TASTY OBSESSIONS

Bruce Rickett and Jae Pickrell's Iai is a tour de force of the couple's singular vision for Japanese cuisine

- STEF JUAN

Much has been written, said, and posted about Iai, the sushi kappo restaurant recently opened by Bruce Rickets and Jae Pickrell. Even before it opened its doors on October 1, 2024, it was already the talk of the town. This is hardly surprising, given that Bruce Ricketts is widely known in the local food scene for Mecha Uma, Sensei, and La Chinesca; and Jae Pickrell had been a long-time magazine editor until she stepped into her calling as a restaurateur, taking Bruce's concepts to the next level by way of branding and operations. Their marriage and partnership continue to prove to be a match made in culinary heaven with Iai and all that the restaurant stands for and serves.

THE PARTNERSHIP

"I feel like we've kind of spoken the same language for a really, really long time now," Jae shares. "The sense of collaboration is still deeply there. And what makes it work so well is that while we have different personalities, we share the same traits that make our professional lives quite efficient. We're both obsessive, and we egg each other on."

She and Bruce have been together for 14 years already, even before he opened Sensei - an unorthodox izakaya in BF Homes, Parañaque. In fact, he credits Jae for getting him on the Japanese food track. "It was actually Jae who exposed me to proper Japanese food," he shares. "I decided to do Japanese because I felt that it was a better way to communicate and get to know customers."