a build-your-own hand-roll setup he describes as “perfect for picky eaters or anyone looking for a do-it-yourself experience.”
Inspired by family meals from his childhood, Kamo guides viewers through:
• perfecting sushi rice
• assembling Kinshi Tamago (thinly sliced egg crepes)
• prepping cucumber, green onion, and avocado
• making homemade tempura flakes
• mixing spicy tuna and blue crab fillings
Simple enough for a weeknight dinner and elevated enough for entertaining, the Temaki Spread is a season-one standout and an approachable option for home cooks looking to expand their recipe rotation.
Find the full recipe at ChefnIt.com.
Watch Episode Four of Chef’n It
Hosted by Behind the Apron Media founder Tarah Runco, Chef’n It is a monthly YouTube series that goes beyond the plate to share the heart, technique, and stories behind Colorado’s top culinary talent. Each episode offers an approachable, reimagined version of one of their restaurant’s signature dishes made to inspire home cooks.
Watch episode four now at Chef’nIt.com and subscribe to Behind the Apron Media’s YouTube channel.
